Thanks so so much for all your marvellous ideas. So much wisdom here!
Astrid wrote:
“You know, if you can't purge anymore because of fit, condition and quality you need to go for the look. I think I'd do some soul searching to define and narrow my style down and then get rid of everything that doesn't fit into my style aspirations and doesn't work towards a well thought-out wardrobe that supports that vision. Even if I look good in it.”
Brilliant! So logical! Such a good idea: to come up with other criteria, including the look I am going for.
Mo wrote:
“I had over 200 items when I joined here. I realize that now having about 120 (plus shoes) is still a lot to some people, but it's about 50% less than what I had.
I did purge things that fit and flattered. If they were not my more recently honed and defined style. Many dresses fell into this category. Too sweet, too young, etc, etc. Others I ditched on color basis alone. You have to find some criteria beyond fit or flattery if you want to proceed further.”
Mo, I really appreciate this: you are an inspiration! This makes me think it will be possible to do this. Thanks!
Diane G wrote:
“Astrid makes a good point, but are you eclectic in your style tastes? I guess if so that could make life difficult. I do think you need to try to narrow a few styles down though. What about comfort too? Be ruthless and think whether each item is truly comfortable. Do you have to keep adjusting it etc. Do you have several items of the same thing in the same colour and if so just keep one or two of different styles so that you aren't repeating. You live in the UK so think about whether you have too much hot weather stuff. Think climate and uses. Best of luck. Oh and if you need a hand …”
Hi Diane
I think I have used the excuse that I love many different styles to avoid getting rid of stuff, but as I said, there comes a point where irrespective of how fabulous the stuff is, and how it all suits my eclectic style etc, too much is too much and something has to give. I must admit that I had already got rid of uncomfortable items: I’ve never kept things I find uncomfortable, because I can’t imagine wearing such things, but I agree that comfort is a good thing to consider when looking for criteria by which to get rid of stuff.
You are so right that I have too much hot weather stuff, BTW. I do spend time in very hot places so I do need some hot weather stuff, but if Claire can manage with 10 items really I should be able to manage with vastly less than I have. Actually I have been creating my own hot-weather dresses that are much preferable to most of my hot-weather attire, because I need mine to cover my skin as opposed to being spaghetti-strapped short summer dresses, so I think now that I have realised that I need to protect my skin from the sun, this will make it easy to donate many of my lovely summer silk/cotton/linen dresses — because although it might be fashionable to wear a scruffy loose teeshirt under a summer dress I don’t like that look for me.
“Best of luck. Oh and if you need a hand …”
Believe me, I do need help!
Neel, in a way, the downsizing is quite interesting. I don’t think I would be going through this process but for that, because I had plenty of room in the old house, and I do think this is an interesting exercise overall. It was very traumatic initially though.
Rabbit wrote:
“I would keep an eye out for near duplicates, so for example keep the 'best' gray tee shirt regardless of the fact that different shirts have different necklines or sleeves or drape. Pulling out one section of items -- say heeled sandals, and doing the 'best' vs. 'good' comparison, and letting a few of the 'good' go.”
Good idea. For one who hates jeans, I have an awful lot of them… Ha! An example of something I still have that I find uncomfortable! Unfortunately my husband likes me in jeans, but yes, I should easily be able to get rid of most of my jeans.
“Also getting a different perspective on the items helps. What one person may consider in 'good' condition might look worn out or dated in some way to another.”
Good idea.
“One of the results, which I'm not sure if you have experienced or not, is choice paralysis. This means that it is nearly impossible, or can take weeks to pack for a trip of a few days.”
The first time in my adult life that I went abroad for 3 months, it took me all day and all night, literally, to pack, so yes, this is something to consider. Nowadays I usually pack in minutes just before I leave, with the idea that I can always buy more stuff at my destination if I find I don’t have enough. This has resulted in quite a number of ‘justifications’ for buying more stuff. 8^) I probably should be a bit less casual about packing, because when I was in Israel a couple of months ago, I actually did not have anything like enough clothes given the lack of laundry facilities (I was staying in a different place almost every night) — I had not realised how dirty everything would get in the dust/sand and the heat there, and I did not have time to go shopping. Must pack more carefully to avoid buying more stuff.
“Another idea is to think about who might really enjoy those of your good clothes that you are unable to wear due to sheer number, and gift to them.”
Good idea. That definitely will help — knowing my beautiful-but-not-quite-right dresses are going to ‘good homes’.
Thanks Rabbit. (I love your style BTW!)
The amazing Suz wrote:
“It's so interesting that you have held on to clothing when your way of life is otherwise quite minimal.
This makes me recognize something about myself that perhaps suggests why the 10 item wardrobe isn't a good fit for my own personality (much as I might wish I could do it). If I look around my home, it is highly organized and not cluttered (well....except for my daughter's room and the basement). But it's also not minimal. I have a LOT of books. They are neatly organized on shelves. but they add up!”
OK, well, if having a lot of books = not minimal then I’m not a minimalist — I have about 17000 hard copy books; however, they are all highly organised and catalogued and each has a proper place in my library. OTOH, since the downsizing, I have almost stopped buying (hard copy) books, and have got rid of some books, and I have mainly moved to buying machine-readable books.
“I am not quite at the stage of one-in-one-out, but I am nearly there. I DO switch out my wardrobe F/W and S/S so I have two closet spaces. But both are very small, perhaps half the physical size of Angie's small closet.”
How big is that?
