… And try to bring that back to just one closet instead of a mega wardrobe, a cupboard, 3 big plastic storage boxes on wheels and a ‘shoe closet’. That was the assignment I gave myself yesterday. Those boxes are full of clothes that are too big for me from the time I myself was a bit bigger. That is now a few years ago, so I guess it is safe to throw those out now.
What are good criteria when starting such a clean-up operation? I’ve been following the Tiny House Movement for a while now and have read the stories of people who have already taken this step. And thankfully there are quite a lot of useful tips to be found:
- Does it make you happy: take each item or piece of clothing in your hands and start feeling if it makes you happy? Maybe it doesn’t fit anymore? Doesn’t really fit your personality? Does it have holes in it, is it worn out, are there buttons missing? Only when it really makes you happy can you keep it. Ok, that’s a bit harder to determine with the basics, but there I think you’ll have less trouble in deciding what you really need and what you can do without
- If you haven’t worn it for over a year, it’s got to go
- Can you make someone else happy with it? Sometimes it’s hard to get rid of something until you realize somebody else will probably be much happier with it
If there are any items left you are unsure about, put them away in a box (when you’ve still got time and/or space for it). If you still haven’t used them in a few months’ time, you’ll be sure by then that it’s time to let go.
Right. By now I’ve got a pile for sale (at the flea market, etc), a pile for charity and a small pile for the bin. What a lot of clothes… a lot of money… and there are things I have never even worn. What a waste. It does clean up my closet nicely and wasn’t as hard as I had imagined. Apparently, I can quite easily part with most things. Even that lovely timeless little dress I bought when I was 21 and have kept in my closet for years hoping to someday fit into it again. I do fit in it, at least it zips up, but to say it looks charming… no. I feel like a sausage ready to burst. So with one less illusion but with the ability to breathe freely again, the dress ends up on the sale pile.
Next up: shoes. I guess I’m no different from most women; I’ve got at least 25 pairs. And today is not the day to bring that back to 5 or 6, but I did get rid of 7 pairs. Luckily, I’ve still got time and I’ve done so well with the clothes ;). When everything is cleaned up again and the clothes for charity taken away, I can’t help feeling proud of myself. I’ve made a start and I believe it will be a huge liberation. Quite a process for sure, but one that will be really good for me!
Leave a Reply