Thinning out a closet can be daunting.
Invariably, there are myriad garments to which we've attached some meaning. Of course, I don't mean wedding gowns and christening outfits, more along the lines of your favorite T-shirt from college or that pair of jeans you can't just bear to throw away because of an event associated with them.
While doing my own first clothing overhaul, I realized that even if I donated or tossed any of the items to which I'd become attached, I'd still have the memory surrounding the piece of clothing. My train of thought went something like this as I was staring at all the pretty fabrics of my wardrobe. Do I really need these collection of silly cat shirts that I've amassed over the years? Sure, they're adorable and incredibly funny, but I don't need those kitties in my life, I have photos of me wearing the shirts, and they're not really my style any more. They were funny when I was an undergrad, but it's time to move on.
So that's how I was able to part with my treasured collection of cat shirts. Yes, it was hard to let them all go.
But here's the thing about minimalism -- just because I let those material items go doesn't mean that I don't have the memories of me in those shirts, and doesn't mean that I still don't like cat shirts. It's just that well, I don't really need them. That said, there are some pieces that I just refuse to get rid of, and I keep as staples in my wardrobe.
For example, I still wear my elementary school gym shirt. It fits, I love the logo and color, and it's a great shirt. Twenty plus years of wearing it has made it soft and smooth. The difference is that I don't have a bunch of excess shirts (see above) crowding my closet with choices. When I happen upon my old gym tee, I'm excited to wear it because it's a shirt I really like.
Really digging down deep to figure out what you need and what you want is a challenge, and it can be hard. Don't be frustrated with yourself if your first run-through isn't as successful as you envisioned.
I'm always cleaning out my closets, my cupboards, my books, trying to find ways to live with less, and I've been at this a long time.
So here's the list of clothing items I removed during my first full sweep.
Anything too long or too short. Mini skirt, I'm looking at you. Those capris that you thought might look great on but never really did? Gone and gone.
Formal/bridesmaid dresses that you're never really going to wear again, because really. You're never going to wear it again.
Pieces that are ripped or have holes that aren't supposed to be there. No, you're never going to learn to sew to fix it. The same applies to anything with a dropped or fallen hem.
Pieces that you can see through unintentionally. No explanation needed for these kinds of items.
Those super cute shoes that you can't walk in because they're too tall or leave you with blisters. You're never going to wear them. Yes, they're cute, but they aren't functional.
Sentimental items that make you sad. Same applies to sentimental items that don't fit.
Clothes that you're saving for your children. Really, they most likely aren't going to want them.
Pieces that you always intended to alter or tailor. You haven't yet, so you're not going to any time soon.
Anything you have to squeeze into.
Clothes that you bought on vacation that you wouldn't be caught dead wearing at home.
Multiples. Just because you loved the sweater in purple doesn't mean you needed to buy the sweater in every color under the sun. Pick your favorite and get rid of the rest.
The rogue top or bottom of a suit. They're sold together and therefore should stay together for a reason.
This first sweep really thinned out my clothing herd. It felt amazing to see what I was left with, the clothes that I would actually be wearing. Even though I wasn't anywhere near a minimalist wardrobe (which has something crazy like only 35 pieces) I sure was better off than where I'd started. I vowed not to buy anything new, to wear what I had and to really take stock as to whether or not I wanted to be in what I was wearing. Over the next month, every time I wore a piece, I turned the hanger backward. This gave me a great visual for determining what I was actually wearing over the course of 30 days.
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