What to wear.. What to wear..
A closet full of clothes and yet, indecision strikes. Have you (like me) spent the past year in yoga pants and a t-shirt? (Who am I kidding, I dressed like this pre-pandemic). The thing is, there’s a lot of potential in YOUR closet, it just might be hiding behind the clutter.
Are you ready to tackle your wardrobe (or at least work up to tackling it)? You can get yourself organized. You can unveil your hidden style potential. You can wear something other than sweatpants (or hey, embrace that lounge wear and select it with intention!)
Read on for tips on de-cluttering your closet!
Why and How did I end up with so many clothes?
According to Barbara Reich, author of Secrets of an Organized Mom, the top two reasons we have too many clothes are:
We are hoping to be (or afraid to be) a different size.
We don’t really know our style or what looks best on us, so we keep buying without purging, hoping to figure it out.
Take a deep breath and think about that. If either of those statements are true for you, you might be living in a state of anticipation rather than presence. At the root of it, we have been conditioned to appear a certain way. Our clothes represent who we are. But if we are still discovering our identity, then our clothes are more of a costume… Hmmm ok existential crisis aside: How do we tackle the clothes?
Step By Step Clothing Assessment:
Pull all of your clothing out. (It doesn’t hurt to ask a friend or loved one you trust to help. This is a big task for most of us.)
It is helpful to sort your clothing into categories before you begin making decisions. If you can see that your have 7 black pencil skirts, and you never really reach for a pencil skirt - this amount can CERTAINLY be reduced.
Start to make some decisions - One by one, hold and look at your items. Sort into the following categories:
Keep:
I love it!
I need it for work!
It fits me well!
This is my favorite!
I would buy this again!
If my ex saw me wearing this I would be smugly happy!
Donate:
It doesn’t fit me anymore (try not to save things which don't fit. This tells your brain that your body isn’t good enough right now. Not the message you want your wardrobe to send)
It’s UGLY!
It was a trend I liked but not anymore.
I never reach for it.
It was a gift but I don’t like it.
It makes me feel bad about myself.
Toss:
It’s ripped or badly stained.
It’s pilled or extremely tired.
Set aside:
I like it but I need to try it on.
I’m stuck and can’t decide.
Pay attention during this process. Examining our accumulated clothing is a little like an archeological dig of our past and present selves. When I walked my mom through this process, she discovered that she really despised long skirts and the color olive green. She wrote these things down to remind herself not to purchase those items anymore.
Conversely - make notes of trends you notice in your closet. Wow I really like sundresses or my go to black leggings are tired, I wore them a lot and loved them. I should get a new pair.
The result?
Purging clothing is an emotional process for some. But when you are done, you will feel a sense of relief. When you open your closet in the morning you will be faced with a display of things you love, clothes that flatter your body TODAY, and a calm understanding of who you really are.
You are perfect already, mama. Put THAT on and wear it with pride.
Check back to the LooM for regular organization practices and how-to guides. Or if you’re ready to take a deep dive, consider hiring the professionals at Imagine Home Organization to overhaul your home.
Written by Maeby Lopez, Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and Professional Organizer
Comentarios