Endless closet purge...

Blog

Forum

Finds

Mander

(website)

Veteran

Argh. This is just a vent.

It seems that every other week I have hauled everything out of my closet, purged the stuff that doesn't fit, and rearranged it all, only to find that I still can't fit everything in easily and I have somehow acquired yet more stuff to add to it. I don't feel that I really buy that much, but I must be in denial.

There is a small mountain of stuff stacked up in the hallway waiting for me to either donate it or ebay it, two suitcases full of off-season stuff under the bed, a separate garment rack, a bursting closet, and a stack of stuff on the bed still. Sigh. Clearly I haven't yet figured this decluttering thing out...

13 years ago

General

14 replies

Latest reply was from chadya

cheryl

Veteran

Sending calming/decluttering thoughts your way. If you can't fit everything in and you arent quite ready to let it go, pick your favorites of the moment, fill your closet, but dont overfill and pack the rest away in tubs. In another month or two switch things out. It will keep your closet feeling fresh and you will be able to see what you have instead of cramming things in and not knowing what you have to deal with. Also, maybe start the one in one out or one in two out rule until the closet gets at a comfortable level for you.

13 years ago

rae

(website)

Veteran

I have this same problem... for me it sort of gets worse when I am buying less duds, because then I can't purge as much! Yet I still identify strange wardrobe holes to make certain orphans work... maintaining a small wardrobe is an art form I have not mastered.

13 years ago

Kristin L

Veteran

Have you tried just doing small parts at one time? What works best for me is to keep donate and swap bags/stacks and as one fills up, it's taken care of and put away. I feel like it's a lot easier than doing a big purge and then wondering how everything will fit again.

13 years ago

nicoleb

(website)

Veteran

Maybe you're closet is too small?

*hugs* i'm sorry you're feeling frustrated. Hang in there!

13 years ago

Theodora

Active Member

Okay, I'm curious @Mander- 1) give us a count of things, not even by color, such as : 7 denim pants, 6 khaki shorts, 13 tanks etc. leave out the off- season stuff. Then we (and you) will have some idea of the size of your problem.

2). What is your lifestyle? Do you work, and if so, in what type of environment. Do you live in a city, a suburb, or really far out? Do you have a casual life with periodic needs to dress up ( like 3 x /year), or are your dress-up needs more than that?

BTW, workout wear is for exercising, hiking etc. it is not "clothing" to me, and I keep it separately, to avoid the dreaded mommy in sweats thing.

I can't wait to hear the count of all these clothes that are
Stressing you out, and hope we all can help!

13 years ago

christieanne

Veteran

I had to do the purge thing in BIG way about three times before I felt calm. And now I am still coming across things that I don't want to keep. DH is a bit freaked out that I am giving too much away so now I have a small bag and keep adding one at a time to it slowly.

Are you finding things you want to KEEP? That's what's important - get those things to the front so you can reap the success of your efforts.

Vibes on your journey

13 years ago

Mander

(website)

Veteran

Roughly, here's what I have now:

Jeans -- 6 (3 don't really fit well)
Skirts -- 14 (including business-y ones)
Trousers -- 3 (all are too short but I haven't found any that fit yet)
Dress -- 8 (3 are polyester)
Cardigans -- 6 (at least)
Jackets -- 14 (including suits and trench coats)
Woven shirts -- 12 (long and short sleeved)
Sweaters -- 13 (most of which I don't really like)
Tank tops -- 3
T-shirts of various sleeve lengths, mainly for layering -- 25
Knit tops -- 14

I think I'm just overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stuff. I struggle with feeling guilty about letting anything go, but at the same time very little of this actually feels good on. Lingering depression probably also has something to do with it.

@Theodora: At the moment I'm leading a very casual stay-at-home lifestyle but I'm looking for a job. I have recently finished a PhD but it's a terrible time to look for a job in my field or in academia generally, as government cuts in the UK and the crashing world economy generally have hit both really hard.

Maybe I'll start with just pulling out my favorites and setting everything else aside. Or pretend that I'm going on a year-long trip and can only pack one suitcase.

13 years ago

nancylee

Veteran

Mander, I know how overwhelming it can be to get a handle on what to keep and what to save. I just posted this advice for Dee and you might want to check it out. It's a method I used to go through my closet this past winter by separating items into three categories: 1) elements of love, 2) useful/practical things, and 3) Meh! See what you think:

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....style-long

13 years ago

HelenInCanada

Veteran

Oh I know how you feel! I can be a little indecisive, so closet purging was a HUGE ordeal for me. Mind you, my closet is still a sprawling wonder, so I am no expert. I think I will defer to those who have done it successfully and wish you luck!

13 years ago

Mander

(website)

Veteran

Good idea, Nancylee! I missed the original thread, but I'll incorporate some of that into my sorting, too.

13 years ago

Theodora

Active Member

Boy, Nancylee does have a good way! Love the " meh " category. Sounds like 3 jeans and 3 trousers belong there right away.

I'm curious, Mander, what did you earn your PhD in? Congratulations, I know it took a lot of time and work!

13 years ago

krishnidoux

Veteran

Bumping this.
Mander, how did you fare in the end?
Are you still at the same point, or has it evolved for you?
I think I know where your malaise comes from: not enough bottom options to be able to assess what tops to keep or not!

From the above comment, I see that a year ago, you had:
3 pairs of jeans
14 skirts
0 trousers

So really, you had only the choice between very casual jeans or skirts. Anyone in this situation would feel it's impossible to purge properly.

What is the situation today, I wonder?

12 years ago

Mander

(website)

Veteran

Ah, thanks for bringing this back up, Krishnidoux! The situation is a little bit better these days although I am still feeling like I need better bottom options. In truth I wear jeans almost every day but it is difficult to find pairs that fit me properly -- I seem to be between sizes and taller than most women in the UK, or at least with longer legs, so getting the right combination is a challenge! However, I visited the States last spring and went shopping with my Mom, which means I was able to get a couple of pairs of jeans to replenish my supply.

I have made some (haphazard) progress in the last year. The big thing was that I finally got around to ripping out all the shelves and rods in my closet and completely remodelling it. Instead of the standard left-to-right rod and single shelf, I now have three front-to-back rods and shelves down the back and around the top, plus some hooks near the ceiling above the door for my hats. It still feels full but not completely packed. I have also been working on changing my attitude towards keeping things that are "good enough" or that I somehow feel that I don't "deserve" to get rid of (punishing myself for wasting money on a mistake, perhaps?). The psychological torture I can put myself through in the process of purging my closet is really impressive in its persistence and savagery.

I'm just about to start another round of purging, so reviving this was really good timing. I'll report back with a status update once I've gone through everything again!

12 years ago

chadya

Veteran

Have to be brutal

12 years ago

Category