Lets have a purging party! In order to clean up our wardrobes and get ready for change we need to get get rid of the bad and the ugly. Don't just make piles! Determining what to discard and how to do it is still an important step and needs to be done carefully. No one wants to accidentally throw away an item or worse, throw it away and then need it shortly after! We have to steel ourselves and really make good decisions. Keeping to much, and getting rid of too much can both be a problem. So here's the process to determine what you need to get rid of.
Use the List
Anytime you try to reorganize your things keep this one thing in mind. Counting is the most effective way to minimize. Once you actually count your pairs of underwear and realize you have 20 you start to actually think about how much you need of something. Having a streamlined wardrobe of items you actually like and wear will significantly help you get ready for the day, and decrease your laundry chore. Most of us have way too many items that we really don't need. Choose a number and stick to it. In my wardrobe must-have's list I included my own ideas about the number of clothes one needs.
Remember the clothing inventory we made in step 2? Well now we add another dimension to it: it becomes a perpetual shopping list. Hopefully, if you actually rated you items this won't take too long. If you haven't done that yet, you will probably want to now.
The basic categories are
1 - sentimental items, not to wear, not to throw away.
2 - ripped, discoloured, saggy, doesn't fit, don't like it
3 - useful clothes, but not my favourite
4 - pretty great
5 - fantastic, would cry if lost or ruined, will keep for a lifetime.
Basically you will be getting rid of items at #2 & 3.
Discard Items
1. If any of them are filling a needed gap leave them alone for now. In other words, any item that fills a wardrobe item spot and is the only one to fill that spot should be left. If you have multiples pare it down to the highest rated item that can fill that spot.
2. Can something be done to make these clothes a 4 or 5? Be careful about tailoring clothes since this can be expensive. Only choose clothes which you really like despite fit issues. Is the fabric comfortable, is the colour good, does it make you look great? If you are having a hard time seeing this because of the fit problems, take the item off and hold it up to your face like a fabric swatch. Colours that look good on you will make your face look great, colours that don't will make you look dead. And of course the last thing to consider is price. If this was a cheap item that even if tailored will not last very long, don't bother. If the cost of tailoring is more than you would pay for this item at full price, don't bother. There are lots of ideas on ways to alter clothing at home on the internet and especially on pinterest. If this is something that you would like to tackle, go for it! If it headed to the goodwill otherwise, then you don't have much to lose.
3. Do you have friends or family who could use these clothes? This applies mostly to #3. Sometimes it can be fun to organize a clothes swap between a few people. Or you can organize a clothes swap as a fundraiser, simply by selling the clothes you collect at a really low price. I have a few of my items because of a swap like this! Make it easy on yourself and charge the same price for every item.
4. Can they be saved as fabric remnants? I have been known to use fabric remnants when patching clothes, decorating the house, doing art projects or making costumes. Having a bit of fabric around is a great idea, even if you don't sew. But know your limits. Only choose fabrics that you still like, both in colour and pattern. And avoid saving flimsy, threadbare, discoloured or knit fabrics. This will just cause headaches when you try to use them. Choose an area or container to store your fabric in, and when its full that's it!
5. Anything made of cotton that has been well washed can be cut up into rags. Replace your paper towels with these since it really doesn't matter if you decide to throw them out, bleach them or wash them.Just remember that bigger is always better. Cut along the seams (because you don't want seams in your rags) and then cut into large sizes. Plus shape doesn't matter since you will mostly be crumpling them up. Save the planet, save your wallet, save your leftover clothes.
6. Take everything else to goodwill or donate to a charity. This should only be clothes that are nice enough that someone could wear, or at least wear to an ugly sweater party.
7. Throw it in the garbage! Sometimes this is necessary!
8. Sometimes you might have a few items that don't fit a wardrobe must-have, or are doubles. If it doesn't fit your wardrobe must-haves and you still want to keep it, think hard about that. Maybe you need to add an item or you really shouldn't need it if you are following the idea that: A working wardrobe is one that contains all the clothes you need to live the life you desire and to look good doing it. If it is just a double but you don't think you actually NEED this item doubled then just keep it in your "leftovers" list. As these items eventually wear out, or the style changes you will just get rid of the item and not replace it. Really, really, really strive to minimize this list as much as possible. There is no use to minimizing your wardrobe to 50 items (yeah right! :P) and having 200 on your leftovers list. Remember that if you are keeping something because it was expensive or is new but doesn't actually work for you, the money has already been wasted, so wasting your space on it as well just adds to the guilt.
