I just wanted to share some of the major wardrobe changes I've made recently. Staying organized has always been challenging for me. I've always lived in a cluttered space and have been comfortable with my messiness - until it starts to get in the way. I call my tendency "clutter blindness." I'm very good at ignoring a mess until it's out of control! Now that I am a grown-up (lolz), I feel that a more organized living space will help me be more productive.
I've been reading a number of minimalist blogs and watching videos about capsule wardrobes. While I'm not becoming a minimalist or calling my wardrobe a capsule, I have gotten loads of inspiration and tips for scaling back, and it's helped me get rid of a lot of my wardrobe. I've been focusing on eliminating things that just aren't useful in my present life. This has also encouraged me to quite shopping as much, which means putting thrifting on hiatus.
While my wardrobe has been the starting point of my big scale-back, the rest of my living space is getting the same treatment. I've been bad about keeping more books than I need, so I've gone through and removed most books I can easily check out from the library or read online. (Side note: I just gave away TWO hardback copies of Gilbert and Sullivan librettos. Why did I even have those? I love watching and listening to Gilbert and Sullivan, not reading them. These books have been with me for years and I never even cracked them open!A friend who took one book was so excited about it. It was clear he couldn't wait to read the librettos. It was very gratifying to pass something on to someone who really wanted it).
After just one morning of scaling back, I wound up with three stacks of books on the floor and some much-needed shelf space. My messy makeup area just got a similar treatment. But back to my wardrobe...
It's always been - unwieldy - especially with my love of thrifting. If you've read this blog, you know I have a deep, deep love of clothes and fashion. I wanted to scale back because of this love - so I can enjoy my clothes more, have an easier time getting dressed for the day, and refine my signature look.
I have paired down my closet to 52-58 items on hangers. This may seem like a big number, but it includes a jacket and winter coats, which were previously stored in a bin but now fit comfortably in the back of my closet. Many people do a seasonal capsule wardrobe - with a different capsule for spring, summer, fall, and winter. Again, I don't consider my wardrobe a capsule, but I want to try a six month rotation - storing some items during spring and summer and others during fall and winter. My goal is to only use one bin for storing, and after getting rid of so much, I've been able to do that with room to spare. I wish I could tell you how much was in my wardrobe before, but I honestly don't know and I've donated or sold much of it on Ebay already. What I do know that my closet has much more space and I know off the top of my head what's in it.
One organization technique that has helped immensely has been separating my outdoor wear from my closet, which contains my day-to-day wardrobe. I don't wear my 2 flannel shirts, 1 chambray romper, or hoodie on a daily basis, but I often wear them for hiking or other outdoor activities. They just added confusion to my daily wears so I decided to take them out of my closet and keep them with my workout clothes and jeans in the bureau I share with Steven. Everything fits into one drawer. So far them system is working well.
Anyway, the point of the rambly post is that scaling-back can be remarkably gratifying. There are many different methods, projects, and workbooks out there, but you can also take what you want from these and create your own system. So far I'm much happier with my leaner wardrobe. I have an inclination to snatch up any interesting vintage find, so I'm going to avoid thrifting or any shopping for awhile, enjoy the clothes I have, and see how it goes for a few months. This project has made me more excited about sharing my style, and I hope to start posting more frequently soon.
I'd really love to hear your thoughts about wardrobe management - please share your ideas in the comments, if you'd like.
Awesome job! There really is something so immensely satisfying and rewarding about decluttering, be it one's wardrobe, home, desk drawer contents, etc. I find it quite soothing and cathartic, too, so like to prune clutter on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteMany hugs & happy tail end of August wishes,
♥ Jessica
Definitely cathartic! Thanks, and I hope you're enjoying the end of summer!
DeleteWell done on the wardrobe clear out! I totally feel you, I did a huge decluttering last week and while it was pretty stressful, I feel instantly better that my old things are out of the way and I only have what I really love in my closet. Xx
ReplyDeletewww.britishmermaid.com
That's great! I thought it was a stressful too, at the beginning, but it definitely got easier as the decluttering went on. Nice to have a closet you love, isn't it?
DeleteAnna, I'm so glad to hear you scaling back. I never realise that you might hoard so many clothes (you guessed it, I was wide-eyed at the number) but it's so nice to have so much less. It feels less suffocating, for me, personally.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I'm sad about is that you didn't have a closet/book shop open. I would really love to try my hand on one of your items—though, let's be honest, I most likely will not be able to afford the shipping LOL
Hope you'll update us on anything on the minimising front ;)
Alive as Always
Thanks, Bivi! :-) Yes, I just sold things sneakily on ebay. Domestic shipping is so expensive, but international is outrageous, isn't it? :-O
DeleteI've clutter blindness too, and find it so hard to get rid of things because I feel either emotionally attached to it (which I realise is silly, objects are objects, but still) or I'm convinced I'll regret it even if it's no longer my style. I'm itching to clear out my closet soon, especially as I've had a recent shift in style and feel loaded down with so many clothes I'm not sure are "me" anymore so reading this post was really inspiring! I remember the KonMari method helped me before so maybe it's time it got another read. Having less really does feel more inspiring, I know I personally start to feel suffocated and stagnant otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI hear, you! And how hard is it to let go of cool vintage finds? That's great that the KonMari method helped you previously. I found that reading lots of different advice on the subject really helped change my thinking and made it easier. Good luck on your endeavors!
Delete50 some items over all is definitely what I'd classify as a capsule (most seasonal capsules seems to think about 30 items.... which, even counting for some items to be in more than one seasonal capsule, would put you at about the same number overall.)
ReplyDeleteDecluttering a closet is very nice. I rarely get rid of my clothes, I am a little cheap and clingy. And it has only proven nice for me. I saved all the bras that didn't fit because I lost weight, and when I got pregnant I was relieved to find them. There also have been some clothes I didn't dig as much but worked perfectly for the "in-between" stages. But just rotating my too small clothes to the back of the closet and moving the stuff that fits to the front has definitely cleared my mind of clutter.
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