I’ve set myself a project to wear the neglected items in my wardrobe – from a crimson silk skirt to a mustard coat

Most of us have clothes in our wardrobe that we never wear but can’t quite let go of. I have a daffodil yellow tweed shift dress with buttons down the front that I bought about five years ago and have worn, I think, three times. Every time I open my wardrobe, it catches my eye and I feel bad. I feel guilty that I bought a dress that I didn’t need and don’t even really seem to like. But I also feel bad for the dress, because it really is very pretty, and what has it done to deserve being ghosted by me? That part sounds crazy, I know. But I try to be honest about the thought process of buying clothes and choosing what to wear, even when the truth makes no sense.

Like lots of us, I hate seeing stuff go to waste. I go to unnecessary lengths to make dinners using up whatever is in the fridge. I tell myself this is because it is healthier and more sustainable than takeout, but it’s also a kind of mental game to me, to use everything up. Odds and ends in the salad drawer unsettle me, like missing pieces in a jigsaw puzzle, and I have to find a place for them. Even if I suspect no one is going to be hounding me for my celery and beetroot risotto recipe, I find these dishes strangely satisfying.