rebuilding my closet: why I started over
(wardrobe notes, part 1) — letting go to rediscover what actually feels like me
Wardrobe Notes, Part 1
I have a spending habit.
To be specific: shopping.
But today marks the start of something different—a new series called Wardrobe Notes, where I document my ongoing journey of understanding my style, refining my closet, and building a wardrobe that truly feels like me.
This is about more than clothes. It’s about making better financial choices. It’s about learning how to create new looks with what I already own. It’s about discovering which brands align with my lifestyle, values, and body—and, most importantly, learning how to feel confident and effortless in my own skin.
The shift
Over the past year, I’ve noticed a big shift in my taste. I found myself drawn to that European ease—the kind of style that’s timeless, unfussy, and effortlessly put-together without ever trying too hard.
My taste had changed quickly, but not without reason. I’d been buying impulsively, chasing trends, and collecting pieces that didn’t truly align with my lifestyle, body shape, or sense of self. And what I learned from that process was telling: the sheer amount of clothing I’d cycled through showed just how poorly I’d understood my personal style until now.
I also began to see how much brands and consumer culture had influenced my decisions. I no longer want to buy into fast fashion just for the sake of a trend. Instead, I want to seek out higher-quality pieces with intention—paying attention to how and where something is made, and why it’s truly worth investing in.
The great purge
I found myself doing a closet purge every few months. And then one day, I went deeper than ever before—so deep that I could probably fit all my clothes into a single suitcase now. I got rid of ten bags of clothes in the past year, gave countless pieces to friends, donated the rest, and sold hundreds of items on Poshmark.
It felt liberating…but also a little unsettling. Because when I looked at what was left, I realized I had spent so much money just to keep so little.
And that’s a problem. It means I either disliked most of what I bought, had more than I ever needed, or both. Each time I purged, I would use that money to rebuy—but I kept going back to the same types of brands. Fast-fashion labels with poor quality, unethical production, and pieces that looked dated after just a season.
I parted ways with so much Aritzia. I had worked there in my early 20s, and growing up in Vancouver, it felt like every girl shopped there. Eventually, I decided to stop altogether and explore other brands. That led to a year of full Revolve shopping—mostly because their shipping was fast and returns were easy. The problem? They don’t filter for quality. It was a hit or miss—and the majority were misses. Most pieces lasted only a few months before they were gone.
Scrolling through my Poshmark history, I noticed the same brands popping up again and again—pieces I bought on impulse and quickly let go of:
Aritzia
Revolve
Lululemon
Zara
Steve Madden
Garage, Meshki, Alo, Lioness, House of CB, and more
In contrast, the pieces that stayed in my wardrobe—the ones I consistently reach for and truly love—came from brands like:
437 – the only workout sets I wear now
LESET – elevated basics that feel timeless
Wales Bonner – my go-to Sambas
Bottega – timeless bags I’ll keep forever
Reformation – only the newer pieces; older ones have been sold
Agolde – denim I actually live in and how I styled them
Staud – standout pieces that still feel current
Repetto – beautifully crafted
Tony Bianco – shoes I wear season after season
Weekday – specially their jeans; I’ve never received so many compliments. I got them in two colors.
Even then, I know I’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s out there. Still, I feel grateful to have the time and privilege to audit and rebuild my wardrobe with more intention.
A new approach
This time, I want to approach my wardrobe differently. Because it’s not about how much you buy—it’s about what you keep and style.
I want to build a gorgeous, timeless capsule wardrobe that suits me, piece by piece. It will take time and patience. I’m committing to a spending pause until my trip to Asia.
Since moving to Miami, I’ve let go of nearly all my outerwear—and I’ve outgrown much of my mid-twenties style. With the weather consistently around 30°C, there’s little reason to invest in fall and winter fashion here, so that part of my closet is bare. But that also means I now have time to slowly rebuild it—and I miss layering more than I expected.
I decided to hold onto a Bershka leather jacket for now as a placeholder until I invest in a better capsule piece, and started experimenting with different looks built around it by using INDYX.
I only opted to use this once I narrowed down my closet to less than 60-70 items because unfortunately you do need to input each item one at a time.
On my F/W want list
A few outerwear and staple pieces I want to focus on rebuilding:
Short trench coat
Black funnel jacket
Maxi wool coat
Wool jumper
Oversized leather jacket
Suede or leather collar jacket
Everyday cardigan
Sheer black blouse
Wardrobe Notes will continue as part diary, part style journal—a space to share my process, discoveries, styling experiments, and lessons learned along the way.
This isn’t about chasing trends anymore. It’s about letting go of what’s “in” to rediscover what actually feels like me.
Next, I’ll dive deeper into how I’m relearning my wardrobe. Let me know which brands you think I should check out.
Grateful you’re here—see you in the next note.
Continue reading
Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this, you might also like Design Desk Notes—my weekly publication on design, AI, and creativity.
Come hang out with me on instagram.
—Janice Fong x
I’m also trying to be more intentional about my wardrobe and I actually wrote about this on my Substack last year, talking about colour to patterns and reusing what you have. Great post and I treating read that I agree with ❤️ Looking forward to reading the next one 😊
New wardrobe era coming 2026!!! Excited for us