I love summer as much as the next girl, but I must admit that I’ve been yearning to layer chunky sweaters over skinny jeans with my Steven Madden riding boots! And so, my weekend was spent with hours filtering through Pinterest and the pre-fall look books of my favorite designers, and daydreaming of how perfect the new Burberry line would look in my closet. And then I looked at my closet, and noticed the tank I have been holding onto all summer because there might be a time when it would look perfect, and the dress that I definitely remember wearing to a BBQ when I was in high school, then there are the brown wedges circa 2009 that were a questionable impulse purchase at the time and definitely have no room in my fashion future. It’s time to purge – and I know I’m not alone.
Knowing myself, and my strange attachment to clothing, I’ve decided to take charge with this new desire to minimize and have given myself a tight timeline to go through my closet (and my shoe racks!!) by the end of the week, putting everything into separate piles: Keep, Sell, Donate, Trash.
Here are my thoughts on when you know it’s time to pitch an item: If it hasn’t been worn in over a year; If it has an Abercrombie or Hollister tag and you’re over the age of 19; If it’s been through the wash so many times that you can no longer read the care instructions; If you’ve ever thought “I can sew that back on” and still haven’t. I promise that there is an upside to downsizing!
After you’ve gone through your wardrobe and have everything out of your room that you no longer want or need, decide what is OK to sell and what is OK to donate. If you’re unsure whether something holds value to resell, take it to your local consignment shop and ask! If you don’t have a preferred non-profit to donate clothing to, check out Buffalo Exchange! They have a network of amazing local non-profits, and can donate anything they are unable to purchase from you.
Here’s the fun part… give yourself a goal and a reward for all of your hard work! My goal is to sell enough to be able to reward myself with a pair of Steve Madden boots – something practical for fall, and exciting enough to actually WANT to go through my closet. It’s ground breaking.
Have fun and GET AT IT!!
XOXO,
Lauren
Young Fabulous and Baroque 