So, you took the time to evaluate your wardrobe, and now you have a better idea of what you actually wear vs. what’s simply taking up space, right? Right???
Good! So, now, you probably have a few (or a bunch) of items that you realize really have no place with the rest of your clothes, and you’re getting ready to pack them into garbage bags and take them down to Goodwill, right?
STOP!
While it does make perfect sense to get rid of the stuff that you’re not using, if you hold onto it for just a bit longer, you can glean some very valuable information that you can then use to help you not only add things you’ll actually wear, but also stop adding things you won’t.
I want you to go to your pile of unloved toys clothes, pick up whatever’s on top, give it a good, hard look and tell me: Why did you buy that?
“It was on sale!”
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good sale. I very rarely pay full price for anything. But, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Getting something you never really wanted and never end up using for cheap is not “a deal,” it’s just cheap. When it comes to unlearning this habit, the key is to utilize tools that tell you when something you actually want is marked down, not to just browse things that are marked down until you find something you want. I talk all about that in WHAT KIND OF SHOPPER ARE YOU.
“I got it to go with something else/complete a look!”
It’s a vicious cycle: you buy, say, a cute top. But, you don’t have anything to match it, so you buy a skirt. But, you don’t have anything to match that, so you buy some shoes. But, you don’t have anything to match it, so you buy a purse. Now, you have a great outfit made up of four pieces that only go together. Lather, rinse, repeat for an entire wardrobe’s worth of clothes with zero versatility.
Before you let go of it…
If you’ve followed me for a while, you probably know what I’m gonna say:
Re-style it!
Or, at least try. Piece by piece, go through both the items you don’t wear and the items you do wear to see if you’ve missed something. As always, really look at the piece and see if there’s any way you can make it fresh. This is where your skills of recontextualizing will either come in or be honed, so take your time and if you need some inspo, Pinterest is always there for you.
“It was for a special occasion!”
Listen, I’m not a robot: I understand the urge to wear something new to an event or party or wedding. But, if you have frequent events, parties, or weddings, and you’re running out to buy something new every time you get an invitation, you’re probably looking at a pile of stuff that you haven’t touched since your best friend’s birthday dinner.
Before you let go of it…
When’s your next event? And the one after that? And the one after that? Have you considered maybe remixing some of the perfectly good looks you already have? Switch out the shoes, add a jacket or a belt, change up the jewelry, wear your hair different, or—and this one may be controversial—don’t. I promise nobody cares if you’re wearing the same thing you wore in your last Instagram pic, especially if the look killed the first time.
“I got it to fill a gap in my wardrobe.”
Alright, here’s where it gets introspective aka, I love this part!
So, you have a plain white T-shirt that you just knew was going to change your life, or some wide leg trousers, or a peacoat that Kate Middleton would snatch right off Meghan Markle’s back: it’s a fabulous piece, but it just doesn’t work.
Why not?
Or rather, what would make it work?
Before you let go of it…
Try on the piece that doesn’t work and take note of why it didn’t fill the gap you need. Think about the gap, first, and use the piece on your body to figure out the characteristics of that missing piece based on what’s missing from this one. Is it too sheer? Too short or too long? The wrong color? Does it fit weird? Is there anything you can do to it to fix those issues? Can it be cut off and/or hemmed? Can you tie it up? Can you dye it? Would anything make it useful to you or is it just a complete dud?
Remember your list from Analyzing Inspiration? Could this garment be or be made into one of the things you were inspired by? If not, congratulations (or not): you have a real gap that you need to spend some real time figuring out how to fill. But, if yes, maybe hang it back up with the rest of your wardrobe and see if it becomes useful, later.
“I don’t know.”
Yeah, you can go ahead and let that one go.