When it comes to clothing, most of us have far more than we really need. If you take a good, honest look through your closet, you will find that you have much more than you use. In fact, most people wear only a small percentage of their clothing over and over, and neglect the rest.
Why You Should Declutter Clothing
Having too much of anything takes up not only physical space in your home, but mental space as well. When you are looking for something to wear, having too much clothing makes you feel like you are searching through endless piles of stuff and yet still cannot find something suitable. When you declutter, you will be able to quickly find outfits that you love. This will save you time, and keep your stress levels low.
How Does It Make You Feel and Look?
As you are sorting through your clothing, think about how the item makes you feel. Do you look at it and feel excited to wear it? When it is on your body, does it make you feel and appear attractive and ready to take on the world?
Clothing is much more than a cover. It is a part of who you are, and how you feel in it is the image of yourself that you are presenting to the world. You may decide to keep only the clothing that makes you feel confident, and causes you to be proud of who you are.
Are You Keeping It Out of Obligation?
Many of us are harbouring clothing out of guilt, given to us by well-meaning friends and family. Unless someone knows your taste 100% of the time, clothing generally does not make an appropriate gift. Too often we are given an item and then feel stuck with it for an undisclosed amount of time, and we never quite feel right getting rid of it.
Have You Worn It in the Past Year?
A rule of thumb is that anything not worn in the past year or more, you may possibly decide to sell or donate. The reason for the rule of a year is because certain items of clothing and accessories have particular yearly events that they are appropriate for, and you will likely want to keep some of those special items.
Also, many locations have seasons that are very distinct in temperature. You will have clothing that you don’t ever wear in summer, but faithfully make use of every winter… or vice versa. If you didn’t wear it in the past year’s appropriate season, it may be likely that this item is no longer needed, or that it no longer flatters who you have become.
Once you have made choices about what to get rid of, you may decide to discard any damaged items, sell a few select items and donate the rest to those in need. Organize what is left, and you will see what a difference it makes in your life when you have in your closet only what you need and love wearing. Enjoy your new organized closet and never search for hours for a lost item again.
