How many stories can your closet tell?We’ve all done it. You saw that item that you just HAD to have. You get it home and it just doesn’t tie together with the skirt or shoes you were thinking of. Or, you bought it for a special occasion, except it just didn’t feel right. You still thought you could make it work, maybe just not for tonight. How long did it sit in your closet with the tags still on? Or maybe you did wear it once, and it just wasn’t YOU. I’m giving you permission to rid yourself of it. No Guilt! Yes, you spent money on it, but every time you look at it, you try to figure out when you are going to wear it. Every time you look at it you are wasting time. So collect all those items now and spend your time doing fun things. Everyone knows the 80/20 rule, right? Well, most people wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time. How simple life would be if we could just keep that 20%? I’m not suggesting getting rid of 80% of your clothes at all; just take a few items out of the mix that you just don’t need. Here are a few simple questions to ask yourself when you want to clean out your closet: Do I absolutely love it? Your clothes should make you feel good about yourself. If you are keeping clothes of different sizes, so one day you may be able to wear it again, don’t bother! Get rid of them! They are telling you that you aren’t good enough right now, and no one needs that. Which leads to the next question… Will it be out of style before I wear it again? Yes it will. Some styles come back in fashion, but who’s to say that it won’t be in a different material, or color. An easy way to get these items out of your closet is by using the simple trick of turning all your hangers around. After 3 or 6 months, you will be able to see exactly which clothes you aren’t wearing. If you haven’t worn it in that amount of time, are you ever going to wear it? Am I hanging on to it out of obligation or guilt? My simple advice is to remember the story behind the item, then let it go. If you received a sweater from your grandmother, and you hate it, just remember “it’s the thought that counts”. Remember your grandmother fondly, then, let that sweater go to someone who might wear it. If you are finding this difficult, take a picture of it, and keep the picture. If you are still having trouble, put it on, take a picture of you in the article of clothing, and then put the clothing in a box somewhere out of sight. At least for now, get it out of your field of vision for awhile. You can make that decision later, just don’t let it put a halt to your decision making. Your clothes say a lot about who you are. They should make you feel good about yourself! We all have made clothing mistakes when shopping. Don’t let it make you feel bad, remember the story, enjoy the story! Wishing you an Uncluttered Life!
Rhonda Burger is a Professional Organizer, and owner of Help Me Rhonda Unlimited. She is a Member of Preferred Organizers. She can be reached at 414-483-6385. Contact Me. ©Rhonda Burger 2016 |