Declutter: Clothing and Accessories

Let’s dive into how to declutter and greatly decrease your wardrobe. Now, this wasn’t easy for me, but again I want to share my journey. I know what I gravitate to and I know you do to! It comes down to paying attention. Deep down you know if you’re ever going to wear/use something again, no matter what it is.

If you need some serious motivation before you start your declutter journey you should turn to Marie Kondo. She is a Japanese organization consultant and author. I read her book the life-changing magic of tidying up last year and this was the first book that I took notes reading. It was that good. It will walk you through step-by-step how to live with less. Also, for you nonreaders, she has a Netflix documentary called Tidying Up with Marie Kondo which is just as beneficial! Her method requires you to hold up each item individually and feel if it brings you joy or not. You will feel it. You will either be excited and picture your next outfit in it or you will feel “meh” and have no desire to keep it because you have better things hanging in your closet. This “joy tactic” works with EVERYTHING. I promise you.

Let’s break it down a bit:

Clothing- Don’t get me wrong, I love clothes, but I wear scrubs four-five days a week; therefore, I don’t need a zillion clothing items. When I’m not in scrubs, you can mostly find me in work out clothes or sweats, unless I have fun plans – then occasionally the jeans come out. Over the years, I have found myself craving mostly a comfortable, simple style – my inspiration comes from Joanna Gaines from Fixer Upper… she’s a goddess. An outfit that consists of jeans and an oversized tee is my jam. I have plenty of items that I know I will not wear AS OFTEN and that is okay! What’s important is that you look in your closet and you love what you see. I, myself, am not a huge fan of tight fitting tops. I just don’t feel as comfortable in them as when I wear a loose fitting top. *HAND CLAPS* This. does. not. mean. I. can’t. buy. those. things.*HAND CLAPS* It just means I don’t need more than two tight fitting tops because I KNOW I will not be inclined to grab them as quickly. Your wardrobe should be the majority of what you love to wear and feel good in! It’s that simple.

What’s helped me the most with decluttering clothes is holding something up and saying to myself, “Would I buy this today?” If the answer is no, then I get rid of it. Don’t make it harder than it is. Yes, it may be the mood you’re in or the chipotle burrito sitting in your belly, but chances are you know when you put on an outfit if you’re reallllllly feeling it or not and if it suits YOU. Flipside: when you put on an outfit and instantly pull out your phone to send a picture to your bestie because you love it or hot dang you look good and feel good that’s when you know your style.

Jewelry- With jewelry and accessories, you have to look at your daily life. Depending on your career, your wardrobe will vary from a typical Monday-Friday schedule than weekends. For my job, I will not be rockin’ a set of bangles with my scrubs. Be smart with shopping for accessories and pay attention to what you really will wear based on your lifestyle. Yes, I love a good statement necklace or earrings, but I don’t need a bunch because I only wear them on the weekends for the most part. Jewelry is definitely my biggest struggle when it comes to decluttering. Clearance sales KILL ME… I find the best deals and it’s almost like I feel foolish if I pass it up. I think I have too much jewelry based on how often I wear it, so I am constantly trying to part with something every now and then. We all struggle with something when it comes to decluttering and I’m fully aware that jewelry is my biggest battle.

Bags- I have a few designer bags (that I got on major sale–hello bargain shopper here) I love and use them often, but I also have purses that I did not spend a lot of money on. I can say I really do like all the bags I have. Bags are one thing that you can get away with having more of because different events or plans kind of require a different bag… in my opinion. I have big bags I use for everyday work life and small bags/clutches that I use for going out because it’s easier. So with this category I’d say keep the few you use as a daily bag, have one or two smaller bags, and more than one clutch/wallet is okay IF YOU USE THEM!

Shoes- First rule, if they are uncomfortable and give you blisters – get rid of them! They will not be your go-to, so why have them? Yes, beauty is pain, but is it really when you have to stand and walk around all day? It’s not worth it and you know that!! Keep shoes that fit right and that you enjoy wearing, not shoes you dread to wear! You can always borrow those high heels for that event from someone if high heels are not normally in your wardrobe! My point is – don’t buy shoes that you will wear once a year IF THAT. Shoes can be expensive, so wear them often if you buy them! Also, search for comfort first; you don’t regret it.

To wrap it up, many of us hold onto something (that doesn’t serve us anymore) because:

• It was expensive so we feel like we have keep it
• We WILL get back into those skinny jeans
• It was a gift and we feel guilty if we don’t want it anymore
• We have a special memory attached to it
• What ifffff I get invited to that fancy, schmancy event??

Of course we all have felt this way, but what we if rearranged our thinking on this? Again — you know what you gravitate to!!! If you haven’t worn something in 6 months – 1 year GET RID OF IT!! I promise you will not miss it. If something does not actually fit you GET RID OF IT!! You know when you lose that weight you’re going to be excited and want to go shopping for new clothes anyway! If something is cute but gosh it makes you feel so uncomfortable WHY ARE YOU TORTURING YOURSELF! Let go of the feeling of guilt that comes with the money you spent on it or hurting your grandma’s feelings for not liking the scarf she bought you. You will then be more aware and cautious when you go shopping and maybe you’ll just have to tell grandma that a gift card would be best 😉

Keep what brings you joy, but use it! It’s a waste of money to buy something and let it sit and collect dust. It’s stressful trying on outfit after outfit and still feeling like you have nothing to wear. Why do this to yourself? If you spent your hard earned money on something – wear it, carry it, show it off! Your style is what you use to express yourself! It’s always nice to look good, but you need to feel good, too! If it doesn’t serve you anymore, pass it on! Your sister would probably love it. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from decluttering is becoming more aware and bringing in to my wardrobe what suits ME and only me. Decluttering seems like a hard, never-ending process, but I promise you the end result and feeling is soooo worth it.