free yourself from clothing clutter

I'm a BIG believer that your environment and stress levels have a lot to do with how you are treating your body (like, food and everything else). That's why today we are talking about decluttering, purging and clothes.

Have you ever stood in front of your closet and wondered why it’s overflowing but you feel like you have nothing to wear? Ever found yourself buying clothes JUST to boost your mood and make yourself feel good? How about feeling like you have no idea what your style is and that your closet doesn’t make any sense. If you answered UM YES to any or all three of these then transitioning to a capsule wardrobe could be the key to making this area of your life A LOT simpler.

WHAT are we doing here?

Making a closet that consists of a limited number of clothing items that you absolutely LOVE to wear.

What exactly is limited? Well, for some it may be 30 items and for others it may be 70 items. Regardless of the number, the whole point is to be HONEST with yourself regarding your clothes and ONLY keep the ones that you can’t live without.

You’re probably panicking at this point or asking yourself how in the world this is supposed to help with those first three statements you related so closely with.

WHY THIS HELPS YOU

1. Every time you go to get dressed, you only have your absolute favorite pieces to choose from. This eliminates standing in your bathrobe for 20 minutes while skimming through 200 different tops. You love each and every one so it makes your choice more exciting! Now you have all of this extra time to spend on things that actually matter!

2. Shopping actually serves a purpose. You will only search for things that you need or that are missing from your wardrobe, not impulsively buy something because it looks cute. This will not only make your shopping trips much less overwhelming, but save you a ton of money. Also - I find this....freeing. I can browse through stores, but I find myself only making the purchase if it is something on my list. Yes, I have a running list on my phone of these things and I only purchase from that list. Right now? BAGGY TEE SHIRTS AND A NEW PAIR OF JEAN SHORTS.

3. Seeing all of your favorite pieces on a hanger will really define your style at this stage of life. You get a better feel for what you are into and you’ll know whether or not something you want to buy will fit your look right now. I’ve moved on from all-black, to a mix of floral skirts, denim, and gray. I found black shirts to get quite tattered with cat hair…

4. This will declutter your space, allowing more clarity and ability to see what you own. All of a sudden you are seeing new outfit combinations that you never thought to wear before.

WHAT is this process like?!

You start by separating ALL of your clothes and shoes into “LOVE”, “LIKE”, and “MEH” piles. Keep the loves, store a few of your likes, and get rid of the mehs. Try to keep your final keep number somewhere between 30 and 70 but don’t be too hard on yourself if you feel like you need to go over. This should be an enjoyable and freeing process, not a stressful one.

TIPS

• Create a separate wardrobe for work attire.

• Do not count your pajamas, activewear, or special occasion dresses toward your final number.

• Create a separate bin and store it in your attic or basement. This should contain anything you don’t regularly wear (special occasion dresses, out-of-season clothing, items you only keep for sentimental reasons, and a few extra “loves” or “likes” that you can later transition into your wardrobe).

• Try to avoid “repeats” (2 denim button ups that have different fits. Pick which one you wear most often)

WHAT YOU SHOULD BE WORKING WITH @ THE END OF THIS

• 15-30 tops

• 5-10 bottoms

• 2-5 jackets (depending on the season)

• 3-6 dresses (depending on the season)

• 10-15 pairs of shoes

HOW TO TRANSITION SEASONS

Every 3 months, transition your wardrobe into that season with a few pieces you have in your storage bin (or go shopping for a few new favorites). During those 3 months though, try not to shop unless you find that you are missing a crucial item from your wardrobe!

WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR MEH PILE

Make the most out of your “mehs”! You can donate them, organize a clothing trade with your girlfriends, sell them to a used clothing store, or set up an ebay or poshmark account to sell your more valuable items.

FINAL WORDS

DON’T attempt to do this out of guilt or with an unhealthy attitude - it could end up being a disaster. BUT if you are feeling insanely inspired after reading this, and ready to feel free from a material mindset then I encourage you to dive in head first! It’s fun, liberating, and I’m confident you’ll never look back!

If you’re feeling excited by all of this but incredibly nervous at the same time - try doing it as an experiment! Go through all of the steps mentioned above, but instead of getting rid of the “mehs” just store them in a separate bin. That way if it doesn’t work out for you, you can go back to your original closet.

Happy capsuling!!

BTW - this is not my closet - I'm STILL purging even beyond writing this blog post and can't photograph it until it's DONE, DONE, but had to share with you! Thanks to my good friend Renee Prince  for inspiring me to purge - this is her end result! AMAZING