endings

The Self-Made Wardrobe is a project where I only wear garments I’ve made.
It’s a year long experiment in getting dressed without clothing labels –
it’s a year about noticing patterns, trying things, and observing what happens.

Day 351 – Friday, July 17th
black tank top // grey maxi skirt
princess necklace // bracelets // rings // flip flops

Day 352 – Saturday, July 18th
archer button up shirt // black tank top // jeans
robot necklace // rings // black flats

Day 353 – Sunday, July 19th
black tank top // pirate skirt
princess necklace // bracelets // rings // sandal wedges

Day 354 – Monday, July 20th
black tank top // black maxi skirt
princess necklace // bracelets // rings // flip flops

Day 355 – Tuesday, July 21st
black tank top // grey maxi skirt
princess necklace // bracelets // rings // flip flops

Day 356 – Wednesday, July 22nd
black tank top // black maxi skirt
clothing hanger necklace // bracelets // rings // flip flops

Day 357 – Thursday, July 23rd
black tank top // grey maxi skirt
princess necklace // bracelets // rings // flip flops

Yesterday, I mentioned to a friend that I had less than 10 days to go on this grand wardrobe experiment, she was first surprised that it’s been a full year already, and then asked if I was busy finishing things and wrapping up the project, which got me thinking about finales and endings and finishing things.

With 8 days to go, it might be a little late for thinking about how to finish out the final days of this self-made wardrobe project. Part of me feels like I should end with a bang, but I have no idea what that bang could even be.

When I started this project I never envisioned the ending – I knew that eventually there would be a Day 365 and that would be the end. From the vantage point that was the start of this project, part of me wasn’t really convinced I’d do it, this whole thing was a total experiment. It’s really easy to envision NOT wearing 100% handmade clothing for 365 days – that’s the default way of getting dressed in the 21st century – it was much harder to envision actually pulling it off.

Even from the vantage point of “8 days to go” I can’t really imagine Day 366. This project has become so much of a habit that imagining a day without it is weird – when I try there’s a deep sense of “???” mixed with a scooby-doo head tilt.

Maybe part of me won’t actually believe this project is over until, on Day 366 I realize that the sun is starting to set, and I still haven’t taken an “outfit of the day” photo, and I should take it while the light is still good, and I mildly panic for a moment, before remembering that no, I don’t have to take a photo today.

So no, I’m not busy finishing ALL THE THINGS before the end of this project. The goals I had for the last month of the project? Fuck ‘em.

Maybe endings don’t need to be all bang & pizazz – maybe instead they can be a candle & a bath & a hooray for having a wardrobe with more than 30 pieces of clothing again.