I have actually been pretty good lately about de-hoarding my wardrobe.
Or so I told myself as I headed to my closet.
I have recently lost weight and have found it much easier to de-hoard clothing that is too big than it was for me to de-hoard clothing that is too small.
See, with clothing that is too small, I always tell myself that one day I will wear it again. I don't want to give myself that safety net with the too big clothing!
Interestingly enough, the only time in my life that my hoarding has actually paid off has been in my "too small" clothes.
I am now actually wearing the clothes I have hoarded away for years. Does it justify all those years of storing them, of moving them from place to place? Probably not.
Luckily, I had forced myself to go through them over and over again and get rid of everything that wasn't an absolute favorite.
Which means once I fit into those clothes again I was left with an unintentional "capsule wardrobe" of only my favorite things.
Which was a good thing because I was still losing weight and really didn't want to go out and buy a new wardrobe to wear for a short time until I shrunk out of it.
And I can finally understand the concept of a capsule wardrobe.
Only owning items I really love. Easier to find something to wear and actually feel good about what I am wearing.
Previously, I would just buy things that were on sale just because. I knew they probably wouldn't fit very long. I was always hoping to lose weight but was always gaining. I never stayed the same size long enough to collect a wardrobe I loved.
Of course the most important benefit to a capsule wardrobe. Less clothes = less laundry!!
I also realize I need to create my own list of what works for me.
Whenever I see those capsule wardrobe lists they kind of baffle me. I just don't understand how that would really work for me.
The problem, I now realize, is the items that are usually on the lists are not practical for me.
Most of those lists are made for women who work outside the home. I don't.
For example, those lists almost always include a white button down shirt. I will never wear a white button down shirt. White stains, I would have to iron it. It just does not work for me. It would sit in my closet and I would be afraid to wear it. I say this from personal experience. So, if I was limited to a certain number of items, and one of them was a white button down shirt, I would essentially be minus one shirt.
When I was looking at those lists I was subconsciously subtracting the items I wouldn't wear and looking at the remainder realizing that would not make a complete wardrobe.
I just wasn't getting the fact that I needed to customize my own capsule wardrobe. Made up of the items that are basics for me.
For me, a capsule wardrobe would have to include things like a solid black knit shirt, two pairs of jeans, a pair of black pants, a couple of other color knit shirts, a few dresses and the rest would be skirts. What can I say, I have always loved skirts. Especially colorful ones. My capsule wardrobe will never be colorless.
When I looked at my closet I realized my "capsule wardrobe" could still use some work.
I made it easy on myself and gave myself one rule.
If it is two sizes too big or more it has to go.
Even if it is one of the items I have saved for years, finally fit back into, and now have shrunk out of.
Like these two dresses.
De-hoarded!
These two shirts.
De-hoarded!
Or these ten skirts. Which are the hardest to let go. Told you I love skirts.
De-hoarded!
I probably still have a few too many skirts but at least they all fit me.
At some point I will de-hoard a few of the excess skirts. The orange one stays!
Technically the Star Trek costume is breaking the rules because it is two sizes too big but I refuse to de-hoard it until I have a replacement.
All my shirts also break the rules but until I get new ones I will continue to wear the ones I have.
Look at how much extra hanging space I now have!
And a nice big bag of clothes to send to ThredUp so I can buy some new shirts!
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