I would consider clothing as an extension of myself. It is a self expression of who I am, who I was, and who I will be. It has taken me seven years to build my current wardrobe and throughout the years a lot styles and fits have come and gone, yet I was keeping a hold of many pieces that I no longer wore. The fact is I had too much clothing and keeping a tidy closet that large was a challenge for me.
This past January, my husband and I watched The Minimalists: Less is Now. This documentary is about having less in order to focus more on what is of value to us. It explores the concept that the accumulation of “stuff” can be associated to someone’s discontent as they work towards having more. The films raises the question to everyone: How many of your material possessions actually bring value to your life?
It is an important question to answer when trying to genuinely enrich your life. Minimalists often use the 90% rule, where items are valued on a scale of 1-10. If an item is not valued at a 9 or above, it is considered a “let-go” item. Translating this rule to my wardrobe meant that I would be left with only my absolute favorite pieces and the best way to get this fabulous closet selection is to say goodbye to all the pieces that did not make the cut.
MY ESSENTIALS
The purpose of a minimalist closet is to only keep the essentials. A smaller mindful closet is space-saving and makes getting dressed for everyday a breeze. It is not about constantly purging clothes only to make new purchases and replace those pieces with new clothes. Really work with what you have, you might be surprised with how many outfits can be created by shopping your own closet. I would even recommend using a minimalist approach in all shopping situations. Question yourself: is this item an essential? Do I value this item as a 9 or 10? If the item makes the cut, follow up with a cool-down period. I know I can be easily blinded by Add-to-Cart- Frenzy when shopping, thus a cool-down period allows me step back to revaluate and consider my budget respectively. Ultimately, the 90% rule allows us to be more mindful in our decisions.
Parting ways may be a difficult task, but it is a task worth the effort. Here was my thought process when purging: pieces that no longer fit or were deemed dated had no place in my current wardrobe. If I had not worn a piece in the last 8 months it was an automatic “let-go”. It was critical for me to avoid debating why I should keep something. The 90% rule should make it very clear when sorting your clothes. While life may be filled with many grey areas, this act of self-improvement requires a clear decision: keep or let-go. Remember, a must-keep is something you adore and find absolutely essential. Do not overthink, you know how to answer with the help of your heart and your gut.
Like I mentioned earlier, my closet was overwhelming in size thus I strategically took three days to sort.
Day 1 – Tackling the majority of my clothing in my open closet. Sorting out each item as KEEP, DONATE, or RE-SELL. This was the most intensive work due to the volume of clothing that I had to refold, hang, and box up.
Day 2 – Retouch the open closet. I stepped back to give myself a break, I only tidied up the organization of what I had placed in my open closet the day before.
Day 3 – The home stretch. I finished sorting laundry, the second closet, and all my shoes. I was definitely working with a lot of shoes, but I managed and pulled through.
Finally I was left with:
1 fulfilling open closet for myself
6 trash bags of donation clothing
1 large box of shoe donations
1 medium box of resellable items
Decluttering can be time consuming, so I would suggest working at your own pace. You can make a deadline for yourself if it helps motivate you or you can forego a deadline altogether. You can take hours or days working toward the goal, all that really matters is that you make progress.
BREAK DOWN OF MY REVAMPED CLOSET
All hung items are
dresses, layers, and belts
Top shelf: jeans
Second shelf: graphics, crops, and basics
Third shelf: knit sweaters
Fourth shelf: leggings, shorts, and skirts
It has been over seven weeks keeping up with my minimalist closet and I am extremely happy with what I have. I am more inspired now creating daily outfits than I have ever been.
I hope you enjoyed reading and that it inspires you to create something new today. Peace out.
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