Clothes and more clothes! The Minimalist Challenge: Day 13

Day 13: Clean out your closet

This is a hefty, hefty challenge. It’s also a day late, sorry about that I got distracted by re-runs of ANTM.

To help me clean out my closet I used the Marie Kondo technique… She wrote this book: Marie Kondo: The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and another one called Spark Joy.

I gathered up all of my clothes from where ever they were in my house and piled them onto my bed. Which looked like this:

Next I separated them into piles: Tops, Bottoms, Hanging, Socks, Underwear, Extras and Special Events. Which looked like this: (I’ll let you figure out which pile might be which.)

After I sat in front of each pile, separated them into sub-piles and held each item to see if it ‘sparked joy’. Marie Kondo’s book doesn’t give you a list of ‘must have’ items to keep and there isn’t a goal to hit; no 20 item capsule wardrobe or anything like that. It’s about picking the clothes that make you feel good and/or make you happy (as long as they fit).

So that is how I went about this momentous task but because it’s me and I love lists, I counted all of my clothes before and after the sparking of joy test and made a note of what I’ve kept. Here are my lists:

BEFORE

• I started with Tops. I had 46 tops.
  • 4 Hoodies
  • 8 Sweatshirts/Jumpers
  • 14 Vests
  • 17 T-Shirts
  • 1 long sleeved T-Shirt
  • 2 Button-Down Shirts
• Next was Bottoms. I had 27.
  • 7 Leggings
  • 7 Shorts
  • 6 Skirts
  • 7 Trousers
• Hanging Clothes. 12. I didn’t change this.
  • 4 Coats (Winter, Rain, Everyday, Blazer)
  • 6 Dresses
  • 2 Playsuits
• Socks. 64 single socks and tights. After… 45.  Or 21 pairs and 3 Tights.
  • 14 Tights  down to  3 Tights
  • 44 Ankle Socks  down to  36. (18 pairs which are all currently on trial)
  • 6 Long Socks (3 pairs)
• Underwear. 30 pieces. After… 13.
  • 6 Bras  down to  3.
  • 24 Pants  down to  10.
• Extra Items. 9 and it stayed the same.
  • 5 Scarves
  • 2 Belts
  • 2 Hats
• Specific Events. 7 items of Swimwear and Sportswear
  • 1 Bikini set
  • 1 set of gym clothes (sports bra, t-shirt, leggings, shorts, white socks and trainers.)

TOTAL: 195 Items of Clothing

AFTER:

• Tops: 26. (Plus 3 trials*)
  • 2 Hoodies
  • 5 Sweatshirts/Jumpers
  • 8 Vests
  • 9 T-Shirts
  • 2 Button-Down Shirts
• Bottoms:  17.
  • 3 Leggings
  •  4 Shorts
  • 4 Skirts
  • 6 Trousers
• Hanging Clothes. 12.
• Socks. 45.  Or 21 pairs and 3 Tights. (ALL socks are on trial)
• Underwear. 13.
  • 3 Bras
  • 10 Pants. (I really want to buy all new pants so when I do I’ll just dump the old ones)
• Extra Items and Specific Events. 16.

TOTAL: 129.

I hope that made sense. Disclaimer! All the listed clothes are ones I’ve bought myself and not the ones I steal from my boyfriend. That list includes big jumpers, hoodies, pyjamas and flannel shirts.

I’ve downsized by 66 items. Most of which are socks and pants which I’m taking to a recycling centre but some are actually quite nice quality items that I don’t wear anymore; they’re off to charity shops around Cornwall.

My unworn bras are off to Smalls for All which is a UK based charity that takes new or gently-worn bras. The 3 bras I’m sending are unworn but have no labels. I’m also sending a sports bra that still has the label. Hopefully they’ll find better homes and be good, happy bras.

*Trial Items. This seems to be the only way I’ll be able to sort out my socks. If they spark no joy or have holes everywhere I’ll throw them away but for now they can live happily in my drawer. I’ve also got a few lost but loved items of clothing that are on trial. These are things I’ve had for years, don’t wear but love. My personal challenge is to wear them!! I hope that it will help me to be a little more adventurous in what I wear! I WILL wear my Space Poodle Jumper! I WILL! Because I love it!

I hadn’t thought about my clothing in a long time. I thought about why I had duplicates of things when one would do. I thought about my annoying habit of internet shopping and then never wearing anything I buy. I thought about the clothes I loved and why I loved them and the clothes I hated and why I’d kept them.

I thought that I didn’t care about clothes but I do. It’s not that I care about fashion much but because clothes carry memories and can evoke emotion and confidence. I love that! I really do.

I think I’ll continue to downsize my clothing a little bit more so that every piece I own makes me feel happy or confident or cosy or fierce or floaty or whatever I’m trying to feel that day!

This challenge is 100% completed!