Limiting decision fatigue with a capsule wardrobe and minimal makeup bag
Archival blog. Originally posted in January 2022
I love beauty and fashion. I always have, since I was old enough to dress myself. Because of my love of pretty things, I’ve always found it hard to keep from accumulating excess in those departments- not enough to make me financially unstable, or go into consumer debt, but enough that buying, reorganizing and decluttering have become cyclical.
As I’ve gotten older, the extra in my life has triggered more and more anxiety. The things I own but don’t use weigh on me, and when I’m not feeling well, having to decide what to wear can be tedious instead of inspiring.
After my miscarriage, I was so grateful to be able to take two weeks bereavement leave. But on the Sunday night before returning to work, I found myself staring at my open closet, feeling panicked. Suddenly the hangers, some holding more than one dress, the shelf stacked with tipped over sweaters and pants, made it hard to breathe.
I took control the only way I could think of. I threw everything on the bed and put only nine things back in the closet:
black leggings
black jeans
black merino wool long sleeve tee
black and white striped long sleeve tee
white short sleeve tee
chambray button up tunic
chunky knit beige cardigan
black uni hoodie
lightweight blush zip hoodie
Everything else in my closet got stuffed into the linen closet, and I breathed a sigh of relief. By limiting one decision I had to make, I felt just a bit lighter. There were still things to worry about, but I had control of how I would look and feel, and that helped. The overwhelm took a small step back.
As last week went on, I slowly added in things I needed from the other closet- like a pair of comfy black joggers, another sweater and my Pyne & Smith linen dress. But most of those items in the other closet- ones that already made it through my huge moving declutter this fall? I don’t miss them. It turns out that with all my work on my capsule wardrobe, I still have things I’ve kept because of guilt, sentimentality or that elusive “someday”.
I’ve been taking the same approach for my makeup bag for the past month. I keep a small zip pouch of everything I use in the morning, with just one of each item: one eyeshadow palette, one foundation, one powder bronzer, etc. Just like the items in my closet, everything in that bag is my favourite right now. They feel good on my skin and make me feel more confident to start my day. The hardest beauty decision I allow myself now is whether to go with a red or nude-pink lip.
Here’s what that looks like:
Simplicity is something I don’t think I will ever stop learning about. There are so many reasons why I want to keep only what is essential, and my mental health is just one of them. But after last week, it’s near the top of my list, and definitely has me keeping my magpie tendencies in check.
And next week, I will be taking my decision fatigue cure even further, by participating in wool&’s 100 day dress challenge! They kindly sent me a beautiful teal wool dress in their classic “Rowena” style, which I will wear every day from February 1st till my birthday on May 11th. There will be a post every single day on my Instagram, so be sure to follow me there. I hope you enjoy following along! (Note from present-day Megan: You can still find all my 100 Day Dress posts on Instagram!)
