Day 9: Fall Wardrobe Essentials?

I was in a mall this week. Remember malls? Back before ordering online, I did a lot of my shopping at our local mall. Now I tend to pop in when I need something last minute (rarely) or when I need to return something.

It was about 30°C outside, and I was surprised to walk through a mall with mannequins dressed for a completely different season. No one is wearing fleece, puffer coats, or boots in my neck of the woods for several weeks, possibly months.

It did make me smile. There was a time when I would have been able to tell you exactly what you needed to update your wardrobe. Not anymore. By now, I’ve seen it all.

The criteria guiding my purchases these days are necessity and comfort. If, in some weird world, that happens to align with what the retail giants have determined are this year’s must-have styles, then I may, for a brief season, be on trend.

My fall wardrobe updates are more about reducing than adding to my closet. I no longer need clothes for different versions of myself. I don’t need a work wardrobe, a weekend wardrobe, and an at-home wardrobe.

There is so much freedom in this season of life.

Getting dressed to go out usually means putting on a bra. (Unless it’s winter, when I can just put on a sweater.)

Yay for being free of the madness of seasonal trends.