Wardrobe
Many years ago I was analysing my data, collected via a survey, in SPSS (a statistical program). Then, as I transcended seeing myself merely as a researcher and started to see myself as a human being playing various roles in society (sister, scientist, partner, teacher, friend, neighbour etc.), I moved on to using case studies. And then I allowed myself to play with autoethnography. I fell in love with this method. It aligns so well with my beliefs in the unity of theory and practice, in human agency, in individual actions (of course together with actions from the state, civil society organisations, and business!), in the need for scientists to lead by example (this is not to say that scientists are the leaders of transformation though), to connect with the hearts of fellow humans.
Maintaining a tiny wardrobe and wearing the same outfit every day are some of my everyday practices. I practise this mode of living for ecological, spiritual and aesthetic reasons. And also for health related and financial reasons.
This morning, I was standing in front of this built-in closet and thinking that it's so calming to live with so few items of clothing. And I took a picture of it just as it was. This built-in wardrobe came with our apartment. I would not have it otherwise. I could easily store all of these items that are currently on the shelves in cotton tote bags (as I did in our previous apartment). The items that are hanging could be hanging on a tøjstativ as they were in the previous apartment.
Some fellow humans have visited my apartment to see what it looks like and how we are living an extremely minimalist lifestyle in our society that overconsumes. I'm writing this entry to capture the state of my wardrobe and to invite fellow humans to see a tiny bit of an extremely minimalist mode of living themselves.
In September it will be a year of my life in Copenhagen. My wardrobe hasn't changed much. Before I moved to Copenhagen, it looked very similar.
Top shelf: a duvet that we will be using in winter again and some books we brought home from the office. We will take them back to the office soon.
Other shelves (top to bottom):
Underwear and socks.
Cotton tote bag, small cotton bags, basic tops, medicine. I recently gave away most of the cotton bags that I had. Over the years, I'd accumulated too many of them, and some of them were not used any more in this apartment (I used them for storage in my previous apartments). Small cotton bags I use for travelling, as small bags, as gift bags. I store my medicine in a simple undyed bread bag.
Two pairs of sweatpants and a cotton bag with two pairs of woollen socks for winter.
Shorts and a bag with all my documents (and probably some stones from the beach in Bornholm!).
Several copies of my own book that I will share. Two copies are for some persons I mention in the book. I will give the books as gifts to them, that's why they are in cotton bags. There is also a muslin cloth. I will have more of them when we have a baby, but these days I use such cloths as towels and as a scarf. My partner brought some (that belonged to his child) to our previous apartment for cleaning.
Most of the clothes that are hanging are not mine. They belong to my partner. Only the jacket and two shirts are mine.
Perhaps to some fellow humans this tiny collection of clothes may seem boring. I certainly don't think it's the way every human being should dress. Some prefer bright colours and prints. Yet, these colours, materials, and wearing the same outfit every day make me feel harmonious, comfortable, cosy, and most like myself.