Yesterday was the last day of my Summer holiday. I had initially thought I might have an easy, lay about day, but when I woke up I felt more energised than that and so decided to do something I had been putting off for ages. I cleaned out my wardrobe. There was a frenzy of trying on, chucking, piling in heaps, throwing in bags and totally tossing out. Why I had put it off for so long – I don’t know. I knew I had clothes hanging in there that I hadn’t worn in way too long and things that needed mending, dry cleaning and a whole lot of other tender, loving care. As I placed clothes in bags to either go to a second hand shop or for me to sell on ebay, I began to feel a weight lifting from my shoulders. The cleaner and more organised my closet got – the better I felt. Looking into it this morning realising that everything in there actually fitted me and I felt good in, was a great way to start my working year.
| Oprah’s Wardrobe – not mine. A girl can dream! |
I’ve been thinking about it a great deal since and wondering why such a simple cleaning act made me feel so good. I’m certain it has something to do with not only being able to look at something that is neater and more organised, but also that throwing out clothes that don’t fit or I didn’t feel fabulous in, was a release and a great thing for me to do for my self esteem and body image. I had clothes in there that had not fit me for a very long time but I was still holding on to them. Why? It certainly wasn’t because I had intentions to diet myself into them, but many of them were so lovely I think I felt they were too good to throw away. But…they no longer served me, so no matter how lovely they were, or indeed, how much they cost, they were useless to me.
When was the last time you cleaned out your wardrobe Beautiful You?
If you need some motivation to do so, I hope my experience inspires you and that you think about these further following reasons as to why it’s a great idea…
I have seen some diet spruikers say it is a good idea to have clothes in your closet or even buy clothes that are too small for you so they will act as motivation for you to lose weight and fit into them. I just don’t buy it and am certain that many people never actually reach the point where they permanently fit into those clothes meaning a useless purchase. Can you relate?
Pulling out clothes from your closet regularly, or even intermittantly, that don’t fit is not good for your self esteem and body image. When this happens far too many people leap to thinking that something is wrong with their body that then must be fixed, when in fact it is a simple equation of a piece of clothing no longer fitting, if indeed it ever did.
Wearing clothes that fit you well and you feel great in (no matter your size or shape!) is a surefire way to boost your body confidence. We all know the feeling of how wonderful it is to sashay out the door in something we feel awesome in and having a wardrobe filled with only clothes that make us feel that way is a great way to ensure that happens as often as possible.
Everyone needs a special dress or great work outfit but don’t forget that having well fitting exercise and casual clothes is also a great thing. I dag around my house in trackies and tee’s just as much as anyone, but having them at least fit well and not have holes in them (goodbye yoga pants from 1997!) is not going to take away the comfortability factor.
Think of all the wonderful souls out there that may inherit your clothes if you decide to give them to charity or the money they will raise to support those in need. It’s also ok to think about selling your clothes which of course you could then spend on new ones – that fit.
So Beautiful You…feeling inspired? Have you ever had a wardrobe clean out that you really felt was a great thing to do? Still holding on to clothes that no longer fit? Love to hear from you!
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Love this post. I desperately need a wardrobe clean out. I have started, but I have to be strong and get rid of everything that does not inspire me anymore or that I have not worn in the last year or two. A few designer pieces will be going on sale online at my boutique.
Do it Vicki! I can absolutely guaratnee you won't regret it.
You have inspired me to tackle this task…I am way overdue for it.
K – Good luck! I hope you get lots out of doing it.
I love this!
I seem to find it hard to let go of both the 'fat' and 'skinny' clothes at the back of my wardrobe. I guess by keeping them means I keep myself in a comfort zone.
Thanks for this brilliant post, you've got me thinking
I have just reorganised mine so it is neat and tidy. I tend to clean out at the end of each season, and then spend half of the next season wishing I hadn't thrown out garment x. I am a tosser though and after wishing I had it back in my cupboard for a few weeks move on. I got rid of some of my pre-pregnancy stuff that I don't fit into anymore that I was holding on in the hopes of fitting into again, and thought this is my new, I have had 2 (almost 3) babies body and if I lose the weight after bub has come I can treat myself to some new clothes.
Very true words, but why, oh why do I still struggle when clothes bought less than 12 months ago now no longer fit?? One vintage party dress in particular. I'm heartbroken it's too tight, and it hangs there begging to be worn. I keep thinking I can't have put on that much weight over the course of the year. . . I should accept it and move on, but I only got to wear it twice. I know I shouldn't, but I find the insidious, incremental weight gain depressing. And I'll desperately miss that amazing frock when I eventually admit defeat and get rid of it.
I've been in the process of doing the same thing. I have a lot of clothes that I've held on to for many, many years simply because "I might not find another one."
I'm finally in a position to be able to really replenish my wardrobe with clothes that I love and feel good about, but still struggle with letting go of the old stuff, the unworn stuff, the wrong sized stuff.
Like a bad relationship, I have hung on in case I never find another one. Like a bad relationship, it's time to move on.
But I'm working on it. I have a HUGE box, and every item in my wardrobe, starting from the back corner and working towards the recently worn stuff, is being assessed on a day by day basis. If I don't wear it because it's old, doesn't fit or doesn't feel good, into the box it goes. Most of it will go to charity, but a few special pieces will go on eBay.
It's starting to feel good to let go.
Thank you for this post! I feel motivated to clean out my wardrobe on my next free day. I am recovering from Anorexia Nervosa and holding onto my kids size 10 jeans is NOT healthy. I see them almost everyday and long to fit back into them but boy do I feel motivated to rid them from my sight, my mind and my life. They a toxic reminder of how unwell I have been!
Noula – Good for you! Those jeans sound like the perfect thing to toss. I am sure you will find getting rid of those toxic reminders will be an amazing feeling.
This is great for myself but how do I get my husband to stop buying clothes because they are on “special” he has 30 pairs of jeans alone, all good (no holes or marks) let alone the amount of shirts, it is hard for me to give them away because some haven’t even been worn, they all fit well…he has more clothes than me..
30 pairs of jeans! Gosh Kath, that’s a lot of jeans for one person. I can’t be sure of course but it sounds like your husband may be hoarding or making large purchases of things (in this case clothes) to help him deal with an emotion of some sort that is causing him discomfort. He may just of course be highly fashion conscious but it may be interesting to see what would happen if you suggested to him that he and you both had to have a wardrobe clean out and how open to that he may be. Something tells me he may be resistant, but why of course we can’t be certain. I’m not sure if it’s causing you a great deal of stress or not Kath but please do feel free to contact me if you would like some extra support.