The closet cleaning went very well. I ended up filling four trash bags full of stuff that I will now donate. I also emptied out an entire suitcase of bras (22 in all) that I had never unpacked since I moved almost a year ago. In my defense I used to be a bra buyer for a department store so I got lots of freebies that sometimes were not really my taste (pink neon swirls comes to mind). But I feel very liberated. This morning I was able to see everything and pick out an outfit pretty easily. So trying on everything in my closet taught me some very important lessons. Hopefully they'll help someone else out there too.
Lesson #1: TRY IT ON!!! This is by far my worst offense. There were several items that I put in the "donate" pile that I had only worn once or (gasp) never worn at all. I picked it out in the store, didn't try it on, tried it on at home, and then didn't like it. And since I am horrible about taking things back they just languish away in my closet never getting worn. So now I am going to try things on in the store and if I order it off the internet I have to be better about sending it back if it doesn't fit.
Lesson #2: If it doesn't fit now GET RID OF IT! Going from an active college life to a desk job gave me a few extra pounds that I've been working to loose. Nevertheless there is no reason for me to save my going out shirts from college for the day that I'll fit into them again. Would I even wear them if they did fit. No! My style has grown a little past Express spaghetti strap tops these days and won't it be a nice reward to myself to buy new clothes in a smaller size once I loose that weight?
Lesson #3: If it is shrunk, faded, deformed, pilling, or a somewhat less than version of the way you bought it GET RID OF IT! I had some sweaters and shirts that I am ashamed to admit I still wore even though they had seen their best days quite some time ago. Even basics like white shirts don't last forever. Yellow armpits are never flattering.
Lesson #4: If you think you look awful every time you wear outfit X GET RID OF IT! I had a shirt that every time I wore it I felt like the queen of frump. But I continued to wear it because it was in my closet and it was easy. Why did I torture myself like this? I'd like to say I had a good reason, but it was just plain laziness. And considering I work in the fashion industry that is just shameful. All people are not meant to wear all styles and that outfit is never going to look good so just chuck it.
Lesson #5: Find the styles that you like and look good in and stick to that. For me that is cardigans (I mean who doesn't look good in a cardi), V-neck tops, boot cut pants, and A-line skirts. Dresses are good too as long as I stick to lesson #1. From now on I am going to look for those silhouettes when shopping. Trying something new isn't out of the question as long as I try it on first, but I think half the battle is finding what looks good on you and making wardrobe out of those pieces. That's my plan and I'm sticking to it!
So there you go. I hope these lessons help you, it took me 25 years to learn them, but I guess it's better than 50!
No comments:
Post a Comment