Just how much of your closet is given over to ‘hope couture’? You know, the favourite items of clothing from years gone by that used to look fabulous on you and are now three sizes too small…
Hope couture is the term given by one of my colleagues to outfits so many of us possess that one day we’ll surely fit into again. We can’t bear to part with these items because we’re determined never to relinquish the optimistic notion we’ll soon be svelte again and they’ll fit like bespoke garments. I’m willing to guess you’re not only familiar with the concept of aspirational fashion, but you have a sizeable collection of your own.
You don’t need to own a large number of vintage items, or indeed any vintage garments at all, to be familiar with the concept of hope couture. The hopeful part of my closet isn’t limited to my vintage clothes but extends to my everyday wear. Just how many pairs of jeans of varying sizes are too many for one girl to possess? I must have purchased at least one pair to fit every body shape and size known to womankind. Just today I counted no fewer than 20 pairs that are now too small for my girth.
And why have I held onto them for so long? It’s hope, of course; the hope that one day I’ll be able to squeeze into those size 26 jeans without creating an impressive muffin-top. And the hope-inspiring items go beyond weekend wear and include party dresses, teensy weensy bikinis and more than one skirt that appears far too narrow to encircle a body containing all its essential internal organs.
Hope couture by its very nature carries with it the potential for a more glamorous existence. Of course, it goes without saying that one day soon you’ll be your slim self again and rock those outfits like you once did. And this time around, wearing them will be so much sweeter because you’ve ‘suffered’ and denied yourself guilty foodie pleasures to slink back into those garments.
There’s nothing wrong with aspirational outfits, despite the declarations of the current spate of de-clutterers. Don’t get me wrong: I thank Marie Kondo as much as the next would-be minimalist for urging me to jettison possessions and free up my chi. But let’s face it, nothing drives a health blitz quite like the desire to fit into a gorgeous gown for a special occasion. What woman hasn’t set herself the goal of losing weight for an event just so she can don a swanky frock?
So I won’t be the one to admonish you for your hope couture. Instead I encourage you to gain inspiration from those garments you can’t squeeze into anymore without putting the seams in peril. Why not embrace the optimism of hope couture and translate it into action. With some discipline and persistence, slipping into that LBD will no longer be a vain ambition.
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