I made a conscious effort during 2012 to eliminate dresses from my closet that I don’t wear or don’t need – and to only buy new items that are well-made and can be used for a variety of occasions. I try to buy from small shops and boutiques whenever possible.
This is the first post in an ongoing series that will focus on de-cluttering my closet by:
- Reducing clothes in my closet
- Using the items I already have
- Replacing items with quality pieces
My ultimate goal will be to reduce the clothing in my closet by half, and will consist of high-quality items that are very versatile.
The results:
I was able to dress up for my birthday, several holiday parties and a wedding (and for upcoming Christmas dinners) without buying a new dress OR shoes. I did buy a sweater/wrap but it’s neutral and I was able to replace three old ones I donated last year.
I am so proud that I was able to go through this season without buying a “new dress” which most everyone encouraged me do. “It’s your birthday, you deserve it – get yourself something nice” was what I heard over and over. It was hard to reject the consumer mindset that is ingrained in my lifestyle, but I did and am determined to keep going.
I still have a lot of dresses – but I wear all the ones I have now, and often. I don’t mind that – I think getting to a place where I use all the things I have is a reasonable goal.
Next Steps:
I will work on the other parts of clothing throughout this year – likely with tops and blouses. My boyfriend uses the “backwards hanger method” to help objectively determine what items to reduce. He puts all hangers backwards on the rack, and then turns them the correct way once he wears the item. At the end of a set time period (1 year, 6 months, etc.), the items that are still “backwards” were unused and should be donated. Great idea, right?!?
Stay tuned for more in this series and to see what I end up being able to donate.
Anyone else doing anything to reduce “stuff” or use what they have more often? Would love to share stories and encouragement on this!