A Basic Year-Round Capsule Wardrobe for Men

I’m happy to know you enjoyed =)
Yes, it is hard when your loved ones behave like that. However, learning how to react/deal with it internally is also important. In other words, learning to not care that much.
It took me years to get to that self-realization. To conclude that I too, also have to not care SO much about what people will say.
It’s easier said than done, yes. Specially when you’re overwhelmed at the moment, by the unwanted comments about you. In front of other people. Man, I hated that.
One of the things that helped me was “complaining” about it to others. My dad and a close cousin were important. They agreed with me that those comments regarding everyone else’s clothes were not pleasant, or unnecessary. It calmed me down to know that there are more people who disapprove this constant judgement.
Now I genuinely find it funny when those same people constantly complain make comments about my clothes. As I said in the previous comment, sometimes I even purposely dress in a less conservative manner just to cause a stir. Unlike some years ago, when I chose clothes that would minimize any comments. I would basically dress everything they’d expect, yet… they would still make comments.
Don’t get me wrong, they didn’t make me wear ridiculous stuff. It was whatever was in vogue at that moment. Or whatever someone “cool” my age was wearing. They just LOVED comparing people.
That made me very self-conscious and I would be constantly comparing myself to others, specially when deciding what to shop. I HAD to buy something that A person or B person also wear, because my mom/cousin/whoever said they’re cool.
This was during my teens till early 20’s. Prior to my teens, I wasn’t originally that insecure about my appearance. I was someone who didn’t care much about what I wore. I just wanted to have clothes on (because I needed to) and didn’t care about what was in vogue or whatever.
So finally after some years of insecurities it kind of sunk in me what my dad has always said: I’m damned if I do and I’m damned if I don’t.
And something else that a cousin said helped me (only when I deeply understood it): if someone is judging you like they do, it’s saying more about them than you.
And boy is that true, because I sense that my mom/cousin/other person judging had some envy/resentment. When my mom wanted me to dress like another “cool kid”, it seemed to me that she wanted to be seen as the mother with “the cool kid” too. Now imagine how devastated she was when she found out I was gay. Me liking men wasn’t the issue. “What will others say” was more important. As for the cousin who used to make comments about me, during these years I see that he envies my life in many aspects, like having a loving father who shows unconditional support even after learning I’m gay, in a conservative environment.
I’m not completely “not giving a damn” about people’s comments, though. As I posted originally, I’m going to use Covid-19 as an EXCUSE for my change of wardrobe haha. The judgement is something very common within the family. It’s not JUST my mom or that envious cousin. It’s the whole environment. And it’s less tense when you present “an excuse”.
Like for vegetarians. I noticed they are more likely to happily accept a vegetarian without judging IF it’s for medical reasons than for ethical ones.
But hey, their comments taunt me less now. I’m more excited about the benefits of a capsule wardrobe (economy of space, of decisions, know what I have, know what I need to purchase, etc.) than about what they might say.
So yay, it turned out OK after all.
I hope you don’t mind the rant, but your quick reply made me enthusiastic!
Cheers

PS: typos on my previous comment, it’s “change me.” and not “change my.”