Clothing clutter is a silent thief. It steals your time, when you have to root through piles of clothes to find something when you're late for work. It steals your money, when you buy a shirt that you don't need just because it's on sale. It steals space from your life that could be put to such better use. When your days are filled with energy being spent on trying to find clothes or deciding what to wear when you don't even like any of your clothes, it's easy to get tired. Being tired is a strain on your health and ultimately your happiness. To choose to own less and give yourself precious time and valuable space in your life, in my opinion, you've beaten the system. The system tries to convince you that buying more clothes will make you happier. That having more choices is a desirable thing. I call BS. Simplify your life and limit the amount of brain power you need to expend on even the smallest choices and activities. This is a powerful choice, and one that will benefit you every day by lowering stress and wasted time. So who is this message for? Who could benefit wildly from this? I'm talking to you, the reader who has an endless supply of clothing stuffed into every dresser, closet and corner of your bedroom. I'm talking to you, who tries on four different mismatched trendy outfits before settling on the same trusty blue t shirt and cute black jeans you always seem to end up wearing. For anyone who simply owns more clothes than they need. I've been there, I've done that, and I've been you... but no more. What's the solution? Own. Less. Clothes. I haven't invented this ingenious idea, but I do highly recommend it from personal experience. There are lots of blogs out there with extremely detailed and supportive ideas to help you lighten your clothing load. My favourite read for inspiration is the Project 333 Challenge, where you choose 33 items of clothing (and accessories) and mix and match and only wear from that small capsule for 3 months. While I haven't taken part in this exact challenge, if you need really tight rules and guidelines, it could be just the trick. If that seems like a bit much for you to start with (and remember, you can have the benefits of minimalism without the label and hardcore rules) below I offer some simple approaches for you to get started. Check your closet for doubles Sometimes, we purchase more than one of the same clothing items because we LOVE them and will use both without fail. Other times, there are two identical or almost identical items in your closet that serve no purpose and just take up extra space. Get them outta there! Face the clothes that you always try to wear, but end up changing out of. Seriously, why do we do this?? I used to keep clothing items for years that I never wore outside of my apartment, because of some strange attachment to them. There was some sort of hope linked to them, perhaps hope of me looking or being perceived in a certain manner. Who knows. Donate that sh*t, it detracts from your happiness. Think of your clothing as a whole, as a collection even. Take every piece of clothing you own (seriously, every single piece) and lay them out on your bed or floor. Does anything jump out at you? Maybe you have a favourite colour to wear and you never even realized. Maybe there are three items that absolutely don't go with anything else, and those are the items you always try to wear but give up on. Maybe (like me) you'll come to the realization that you look and feel best in a simple outfit like a cute t shirt and jeans, and you've been buying clothes for years trying to look a certain way instead of wearing what you love and feel confident in. Wear what makes you happy. No exceptions.
Clothes that don't fit make you miserable. Be bold, donate anything in your wardrobe that doesn't feel and look good and make you want to shimmy your hips from side to side. Life's too short to keep clothes that bring you down. Remember that trends are designed to keep you chasing. Did you know that the fashion industry has moved from having four seasons to fifty-two? Fast fashion is designed to keep consumers wanting a new and different look as often as possible to spend more money. Often, the clothes that are bought on a whim because of their low price, come at the cost of another human's safety, living and dignity. Chasing trends allows someone else to define your happiness and confidence, unless you stand against the norm and choose for yourself. Don't shop as a hobby or because you're bored. Shopping has become a favourite pastime, something that is done for fun instead of necessity. But once you get used to only shopping when you legit need to purchase an item, you'll wonder how you ever wasted so much time before. Save your money and fill your days with activities that fill your soul, rather than drain your wallet. Remember, you already have too many clothes at home in the first place! When you clear space in your closet, you make space for more time, money and joy in your life. What's that one piece of clothing hiding out in your closet you can't seem to part with? Share in the comments below! Oh, and if this article spoke to you, don't forget to like and share <3
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Jen Rao
Grateful blogger sharing my take on yoga, meditation and simple living. Archives
September 2017
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