Did you know that we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time (This includes shoes)? Most of you will easily believe that statistic because you are actually aware of the items of clothing you love. You like to wear them because - You feel great in it.
- It is comfortable.
- That person you really love, well he just likes seeing you in it.
What about the rest of it? You're keeping it because
- You paid so much for it.
- You got a great deal on it.
- You planned on taking it back then forgot.
- He likes it on you but it's uncomfortable.
- You think you'll lose weight and will fit into again.
- You lost weight but are keeping the clothes just in case you gain it back.
- The list is endless.
Number 5 is probably the most common reason people keep clothes that no longer fit. While it's great to be positive, think about how long you've been holding on to these items. Are these clothes even in style any more? If you returned to that size aren't you more likely to celebrate by buying a new pair of jeans in your smaller size as opposed to wearing your old clothes? How do you feel when you look at your stack of clothes that are 3 sizes too small?
And let's look at number 6. Really? Yes, I've seen this happen and I have to ask, how does keeping your "fat" clothes motivate you to keep the weight off? Isn't this setting yourself up for failure?
How do you feel when you can't walk into your closet? Aren't you still feeling that anxiety as you head to your next task or to work? It's a terrible way to start the day. It's a terrible way to end the day.
So, we have to seriously ask ourselves important questions like
- Are these clothes really worth the space they are taking up?
- Is the chaos in our bedroom worth it?
- Isn't this mountain of mess in our bedroom hurting our intimacy?
- Is the guilt I feel for letting these items go really worth what I am sacrificing daily?
Honestly a bigger closet is not the answer, because you will only fill up that space too. What's the answer then?
Purging and being mindful of what you buy and why you buy it is a great start.
Come on, you know you haven't worn that brown flowery shirt you got a great deal on. You don't wear it because you don't like how you look in it even though you love the material. Get rid of it by donating it. It is taking up very important space and someone else will love having it and they might actually wear it!
If you don't love it, get rid of it because I promise you, you will love the space you've just gained.
If it doesn't fit, get rid of it because I promise you, you will love the space you've just gained.
Get it? Gaining space and living with less clutter is incredibly valuable!
In closing, let me encourage you to store your out of season clothes somewhere else. Put them in storage bins on the top shelf of your closet. Clear bins are ideal, but I have mine in linen bins simply because I found a great deal on them and they fit perfectly on my shelf. No shelf? Store them in plastic bags under your bed. Whatever you do, don't have your summer clothes AND your winter clothes hanging out at the same time. It just creates a cramped closet. Storing them separate should also make purging twice a year a snap.If you need a reminder to purge, create a sheet of paper listing some of these very important, and hopefully motivating questions. Put a copy of these questions into each container that houses out of season clothes.
Have you done this, and your closet is now immaculate? TAKE A PICTURE AND POST IT. Keeping a visual on what your goal is, is priceless, especially if you've achieved it. A visual reminder may be all you need to motivate yourself to maintain your organized clutter.
Helpful articles:
and here's more on the subject from Aby Garvey:
CLARIFY YOUR GOALS
Before embarking on your closet organizing project, spend some time getting clear
about what you want—not only in terms of your closet itself, but also in terms of the
wardrobe it houses.
An organized closet is filled with items that fit your body and your life—and that’s all!
The items in this space are stored in a manner that makes them easy to see and
access, making it simple for you to get dressed in the morning. Your goal for
organizing your closet, then, is to clear your closet clutter and eliminate items that
no longer fit your body or your life. This is quite similar to the process my mom used
with me growing up—with one key distinction. You will also factor in your sense of
style, taste and comfort. Ideally, the clothing you keep will be those items you feel
best in. The things that make you feel frumpy, dumpy, washed out, or (insert your
favorite negative description here) will all go out the door.
So to sum it all up, you want your closet to be filled with clothes, shoes and
accessories that work for you—they fit your body and life. It’s equally important that
your clothes make you feel good—you want your clothes to flatter your body and fit
your sense of style. Last but not least, your goal is to arrange and store your
clothing in a manner that makes sense to you, makes it easy to see and access your
belongings, and keeps your clothing protected.
Essentially then, you have two complementary goals when organizing your closet.
The first goal relates to your wardrobe itself, and the second goal relates to your
closet and how it stores this organized wardrobe.
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