Liberate your wardrobe
Wardrobes can be scary places! They hide clothes you never wear, sale bargains which were unflattering when you got them home and clothes you kept in case you lost weight but in the meantime went out of fashion.
These clothes clutter your space and energy. If your wardrobe is crammed then often the clothes you wear regularly end up thrown over a door or stacked on a chair. They get crumpled and spoiled. When you learn to manage clutter, taking care of your clothes and getting dressed in the morning will be significantly easier.
So grab a coffee or glass of wine and head for the bedroom. Put all your clothes on the bed and survey them with a critical eye.
Anything you adore and wear regularly goes straight back into your wardrobe provided it doesn’t need repairing. (Put it to one side and fix it!) ‘Occasion outfits’, evening dresses or tuxedos get go back for another year provided you love them and they still fit.
If you work on the principle that you wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time you now have a significant pile of clothes you don’t wear – perhaps they are the wrong size, remind you of sad times, missing buttons or are tatty. There will also be items you had forgotten you own.
Anything you are never going to wear again goes straight into a recycling bag.
For clothes you aren’t sure about, try each item on – how does it feel? If it’s unflattering, too large, too small, triggers unhappy thoughts or is damaged, ditch it straightaway.
Note: It’s never a good idea to hang onto something in case you drop a dress size. If you lose weight you deserve to celebrate with new clothes. Don’t give these unworthy outfits a second more of your time – they have no place in your life.
On the other hand, if you try on the item and it feels amazing, put it in the wardrobe and make a point of showing it off at the first opportunity.
Follow the same principles with t-shirts, gym gear, underwear, socks, out of season clothes, handbags, make up, jewellery, scarves and coats.
Anything baggy, saggy, discoloured, missing a mate, broken or moth-eaten won’t do your appearance or your self esteem any favours – say goodbye to it now. Oh, and that swimsuit – you know the one with the dodgy elastic? Out!
Making space in your wardrobe is incredibly liberating and interior therapy for your home and your mind. You make better use of the clothes you love to wear and save valuable time and effort every day.
Most people choose to bag their clothes and take them straight to the charity shop. The sooner clutter of any kind is out of your house, the better you will feel. If however you have the time and inclination to Ebay your stuff or it’s suitable for a dress exchange then go for it and enjoy the new space you have created in your life.
