I have given my wardrobe a mahoosive overhaul over the last few weekends. I wrote
here about simplifying belongings & life generally.
I have been really strict asking myself - Do I love it? Does it fit? Does it suit? But I think the most important one is 'When did I last wear it?'
Sometimes I'd have that little voice - you know the one, it goes "But I really like these" the voice of reason then would go "Ok, so you really like them so why haven't you worn them
in three years?" Charity Bag!!!
I know some people do things like turn the hangers round when they've worn something, or tie a ribbon round the top of the hanger to help them to get rid of excess, but I know what I have and haven't worn.
I'm comfortable in my skin and with what suits and what doesn't. I have 'my uniform!' It turns out it's navy, grey & cream! Or striped as you can see.....
So here is my wardrobe before I started - I also have work clothes in another wardrobe. You can see everything is crammed in - there are more shoes under my bed! & the drawer below my hanging space. I pulled everything out of the bottom of the wardrobe to start, but left everything hanging up. I then just went through every item, one by one. Some stayed, some went...
Here's what I knew could go straight away. These boots to my Daughter - the Kurt Geiger I wear with smart trousers for work but they are starting to wear on the heel, my daughter loves them. The boots I haven't worn for years & really like them???? hard to part but they had to go!
Some of these shoes I am selling in a dress agency which I haven't done before, some for the charity shop. I know what I love and wear time and again in the shoe department - no rash purchases for me in future! It's ridiculous how much we accumulate - we wear 20-30% of our clothes 70-80% of the time on average. I would say that's me! What about you?
Accessories going, being given to friends who I know will get more wear out of them, or again my charity shop of choice Help The Aged, who I am registered with for tax relief. The little denim bag has sneaked back in as I am going to a couple of festivals this year and it may be useful???
Going to try selling these at my local dress agency. Before Christmas I sold a few things on Ebay and got bit really hard. A Hush dress with tags still attached went for three pounds - I was nearly sick - that was just one item at that time. I am loath to put these particular items on Ebay.
You can have too many pairs of jeans, yes you can!! Other's will say you can't - but they is wrong!
These I will try on Ebay......ggggrrrrr.
& here is my finished wardrobe, less cluttered, pleases me more than you could know, haha! Admittedly still shoes under the bed......the Sweaty Betty bag I put the bottom of longer items in so they don't get dusty on the wardrobe base.
This is my jumble of workout gear - cycling, running, pilates.....No wonder I can never find anything!
Here it is tipped out .........
Not very often I run every day, so here is what I decided to keep. I do need another pair of long running pants. That's the beauty in having a good sort out. It does help you to see what you need also. I am focussing on need not want.....hhhhmmmmm, let's see how long it lasts!
Pilates wear - all keepers
I often have a cycling holiday so best to hang on to most stuff, although some went, mainly because it was dingy.
Here is what went - I took it to work and it all went, lots of free technical t-shirts from doing races. I am always going to skip on the t-shirt now.
Trunk sorted! :-) This makes me happy! No frantic searching, with ten minutes to go from now on!
I really enjoyed this sort out, it is really cathartic and almost addictive. The more I purged the more I wanted to get rid of. I actually became stricter with myself during the whole process.
I have had a few new items sneak in since I did this clearout which I'm going to share tomorrow. But they were purchases that I really thought about first, not rash purchases. This is how I hope to be now. In many ways I am becoming a much more considerate shopper.
Thanks so much for dropping by. I hope I've maybe inspired some of you to have a sort out yourselves - if you do, enjoy it! XX