Why I started turning clothes inside out

This morning, while reading The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin, I came across a reference I didn’t expect from John Wooden, the most successful coach in college basketball history. You’re probably thinking, well what does basketball have to do with fashion? Turns out, more than we think.

After some digging around, and not to my surprise, I discovered Wooden was known for his attention to detail. At the very first training of the basketball season, he wouldn’t start with fancy drills. Instead, he insisted that each of his players start with their socks. More specifically, how to properly put them on.

“The first thing I would show players at our initial day of training was how to take a little extra time putting on their shoes and socks properly. The most important part of your equipment is your shoes and socks… It’s the little details that coaches must take advantage of because it’s the little details that make the big things come about.”

In the same way, an athlete builds their foundation from the ground up, we too can strip back the noise and change the way we approach our clothes.

It’s all about the details, darling

I often wonder how many of us are taking the time to peek inside an item of clothing and to carefully read the care label before going to the checkout. Subtle shifts over the past few years have led me to the assumption that our buying decisions, especially when it comes to fashion, are now mostly driven by aesthetics. Motivated by a culture that moves fast, buys fast, and discards ever faster, value rarely gets the final say.

How many times have you bought something to then realise after 2 or 3 washes that it no longer looks or feels like it did a few weeks ago? Consequently, the aftermath of a ‘feel good’ moment means you’ve now been left with something pilling, shrinking, fading, or falling apart more frequently than not

Value first, price tag second

Ever walked into a store during a sale period and walked away with a few things that you didn’t really need or want? “But it was like 70% off; it’s basically free”, I used to tell myself. Well, it’s only a bargain if it adds value to you and your wardrobe. Otherwise, it’s just more ‘stuff’ we love for 30 seconds before moving on to the next thing – exhausting!

Let’s not confuse value with price. These are often interchanged with each other, confusing rather than guiding us. Value is much more than that, it’s the perceived worth or benefit we receive from an item of clothing relative to its price.

To put it simply, consider the maximum price that you would pay for a white tee. This is by no means a trick question. Whatever your answer might be, it relates to what you would perceive as the benefit of spending $X on a piece of clothing. A white tee might be an everyday staple to one person who would be extremely selective on how cotton vs. linen feels on the body and looking for more organic fabrics that wash well and, therefore, might be more willing to overlook a heavier price tag. On the flip side, a white tee could also just be a gym top to another, worn only once a week and therefore might not be so overly concerned with what fabric it is made from as long as there is a bit of elasticity to the body for movement.

Brands exist to offer us, their best products at the best time, best place and at the best price. To offset any doubts, they lean in on fancy tactics to tell us what we want to see but, this is often at a surface level and can risk damaging their reputation and brand loyalty if they don’t come through with the goods.

Brands can’t tell you what you value, but they will do their best to try and convince you otherwise. The price you are willing to pay for an item any brand has on offer is a choice that is entirely yours to make.

The below article popped up on my feed earlier this morning - “The Ultimate Seasonal Staple” found at K-Mart at just $25 pinned against the original design from Italian fashion label Marni priced at $1300 convinces us how much of a bargain the copycat is - Hello, instant shopping fix. Didn’t even know I needed a blue shirt, but what a bargain… eh this makes me kind of sad.

To bring it back to the all-important #girlmath equation. Does buying the cheaper copycat at $25 serve us in the long run? Shortcuts have been made along the way to be able to offer us this attractive price point, I imagine the quality is at risk and therefore it might only see you three wears max. That would equate to a cost per wear of $8.33. To invest in the original design (for those who can afford it of course) means you absolutely love the design, fit, feel and quality of a local Italian-made piece. A classic style like this has a longevity of about 5 years (I’ve had good quality shirts last longer than this), if only worn once a month that’s an average cost per wear of $21.67.

Now for the real trick question - if you bought the K-Mart $25 shirt and after three wears had to dispose of it due to lack of quality and integrity, how many versions would you need to buy over 5 years to service the Marni shirt? And would it really be the cheaper option in the long term

So, when did we start favouring quantity over quality?

Read the Label, Save the Wardrobe

One of the easiest ways to make more intentional choices with our clothes is to start by reading the care label. Yep, this means awkwardly turning garments inside out before you hit the checkout

Natural fibres like cotton, linen, wool, and silk have been trusted across cultures for centuries. They breathe with your body, soften with wear, and often age beautifully when looked after well. On the other hand, man-made fibres like polyester, acrylic, and nylon are often cheaper to produce, but they don’t always hold up in the same way. They can trap heat, lose shape, and pill more easily, especially after a few washes.

I’m not here to say cut out synthetics ASAP, it’s about understanding what you’re choosing and why. The acrylic-blend jumper might look cute now, but if it starts shedding after a week or two, was it worth it?

What is the simplest way to start, you might ask? Well, going back to basics means slowing down long enough to ask:

What am I wearing?

What is it made from?

Where did it come from?

How do I look after it?

And, does this align with my values, style and lifestyle?

So that’s why I started turning clothes inside out. Because that one simple habit taught me to see beyond the surface, to slow down, and to shop with intention. It changed the way I build my wardrobe, and honestly, I hope it changes yours too

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