Perfect Piece of Clothing Syndrome

Picture this: You go shopping and are on the hunt for a classic black dress. You look everywhere until you find this gorgeous piece you love and decide to take home. You’re so excited you have at least ten different outfits or ten different occasions planned in your head. Heck, you can already declare it “perfect little black dress”. Familiar?

Why is it, that we are so obsessed with searching for perfection? “Something that will go with everything in every situation” is a common description we all give whilst shopping. Something basic, but not boring. Something diverse, but conform enough for various stylings. We have all these criteria, but in the end, I don’t see how one piece of clothing would cover all the aspects. Let’s go further, does a “perfect ___” (piece of clothing insert here) even exists?

I don’t think fashion would be where it is today, if such garments would exist. Also, our closets would’ve been ten times smaller if we’d only had few of those “perfect” pieces. Just as people, no clothes are perfect as well.

If we look into my closet, you’ll find a dozen of perfect pieces. Black dress that goes great solo or with leggings, but not with bulk sweater or jeans jacket. Ripped jeans that look great when cuffed with low sneakers and longer top, but not with ankle boots or short shirt… If paired right, all before mentioned will look superb, but does that make them overall perfect?

I keep reading posts full of excitement about finding perfect this and perfect that, going perfectly with everything else in their closet. Fast-forward two months, that “perfection” is already on sale on their Depop account… But that’s a story for another time.

I guess what I’m trying to comprehend here is the level of enthusiasm we show when finding something we like. The truth is, a timeless, perfect black dress for every occasion doesn’t exist, and we all know it. It’s a way of justifying our shopping drive. When finding something we like and want to buy we have to justify it first. Usually with remarks of how perfectly subjected garment fits our existed wardrobe. How good it suits me? How many different outfits can I pull off with it? Will it be in fashion for a long time? Will I get a lot of wear out of it? It’s almost like a test, collecting points until you reach that cha-ching limit, when all that’s left is a trip to the cashier.

Although I wouldn’t call this finding a perfect piece per se. More of a good shopping day… Even so, the excitement of finding a piece that suits you well and will serve you in at least few situation still counts. Longer it lasts, the better, right?