Do You Reach For Emotional Support Clothes?
Easter Sunday I woke up, grabbed myself a cup of coffee, threw a couple quiches in the oven (pre-made from Wegman’s and they were delicious), and turned my attentions to the task of getting dressed. I went down to the cellar and rifled through my warm weather clothes that have been packed up since October. I grabbed an armful of dresses, pants, jumpsuits, tops, and blazers, and headed back upstairs. I decided on a pale lavender long sleeve Free People maxi dress with cream embroidery, threw my trusty Crocs house shoes on and headed back down for another cup of coffee. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and had an episode of deja vu, I wore this exact outfit last Easter.
This repeat was a little too much for me and spun me into an existential crisis of sorts. I realized this is not the first time I’ve done something like this. I have two other dresses, dark floral midis from H&M, that I rely on very heavily. These three dresses have been worn to Thanksgivings, Eaters, and Mother’s Days, restaurant openings, anniversaries, birthday parties, broadway shows; they have become a crutch.
These three dresses have become emotional support outfits. I reach for them when I’m heading to a social gathering I’m nervous about, when I’ve gained a couple pounds, or when I’m frustrated. I know they’ll always fit, they’ll look fine enough, I can wear them with a variety of shoes and accessories, and they have pockets for me to shove my nervous hands into. And with this realization, the dresses go into the donation pile.
Yes, I know we’re told to get rid of anything we don’t wear, but I think we also need to take a good, hard look at the stuff we wear all the time. Busting out of my style rut is more than just switching up my jeans and t-shirts, it’s branching out and trying more prints, styles, and shapes. It’s thinking about what to wear instead throwing something on we know will work. Instead of that pale lavender dress, I wore a matching co-ord set from J. Crew that is truly much more my style, and much more flattering.
