5 Things to Purge From Your Wardrobe
Spring is around the corner and with that comes a deep desire to clean spaces out and realign with your truest self, or in this case your most authentic style! Letting go of pieces from your wardrobe can be a really challenging task. We don’t always realize it but our wardrobes hold more than clothes, they hold memories, difficult emotions, aspirations, dreams, disappointment and even obligations. Ouff, heavy! But it's true. Sometimes these things hiding away in our closets are incredibly difficult to pass along, so I’m here to help, give you permission, and say it’s okay to let these pieces go. You deserve a wardrobe that makes you feel authentically you, joyful and confident. But first, we have to clean out that closet! Let’s get started!
Things that don't fit
Starting things off with a difficult one for many, myself included. We often hold on to clothes that may no longer fit, in hopes that they will one day fit onto our bodies again. While I think it’s great to have goals and aspirations, I don’t always think they have a place in our closet. If you’re holding on to something that currently doesn’t fit, but you’re actively working on it I think that’s great! But if after 6 months, the piece still doesn’t fit, practice some kindness for yourself and let it go. Say you let that piece go, and you do end up meeting that goal, chances are you’re going to want to buy something new for your wardrobe to celebrate anyway. Get rid of the pressure and the reminder so that each time you open your closet, you feel excited to get dressed because all of your options fit you perfectly.
Things that don't align with personal style
Our closets can accumulate a lot of stuff, often stuff we didn’t even choose to put into it, such as gifts, hand-me-downs, heirlooms, or maybe even a piece we took on a whim at a friend’s clothing swap because you got swept up in the excitement. I too have felt the pressure to keep pieces that were gifted to me, however, I urge you to try to put this aside. At the end of the day, it’s your wardrobe and you’re the one wearing the clothes in it, no one else. If something really doesn’t fit your style or you don’t like it, you’re not going to wear it and it will just take up space, valuable closet real estate at that! Let. It. Go.
Things that don't serve your lifestyle
Life changes, and quickly at that! A million years ago, when I was pursuing theatre, I held on to so much clothing because I always had the thought in my mind, “But what if I need this for a costume?”. But as time passes and we change careers and hobbies, we move to different areas, and families grow (the list goes on), all of these things can contribute to our lifestyles and therefore our wardrobe needs. At one point in your life, you may have gone out to galas or parties every weekend and now you’re running around with little tots every day. Very different wardrobes are needed for both of these lifestyles, so make sure that each piece matches up and serves you well as you move through the day-to-day of your beautiful life.
Things you haven't worn in the last year
There are always pieces in our closets we gravitate to more consistently and I’m here to say that this is totally okay! In fact, that’s a good thing, it means it authentically aligns with your style, and who you are and makes you feel confident while you’re wearing it. Pieces we haven’t worn in the last year can be tricky, because they may be ones that hold some sort of emotion, or memory, or could even be more aspirational than authentic. If there are difficult emotions that you associate with a piece of clothing, I encourage you to get rid of it. This kind of energy doesn’t belong in your wardrobe. If you purchased a piece in hopes of wearing it, but haven’t actually found a way to wear it in the last year, it’s time to let that baby go because she is not serving you! We only want things in our closets that promote feelings of joy and authenticity.
Things that are outworn
I am so guilty of this one because I have a tendency to wear pieces I love until they are just unwearable. I’ve even often held on to pieces long after I should have tossed them because of how they’ve made me feel at a certain phase in life, or because I have a good memory associated with it. You deserve to have a closet of clothing that looks and feels like the highest version of yourself. Clothing that tells the world who you are and what your vibe is. If you’re wearing pieces with stains, rips, discoloring, holes etc, know that you can do so much better! If it’s something that can be repaired great, let’s fix it, and get it back into rotation. But if it’s passed any possible help or makeover, it’s time to let that piece go and make room for a new piece of clothing to take its place.
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