Happy Wednesday!
A few weeks ago I did something I’ve been wanting to do for some time. Each morning when I’d go into my closet to get my clothes for the day I found myself becoming more and more frustrated. I’m sure you can relate, a closet full of clothes yet nothing to wear! Now I’ve cleaned out my closet before but I knew this time had to be different. In preparation for the big clean out I purchased this book.
It’s a quick and easy read so I highly recommend it. For starters, the author, Marie Kondo suggests removing every article of clothing from your closet. I did this by category, removing all of my tank and sleeveless tops first. Then I tried them on. Each. And. Every. Single. One. After the tank and sleeveless tops I went on to tackle shirts, blouses, etc. and repeated the process. Yes, it is time consuming but necessary. The idea here is to get rid of anything that doesn’t fit well or just doesn’t spark any excitement. In fact, Kondo instructs that you pay attention to how you feel in each item and let that be a determining factor in what to keep and what to purge. This was a time consuming project but well worth it.
And you know what? Once I started throwing items into my donate pile it got even easier. There was a time I’d keep something “just in case” or because it still fit and seemed a shame to get rid of something just because it wasn’t really my style any longer. But this actually felt good. I felt free! This process took several hours and once it was done I had gotten rid of more than 150 pieces of clothing. 150. One hundred and fifty. 150! And guess what? I still have a closet full of clothes! I know. I know.
My only regret is that I did not take pictures before I started. Although I wish I had a giant, walk in closet that I could style like a small boutique, that is not my reality. I have to work with what I have and having it organized with items I actually want to wear makes all the difference. It is hard to tell from the pictures but I can now actually walk into my closet and see what I have. The clothes are not jam packed together, I feel calmer. It may sound dramatic but it’s true!
Living in Florida also means there’s no basement and we have very few storage closets in our home. Since my closet is the largest #sosad it serves as storage space for all of our holiday decor. It’s actually quite genius of my husband to use the space the way he has. But I’ll admit I have closet envy!
Here are a few pictures of my closet, some of the hangers that are now empty and one of the stacks of clothing before it was packed up and sent to Goodwill.
This experience taught me something. First of all I need to become a more discerning shopper. Just because something looks good on another blogger does not mean it will look good on me. So many of the items I parted ways with I remember purchasing because I’d seen them on others and thought why not. And most of them were purchased online. I am making a commitment to really think long and hard about what I am purchasing and where I’m purchasing it from. Clothes that only hold up for a season are ok but I don’t need to fill my closet with them. I also learned that some clothes just expire. I mean sure they may still fit but if they aren’t current or a classic style they need to go. And finally not everything I kept sparks major excitement but I am getting there, this is a process and I feel like an addict in recovery. One day at a time. I am addicted to shopping, I get a thrill when I shop online or in person but I need to manage that addiction. Maybe you can relate.
I hope you enjoyed a peek in my closet and that you’re inspired to tidy up your own. It really can be life-changing to remove the clutter and get organized. So This Blonde’s Shopping Bag was empty this time because I am having fun wearing all the clothes I forgot I had!
Fashionably yours,
Kellyann
