Whether you’re a die-hard minimalist, a Konmari enthusiast, or a functional vagabond at the whim of a rotating cast of greedy landlords, you’ve likely given your closet a good several stare-downs over the last decade, right? Which means you’re intimately familiar with the geographical landscape of a bedroom during such an endeavor.
There’s the Trash pile of pit-stained white T-shirts that need to vanish in a fire.
The Donate pile of ill-fitting sweaters that only get the job done in the most utilitarian sense.
The Sell pile of dresses purchased with someone else’s body in mind.
And, of course, the Keep pile of stuff sincerely loved and frequently worn.
Then, finally, there’s your One Thing. The piece whose gravitational pull incites a tsunami of cognitive dissonance that shatters your closet-cleaning confidence and makes a rebel out of you.
Truth #1: This item does not fit your current style.
Truth #2: You have not worn this item in years.
Truth #3: You just know you’re going to need it one day.
And so you keep it. Obviously. And then a couple years later? You keep it again. Obviously! But there’s nothing like the turning of a season to shake us out of our shoddy excuses and make our exceptions into rules.
Enter Christene Barberich, Co-founder and Global Editor-in-Chief of Refinery29, Kellie Brown, the Founder of And I Get Dressed, Claire Beerman, Founder of C’est Clairette and editor at ZEITmagazin, Tiffany Reid, Senior Fashion Editor, and Man Repeller’s very own Leandra Medine. Five stylish women who agreed to hunt down one such rule-breaker in their closets and reverse the order. Click through above and see what happened.
Photos by Krista Anna Lewis.