There you go! You should have a much smaller wardrobe by now! And you are ready to go out and get your items to make it workable!
Did any of you get rid of some items this week? Did it make you feel better? Please comment below!
Anytime you try to reorganize your things keep this one thing in mind. Counting is the most effective way to minimize. Once you actually count your pairs of underwear and realize you have 20 you start to actually think about how much you need of something. Having a streamlined wardrobe of items you actually like and wear will significantly help you get ready for the day, and decrease your laundry chore. Most of us have way too many items that we really don't need. Choose a number and stick to it. In my wardrobe must-have's list I included my own ideas about the number of clothes one needs.
Remember the clothing inventory we made in step 2? Well now we add another dimension to it: it becomes a perpetual shopping list. Hopefully, if you actually rated you items this won't take too long. If you haven't done that yet, you will probably want to now.
The basic categories are
1 - sentimental items, not to wear, not to throw away.
2 - ripped, discoloured, saggy, doesn't fit, don't like it
3 - useful clothes, but not my favourite
4 - pretty great
5 - fantastic, would cry if lost or ruined, will keep for a lifetime.
Basically you will be getting rid of items at #2 & 3.
Discard Items
1. If any of them are filling a needed gap leave them alone for now. In other words, any item that fills a wardrobe item spot and is the only one to fill that spot should be left. If you have multiples pare it down to the highest rated item that can fill that spot.
2. Can something be done to make these clothes a 4 or 5? Be careful about tailoring clothes since this can be expensive. Only choose clothes which you really like despite fit issues. Is the fabric comfortable, is the colour good, does it make you look great? If you are having a hard time seeing this because of the fit problems, take the item off and hold it up to your face like a fabric swatch. Colours that look good on you will make your face look great, colours that don't will make you look dead. And of course the last thing to consider is price. If this was a cheap item that even if tailored will not last very long, don't bother. If the cost of tailoring is more than you would pay for this item at full price, don't bother. There are lots of ideas on ways to alter clothing at home on the internet and especially on pinterest. If this is something that you would like to tackle, go for it! If it headed to the goodwill otherwise, then you don't have much to lose.
3. Do you have friends or family who could use these clothes? This applies mostly to #3. Sometimes it can be fun to organize a clothes swap between a few people. Or you can organize a clothes swap as a fundraiser, simply by selling the clothes you collect at a really low price. I have a few of my items because of a swap like this! Make it easy on yourself and charge the same price for every item.
4. Can they be saved as fabric remnants? I have been known to use fabric remnants when patching clothes, decorating the house, doing art projects or making costumes. Having a bit of fabric around is a great idea, even if you don't sew. But know your limits. Only choose fabrics that you still like, both in colour and pattern. And avoid saving flimsy, threadbare, discoloured or knit fabrics. This will just cause headaches when you try to use them. Choose an area or container to store your fabric in, and when its full that's it!
5. Anything made of cotton that has been well washed can be cut up into rags. Replace your paper towels with these since it really doesn't matter if you decide to throw them out, bleach them or wash them.Just remember that bigger is always better. Cut along the seams (because you don't want seams in your rags) and then cut into large sizes. Plus shape doesn't matter since you will mostly be crumpling them up. Save the planet, save your wallet, save your leftover clothes.
6. Take everything else to goodwill or donate to a charity. This should only be clothes that are nice enough that someone could wear, or at least wear to an ugly sweater party.
7. Throw it in the garbage! Sometimes this is necessary!
8. Sometimes you might have a few items that don't fit a wardrobe must-have, or are doubles. If it doesn't fit your wardrobe must-haves and you still want to keep it, think hard about that. Maybe you need to add an item or you really shouldn't need it if you are following the idea that: A working wardrobe is one that contains all the clothes you need to live the life you desire and to look good doing it. If it is just a double but you don't think you actually NEED this item doubled then just keep it in your "leftovers" list. As these items eventually wear out, or the style changes you will just get rid of the item and not replace it. Really, really, really strive to minimize this list as much as possible. There is no use to minimizing your wardrobe to 50 items (yeah right! :P) and having 200 on your leftovers list. Remember that if you are keeping something because it was expensive or is new but doesn't actually work for you, the money has already been wasted, so wasting your space on it as well just adds to the guilt.
There you go! You should have a much smaller wardrobe by now! And you are ready to go out and get your items to make it workable!
Did any of you get rid of some items this week? Did it make you feel better? Please comment below!
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