It’s true what they say, when you clear your house/wardrobe you clear more space in your mind. It sounds so strange that things you have can be weighing you down, yet I have found it to make total sense. Subconsciously all that clutter has been waiting to stress you out!
I’ve had clothing stored in 2 different wardrobes, boxes in cupboards, I had a winter wardrobe, a summer wardrobe, a feeling fat wardrobe, it was just too much carry on. I don’t even wear over 50% of the items I’ve accumulated. Vest tops I’ve had since 2006, jeans I’ve had since 1998, that’s right a whole different century! I have clothes that are older than my nieces and nephews who are all grown up.
But no more.
It’s done, I did it. I took the afternoon and I threw myself into a brutal wardrobe detox. I piled everything I owned onto the bed, then took each item, one at a time and really looked at it and asked these simple questions:
- Does it fit
- Do I like it
- Have I worn it in the last 12 months
- Is it in good condition
- Does it fit in with what I tend to favour wearing
If it was yes to all 5 then I would put it into my wardrobe, the only thing I would waver on was the 3rd question, as I’m not a “dressing up” kind of gal, but I still want to have a lovely black dress in the mix just in case!
I tried things on and I was honest with myself. I’m really not going to, nor do I want to lose weight to fit into that one pair of jeans. My top half isn’t miraculously going to shrink a few cup sizes so that the cute little strappy top won’t look like a tent when I wear it and lo and behold, shock horror, I’m not going to shrink 3 inches from my height to make that dress more “family friendly”, I’m a little too far away from my twenties for bottom skimming frocks!
So, out they go (well, to the charity shop, I’m not a monster!)
It was genuinely quite eye opening. I’ve been struggling these last few years to identify my style when it comes to clothes. I just had no idea and would keep wearing the same 3 or 4 items all the time and I’ve just been feeling a little drab.
But to my surprise and joy, I actually had quite a few things that had just been buried under all the crap I didn’t like. I started thinking of outfits rather than individual pieces, paring different tops with 2 pairs of my favourite jeans. Finally, I felt like I was in control of what I was wearing.
Since the wardrobe detox, I have felt more confident. I can open up my wardrobe and just know that I can quickly pick out an outfit and it will fit, I will like it and it will make me feel great and I can now see what items I think would compliment my wardrobe.
I’ve wasted so much time and money over the years buying things that I’ve thought were a bargain or a great deal and have never, ever worn. Just buying things, taking them home and cramming them in my already full wardrobe, somehow thinking that this is what I, as a woman, am supposed to do, have lots of clothes, lots of shoes, lots of accessories, but it’s just nonsense. It’s become so much easier now to walk past the clothes shops and not want to automatically go in and buy things, knowing that I don’t need anything else at the moment. It’s very freeing and no buyers remorse when I leave the mall!
I’m now at a point where I want quality rather than quantity. I’ve “charity bagged” around 30 necklaces, bracelets and rings that I’ve bought in sales, you know the stuff, end of sale kind of things where they’re slashed to 70% off, I’ve been suckered in, buying them up and again, like the clothing, they have sat idle in a drawer or on a hanger not seeing the light of day. So I’m hoping that when I take it all to the charity shop that someone will give them new life and wear them.
So, from now on, it’s mindful purchasing, it’s keeping it minimalist, it’s not wasting money.
Good luck with your own wardrobe detox, try it, you’ll feel fantastic afterwards!
Yvie
