I recently did a very intense clean out of my closet. I have gone through my closet quite a few times over the past year and sold or donated items. This time though I went into the mission with increased scrutiny. I hate to use the Marie Kondo theory of, “if it doesn’t bring you joy get rid of it” because if that is the case, then I would get rid of my winter snow boots. And those are very important where I live). That being said, I absolutely looked at what I own with the thought, “do I feel good in this? And do I feel happy when I wear it?”
What brought about this extreme closet cleaning project was an overwhelming desire to simplify my life. Plus, at this point, I know what I like and do not like. Keeping items that do not serve my life, and my happiness, is a bit pointless. I have enough going on, the last thing I need to do is dig through piles of old clothes to create an outfit. I truly love getting dressed in the morning, but recently I’ve dreaded it. I’ve realized it is because I had too much stuff and as a result I wasn’t putting together outfits that felt like me.
Closet Clean Out – What I Learned
More: Clothes that fit my lifestyle
New rule I have for myself: 90% of my fashion budget is dedicated to clothes that actually serve my life. I will keep 10% for pieces that I love and make me happy, but may not be applicable to my everyday life. These are items like occasion dresses, my oh so adored sequin pieces, and fancy shoes. I live a very simple life day-t0-day and I want to fill my closet with items that make me feel great getting dressed for the life I have.
More: Organic fabrics
I realized that all the clothes I was donating were pieces that had a very long list of man made fabrics constituting their construction. These pieces never feel totally comfortable on my skin and they age terribly. I will put more focus on items that are created from organic cotton, wool, silk, and linen. The pieces in my closet that are made entirely from natural materials are my favorite and last quite a bit longer.
More: Self-esteem boosting items
How many times have you gone into the dressing room of a store and tried something on and thought, “Well, if I just fix this one thing then this will look fantastic.” Whether it is saying you need to lose a little weight (you don’t, you are perfect) or had your hair and makeup done then this outfit/ piece of clothing is perfect. No more! I used to do that all the darn time. And guess what happens? That piece of clothing sits in your closet mocking you that whatever silly scenario you made up in the dressing room never happened. I want more items that make me feel fantastic the minute I put them on. Never again will I buy something after saying, “If I just….”.
More: Versatile pieces
I have a serious weakness for patterned silk pants. I don’t understand it, nor can I explain it. Also, I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to styling them and yet I never wear them. I realize that while I can indulge occasionally in pieces that are difficult to style I ultimately need more items that I can use everyday. Pieces that can be paired with many items in my closet. One pair of patterned silk pants, great! Multiples that I cannot figure out how to style, not good.
More: Easy elevated items
What I mean by easy elevated items are pieces that I can wear comfortably and make me feel put together with very little effort. Silk blouses that can take a pair of jeans and elevate them nicely, or a structured blazer that elevates my go-to jeans and sweater in the cooler months.
Totally agree! This is fantastic content. I’ll go on declutter soon.