Despite decluttering my wardrobe and not buying clothes now for 9 months, I recently couldn’t find the pants I wanted, so I reverted to my old method.
Pull everything out of the cupboard, find pants, and stuff everything back in, higgledy-piggledy.
Not mature, not tidy, and definitely not showing care for my clothing.
As I was sweeping some of the clothes out onto the floor, I thought about Cline’s statement: “We own more clothes than we can wear.”
And I thought about the cost of all these clothes, some of which I wear a lot, some of which I will wear, some of which I will never wear again, and some of which I have hardly worn. The cost in terms of how many hours I had to work to buy them. And the cost in terms of the environmental impact to manufacture clothes many of which would just be stored in my cupboard, and not be used for their purpose, ie to be worn, (and then worn out from use). (And the cost to my time sorting and locating the items I want.)
Do I need 9 camis? They are all different – different fabric and different colours. But I hardly wear camis. I keep them just in case.
The same could be asked of my other tops which are all different – styles, fabric, colours, cut, fit. But I do have a lot.
As I swept them onto the floor and then as I picked up bundles to stuff back on the shelf (I was in too much of a hurry to put them back nicely at that time; that would have to wait until I had time) I thought that this was an awful lot of fabric.
So yesterday, as I folded and tidied the cupboard shelf that stores some of my items, I picked out several items that needed to go.
This skirt I bought quite a few years go. I have hardly worn it but couldn’t bring myself to donate it. It’s Anthea Crawford!! And I bought it with 2 camis, a sheer top that goes over the camis, and another skirt. Kinda like a mix and match capsule wardrobe. But I never really took to the colour of this one. And I won’t wait until I donate the others. Off it goes.
And these three items! The shorts just don’t suit my shape, and the tops are too short. I have reached an age when I like my tops to cover my lower back. So much more healthy. (Oh, I do sound like my mother!)
The skirt and shorts will be donated to the charity shop. The tops, which are cotton, will be used as cleaning rags.
So now my cupboard is looking a little more organised. One side:
And the other:
I would like to be like someone my mother knew. She had very little in her wardrobe. Every season she would buy a couple of tops, a pair of pants, a skirt and dress. And then wear them to death. Next season, out with the old and in with a new set. Sounds so liberating. Rather than hanging onto items no longer worn. And to have a sparse wardrobe!
I might follow that with a few capsules for different “looks” and needs, as in one pair of exercise outfits, one casual outfit, one hanging around the house outfit. My fear is that one year I will not find something that suits me and I’d have to hang onto the old worn out ones.
But that it a long way off. For now I have so many clothes, I need to just wear them.
lucinda sans 