Happy New Year!
January is my time to reflect and assess: finances, health, habits. I like to stop, take a breath and evaluate what I am doing and whether it still makes sense. Last fall I needed to clear out my closet and decided to give the capsule wardrobe a try (I Have Nothing to Wear). If you are not familiar, a capsule wardrobe is a collection of 30-40 essential, classic pieces that coordinate with each other to make a multitude of different outfits. It took me a while to whittle down my multi-size collection of clothes to decide what my capsule would contain, but once I committed it was on!
Here are a few things I learned.
- I only wear a small portion of the clothes in my closet.
Having less clothes to choose from was not as hard as I thought it would be. It helped me to be more creative with the pieces I had and put them together in new ways. Some of the clothes that didn’t make the cut were donated but a few things went into a storage tote and I found that I didn’t miss them.
- My “chair closet” got used less.
I hate to admit it but I often use my chair as an in between holding spot for clothes that probably shouldn’t go back in the closet but don’t really need to be washed. Less options made that not as tempting and realistically if it can’t go back in the closet it should go in the hamper. In the last month, I have fallen back into this habit but overall it has been better.
- It’s ok to make my own rules!
I didn’t follow the rules strictly. For example, I have logo wear for my job. Since this is not something I am going to wear anyplace else it became its own mini capsule. I did get rid of some of the things that no longer fit or I didn’t wear but it was an addition to my core capsule. Also, I bought an “ugly sweater” for an event at work. This completely goes against the philosophy since it is something that I will only wear once but I make my own rules!
- I saved money and time.
Other than the crazy Christmas sweater, the only clothes I bought for myself in the last five months were a cardigan, pair of black jeans and silver flats. Once I had my capsule set, I did not feel the need to shop for clothes. The result was no money spent on things I didn’t need and no time wasted shopping.
This has been a good experiment for me. I have enjoyed a cleaner closet and except for a few additions, I have spent less money on clothes. Yes, I still have a drawer full of t-shirts that I don’t wear but haven’t been able to part with. One step at a time, this is an ongoing process! Once the weather gets warmer, I look forward to creating my Spring/Summer capsule. If you are needing to pare down your wardrobe or just want a fresh start, I recommend giving it a try. My advice is to do some research, take your time sorting what you have and to not get stuck on the “rules” because it is about making your life easier not stressful.
Have fun and happy sorting! Love, Debbie
