Sharing Can Help Us Let Go

If I have one area in which I struggle in getting rid of things it would be clothing. I always think “maybe I'll wear that next year”, “it's still is in great shape”, or “maybe I'll lose weight and it will fit me next year”. Yet, I have found that my closet was starting to feel stuffed. It was hard to find clothes as they were shoved together tight, they would get wrinkled within the crunch and later I discovered that I had some great pieces that were hidden amongst the masses.

I started my task of culling my closet by sitting down with a pad of paper. Without going into my closet, I wrote down my favorite items for that season. I knew that my staple items would top the list and would remain in the closet. Next, I gathered all the items that I knew that did not fit and tried on a few other suspicious characters to check their fit as well. Everything that did not fit properly, did not flatter my figure or was not comfortable, immediately went into the 'get rid' pile. I then went one shelf at a time around the closet looking at each piece of clothing, accessories and shoes. My ultimate check for each piece of clothing was "do I love it"? If I didn't love it then out it went.

As I got rid of items I placed them in three piles – donate, consign and give to a friend. As I chose pieces that I no longer wanted, it helped me to know that they would have a great home in one of these places. In turn I was more motivated to get rid of more items. Additionally, as I continued to get rid of clothing I found I could suddenly see the clothing in my closet. It felt like I had so many more options than before, even though I had reduced my clothing options.

I decided to try consigning some of my better pieces. This allowed me to get money back for my clothes which I reinvested into pieces that I loved. Clothing that did not fit was the obvious choice to send to consignment. Most consignment stores are only looking for pieces that are today's fashion trends and all pieces need to be in good condition, clean and pressed. Also keep in mind that consignment stores are looking for items early in the season. Fall items need to be taken in August and summer items in February. Check with your local store to determine their clothing requirements.

Now as I am flip through my closet, if I see an item that I don't love, I am quick to determine where it goes and take it out of my closet immediately. This continual purging will allow my closet to stay current and each piece loved. To complete my wardrobe, I did an inventory of my pieces to be sure each item had a coordinating piece. Having complete outfits makes pieces more wearable and it takes less time to get dressed. Although this is a lengthy process, I found it to be a change of attitude within my closet. Never again will my closet be stuffed and now I love every piece of my clothing in my closet.