I love having my things out, it really keeps the clutter down since I am not buying more of what I have plenty of. The method we’re referring to here involves having labeled boxes for what you will do with the clothes you put inside of them. It can be helpful to put storage drawers within the cabinets to maximize vertical storage space.
Within the categories, you can sort the items by color if you wish, so like colors will be grouped together once they're back in the drawers. Remember, there is no one best way to organize your dresser drawers. Looking back, there are 3 key things that helped me to see my wardrobe in a different light and allowed me to purge half of it. There were things I bought several years ago that I have worn a minimal amount of times and didn’t really like, yet I hang onto for years because I felt guilty for not wearing it enough.
I felt resigned to wearing them. I envisioned myself wearing the piece then tried to gauge my reaction to it. It’s easy to start decluttering in one room, see something you need to put away, take it to put it away, then get distracted in another room or by something else and never make much decluttering progress. Then add one extra suitcase for the house - it should contain dishsoap, dish cloths, a few towels, a disinfectant, toilet paper, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, perhaps paper towels, some plastic cups, a roll of trash bags.
Once they were separated, it was easy to toss torn rags, bleach stained bathroom towels, and beach towels that had been through one too many summers. First, I’m sure your bathroom needs a good scrubbing. I’ve found that my descriptor words help to inform my buying decisions, so I’m a more intentional spender. The first key to paring down was becoming more mindful of what I wanted in a wardrobe.
When I got really, truly serious about simplifying all of my possessions, my closet was the first thing I purged. Spring is an excellent time to clean out your closet. Each spring or fall, I would look through my seasonal clothes and pick out a few items to get rid of. When planning my outfits, I try to make them out of items so everything gets worn. After sealing all the entre points, use a flashlight to make them visible.
But the criteria they use for defining that value are related to factors that have nothing to do with real value. When a client is on the fence about letting something go, particularly if it is off-season from the season they are entering, we will give it one more season to see if they will wear it with the rule that if they don’t it goes. I would arrange it so that I could wear clothes I disliked on days when I knew I wouldn’t be doing anything very fun or social.
I once heard that most people wear 20 of their wardrobe 80% of the time, and I decided I wouldn’t be one of those people. Consider how often you wear or use certain items to decide where to store them. As I made selections for what I should keep, I built my new, pared-down wardrobe around pieces that fit my vision and that I was happy to wear.
I had tried to simplify my wardrobe in the past, but always went about it in the wrong way. It’s been years since I have, and I know I’m just hanging on to some things for the wrong reasons! I transitioned from work to home a few years ago and I’ve slowly purged the items I’m no longer using. In fact, I feel like my closet is actually working better for me now than it has in years.
When I purged half my wardrobe, it was like a light bulb went off in my head! It was an important exercise, because it’s made me more cognizant of the underlying reasons why I cling to clutter-not just in my wardrobe, but in other areas of my home as well. For a how-to guide to the process of editing your own wardrobe, I have chapters on clothing, accessories, and shoes in my book, Your Simple Home Handbook.
None of my clothes, accessories, or shoes are in storage, except for a small box that contains my minimalist maternity wardrobe. This figure includes both casual and dress shoes. Those shoes end up sitting in my closet never getting worn. But stick with it - it’ll all be worth it in the end. I’ll have to do the same with my closet, it can be a tough process, but the results will be worth it.
It will give you permission to let it go a little without totally letting it go right now. 🙂 It is really great to give away your things if you have excess because someone else can use it. If you identify yourself as a simple living enthusiast but not a minimalist, my “Rule of 10” post is a helpful starting point that you can tweak for your needs. To see your current wardrobe in a whole new light, check out Erin’s post and photos on “shopping” from your own closet.
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