Today I’ll be unpacking the first of my 4 Steps to Successfully Build Your Perfect Capsule Wardrobe.
I said I’d be getting back to the basics, and well, this is about as basic as you get when it comes to cleaning out your wardrobe. In fact the advice “get rid of anything you don’t love” is the spring board for pretty much anyone talking about starting a capsule wardrobe.
And you know what? There’s a reason for this. I firmly believe that if your closet isn’t full of items you love, you won’t stick with your capsule wardrobe or minimal wardrobe long term.
But with that said, I’m also a firm believer in thinking before you act.
What do I mean?
Well, I’ve known many people who jump in headfirst and get rid of a bunch of stuff, regret it later, and then buy a bunch of stuff to replace what they threw away.
That is not a sustainable way to live folks. And trust me, I’ve been there and it was frustrating.
So when I hear the advice to get rid of anything you don’t love, I agree… with a caveat:
Take as much time as you need getting rid of things.
Don’t feel like you have to have it all figured out right now. This is a long term strategy so there’s no rush. Right?
Sometimes, it takes time to figure out what you really love. I know it did for me! It seems like such easy advice to just get rid of anything you don’t love, when in reality it can be quite complicated.
Here’s what I did (and am still doing):
There was a ton of stuff that I knew I didn’t want right off the bat. So I got rid of that first.
Everything else that I just couldn’t part with right away went into storage. Each season as I’ve unpacked that season’s clothing, I have slowly gotten rid of more and more.
And there has been some clothing that I’ve included in each capsule that I was “unsure” about. I wanted to test it in the real world to see if I really did love it. Sometimes I did, and sometimes I didn’t.
I still have a few items left that I’m unsure about, but I’m getting to a point now after doing this for a year where I almost only have clothing in storage and in my closet that I really, truly love.
And that feels good my friends! Remember… baby steps are okay. We put one foot in front of the other and then before you know it, we’re living with our perfect capsule wardrobes.
What about you? Were you able to get rid of everything in one sitting? Or has it taken you time like it has for me? Let me know in the comments below! I’d love to hear what your experience has been.
Until next time,
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