“ It has been helpful to use this space as my template for "how much" I can have. I think of it like this: if I can't see everything, I won't wear it. So my in-rotation wardrobe has to be entirely visible in the closet/ bureau.”
That is another brilliant idea. When I was packing for the big move I was very surprised to find I had all sorts of shoes and other stuff I had no memory of having bought. (It was fun discovering some of this stuff but as you say, if it can’t be seen I will end up never wearing it so what is the point of having it?
Suz, you mentioned, on another thread, having slight qualms about the effect of your fashion buying and purging on the environment. Unless you just throw perfectly good things away, I don’t think you can possibly be harming the environment: surely donating helps to conserve resources by freeing up your not-quite-right-for-you stuff for others to enjoy, thus saving those other people from buying new stuff.
Unfrumped wrote:
“I'm having trouble because if something looks good or pretty good I keep trying to use it, or I add something with the same qualities; so my problem is I'm still looking at things kind of in isolation for fit, color, even the style of the item but not quite making them also pass the test of "the look". Without that I think I am too adrift and may always be adding or having trouble partiing with things rather than honing. So, even just "quality" and happiness factor and so on are too broad and lead in too many directions.
I don't mean it has to be one look in an extremely narrow sense, but I need more boundaries. Then if the word boundaries raises concerns about style ruts, perhaps boundaries for a coming season or year. Focus.
Of course, it is also that I've been ambivalent about "the look" I'm going for, even after all the posts on monikers and personas and descriptors and adjectives, but that is still the way to go, I think.”
So true! The look is so important, and I definitely need some more boundaries when it comes to clothing acquisition.
Thistle wrote:
“So much fabulous advice!
The only thing I can offer is what have you not worn lately? If you aren't regularly reaching for it (and you couldn't be reaching for everything if you have this much), despite fit and flattery, then let it move on to someone who will wear it.”
Indeed! Quite right.
Rachylou wrote:
“Astrid's idea is gold. I think that could get you to two rooms... and then we can sit quietly together in the corner. Haha. Oh the tragedy!
Lololol. It's so sad. Lololol.”
LOL! You are so witty, Rachylou! xxx
Jenny H wrote:
“I've started (but not completed) an inventory of all my clothes. As part of that inventory, I categorized whether each item was something I loved/liked/felt meh about/disliked etc. What surprised me was how few items I actually love. This is helping to guide me as I decide what to keep.”
I may be asking this as a procrastination measure, but may I ask how you are doing this? Paper and pen? Fancy app? Spreadsheet? I do love the idea: it greatly appeals to my organising streak. I did have the idea of taking photos of myself in everything to help me let things go, but I found that I actually didn’t want to be photographed wearing any lycra teeshirt or polyester — so I suppose that idea did help in a way!
Which reminds me of an inspiring post I ready by Vildy earlier (not on YLF) in which she mentioned the idea of capsules based not so much on lifestyle segment but instead on who would be seeing her dressed thus. I got rid of all polyester items partly because I hate the feel of it, but also partly because I would die of embarrassment to be seen in public wearing said items. If imagining being seen in a given item makes me want to put a paper bag over my head, that is a clue that I should be donating the item. If I keep in mind certain critical friends who have good taste in my opinion, perhaps that will concentrate my mind and make it easier to get rid of more.
“Ideally, my wardrobe would be made up of mostly items I love and I will get rid of items I don't. Obviously, every wardrobe needs some workhorses so each individual item does not need to stand out. But I want everything in my wardrobe to fit well, be appropriate for my lifestyle, be reasonably comfortable, and work with other items in my wardrobe. I have many items that for one reason or other are not quite right and my goal is to get rid of all of those and as necessary replace with items that are just right.”
Makes sense.
Steph (MrsEccentric) wrote:
“I don't even shop, but my closet gradually fills up with people gifting me things, 'hand me downs', etc. How does this happen?!?!?
A person really has to stay on their toes, one way or the other.”
So true.
“Anyways, lots of great ideas already but i had another to toss in the pot. Maybe you could try making outfits, then keep the clothes that make the outfits you most like and think would fit best in your life?”
I really like the outfits idea, as opposed to the mix-and-match capsule wardrobe idea, because I like dresses and even when I wear a skirt and top, I usually have specific combinations I prefer, as opposed to wearing a variety of different combinations.
“Just keep at it, slow and steady and you'll get to a happier place. Best of luck! steph”
Good to remember. Thanks, Steph. Love your style blog BTW.
Joy wrote:
“You may have several pieces playing the same role. I found that when I got all my black pants together I could pullout a cold weather pair, a warmer weather pair, a pair of black jeans, one dressy pair, and let go of the rest. Same with white tops or warm sweaters. The number of days a year one actually wants to wear a flowery skirt or dress may not really be very many .
Do you have a dominate season? A really short season. Things to consider.”
So true. I think I have about 10 black skirts alone, and I’m currently off black, as I said the other day. (OTOH, since I have worn black so much all my life I don’t think I want to get rid of everything black, because I have no doubt I will go back to black at some point — in the winter, perhaps, or if not this coming winter, some other winter! 8^))
The dominant season where I live is … well… seasonally confused. Temperate mild summers and mild winters. But I do travel to more extreme climates. Not that I own much more than snow boots for a Canadian freezer temperatures winter (I so admire Suz being able to be stylish in Canadian winter temperatures that make me forget style and concentrate on survival!) but yes, I should get rid of any a summer dress. To say nothing of vast numbers of pairs of sandals. Yes, definitely need to work on the sandals. Far too many.
Thanks so much, everyone! So much fabulous advice! I really appreciate it.
Sarah
