I definitely have too many clothes in my wardrobe.
Some no longer fit, some are no longer fashionable, others are worn out, some I don’t like any more, but even so, I have a hard time getting rid of them.
Am I a hoarder? Perhaps, although I don’t think so…
About twice a year I clear out my wardrobe and make three piles:
Pile one are clothes to throw away, because they’re too tattered.
Pile two are clothes to give away, because someone else could use them.
These two piles are easy enough, it’s the third pile with the items I want to keep which poses problems, because I always keep more than I eventually use. Some have been in the third pile for years and I haven’t worn them for ages. The issue is, how do I decide which items from pile three I should also give or throw away?
One of my best and oldest (not because she’s old, but because I’ve known her since uni) friends, Kumi, swears by Marie Kondo’s decluttering and organisation method.
Marie’s question would be: Which item sparks joy? They all do, that’s why I don’t give them away!
Then Marie suggests thanking the clothes for the joy they brought you and let them go if you no longer need or use them. Sounds good. I might try that, but I have a feeling it’s not going to work.
Gretchen Rubin suggests if you can’t decide whether to keep an item of clothing, ask yourself, “If I ran into my ex on the street, would I be happy wearing this?” So, I should be thinking of my ex while I declutter? It sounds odd, as I’ve been married to the same man for forty years. I’d have to go back to someone in my early twenties! That would be a nostalgic trip down memory lane…
Still, Gretchen does have 17 other questions which are very useful in this blog post. I’ll try to seriously declutter my wardrobe next month, as I welcome spring, following her suggestions.
Once I’ve decluttered, another challenge is how to organise the clothes in my wardrobe. I’m still trying to figure out a method for that too! Any tips?
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Pixabay is a wonderful site where many generous amateur and professional photographers offer their photos at no cost (there are also photos you have to pay for). I’ll be grabbing one of their photos as a prompt for a #ThursdayPhotoThoughts.
Thursday is a good day for thinking. In fact, it’s the exact middle of the week. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday have flown by, probably full of work, obligations and general busyness, but Friday, Saturday and Sunday are days we look forward to with joy, because they hold the promise of some free time for relaxation, friendship, family and hobbies. Thursday is an ideal day to stop and reflect. I’m not planning on stream-of-consciousness, because although it’s an unplanned post based on a random picture, I’ll edit my thoughts and words.
Feel free to join in! Grab the hashtag, photo and share your post in the comments. I’d love to read your thoughts.
When and How do you declutter your wardrobe?Â
Rereading Jane Eyre 
One way to get rid of your clothes is to move! I threw out tons of clothes (well, donated) when we moved and discovered what remained was just enough to fill our new closet!
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I can imagine! Since my children left home I have too many wardrobes to keep stuff!
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Hi Luccia – I didn’t have trouble getting rid of my kids’ clothes once they outgrew them. With 4 boys, by the time many of the items got through to our youngest, they were pretty well worn and ready to go. For me, I hung on to many of my work clothes from the 80s and 90s and I’m so glad I did. I stayed at home with the kids for 20 years, but then I went back to work and I have a lot of things from that era that I wear regularly. Great post!
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Hi Barbara! Thanks fir your comment!
That’s why I have such a hard time letting go. I always think, ‘I’m not using it now, but I might in the future!’ As you did:)
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