I have not written anything not baby or home related in quite some time. Today I was lead to this article: A Practical Guide to Owning Fewer Clothes from The Frugal Girl blog. I've been thinking about this a lot lately, especially as I pack for yet another move.
Have you ever really LOOKED at all the clothing you own? I have clothing that: is of high and low quality, fits and sorta fits, classic or trendy, cute or unique, used & new. I have a lot of clothing. I used to be a shopper - I hated the act of shopping but during my moments of boredom, I'd stroll through racks and racks of sales items, picking up what I thought was a good bargain. Please note: It's is only a good bargain if: 1) it will fit, 2) it looks nice, 3) you'll wear it AND 4) it will last. All 4 of these coupled with a good price RARELY happened.
I now find myself wanting to purge but purge smart! Paul is a minimalist with clothing. He only keeps a small rotation of items he likes and wears regularly in his closet. I'm not quite there yet. During our packing sessions, I went though much of my winter clothing and got rid of any older items I don't wear. I also went through my summer items and got rid of items that were either cheaply made or that I hardly wore. I did hold on to a few newer items though... ones I've never worn and hope to one day fit into again (post baby), but who knows - it may require another purge.
Where I struggle is giving away clothing that fits me well, and is nice and made with quality but that I never wear or don't need (because how many pairs of black slacks or jeans do you need?). I feel as if I may one day wear them. It is a silly thought process. I don't NEED all these items. But at least I'm making progress. Hopefully as I unpack in our new home, I'm able to fill another few bags of clothing to be given to Goodwill.
Another style or group of clothing I have a hard time purging is formal wear. Paul has convinced me to get rid of a few gowns that are out of style, but for the most part - they aren't worn often enough to really hold on to, yet are sentimental enough to keep. It's a silly reason to keep a dress (or 10). I am the only one in my family with this body time, and I'm the only size 8 in the family. I can't pass them down - so I should pass them out... to someone who may love them and create sentiments of their own with the garment.
And lastly - I'm struggling with maternity wear. I've purchased almost nothing for myself. I've purchased: 1 pair of jeans, 1 pair of cords (that already ripped... old navy), 3 inexpensive old navy dresses that I'm already too hot to wear, 3 long sleeved shirts and 2 short sleeved shirts. All the other items I have were gifted to me or passed down from friends or family. Unfortunately, most of those items are winter sweaters or casual wear. I've decided to hold on to all maternity clothing as I'm hoping to have more children and the pieces are simple and can be worn again - even years from now. In an effort to not buy so much, I have not purchased enough clothing to get me through a work week comfortably. I know that I need at least a few more short sleeve simple shirts, 1 pair of pants/slacks/khakis and 1 dress (for my shower) and then I'll feel like I can get through July... hopefully.
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