16 March 2015

{capsule wardrobe}

Happy Monday! Spring happened around here this weekend - everything came into bloom and today we're supposed to hit almost 80 degrees. Needless to say, I'm smiling at my computer right now. I love spring so much!

Last week, I was talking to Robyn and she mentioned trying out a capsule wardrobe. I had heard about them before but had always wondered what the deal was. She introduced me to Un-fancy's version and before I knew it, I was set on trying to build one.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that my Lent challenge is to give something away every day. I thought I'd dedicate this past weekend to emptying out my closet to see how close I could get to a capsule wardrobe. I've been feeling very weighed down lately by how much stuff I have. I feel overwhelmed with options and also heavy - do I really need this much?

I'm a real purger in almost every facet of life, but when it comes to my clothes, I am a hoarder. I can rationalize anything.
What if I randomly want to wear this? 
What if I really need this for something specific even though I haven't worn it in years? 
It was so expensive and I've only worn it once.
It still has the tags on it! (the worst of my worsts)

I decided it was time to make a change. I don't want to be a slave to my possessions and I don't want to fill my house with more stuff simply because I have more room.

Like Un-fancy suggests, I emptied everything out and was overwhelmed by how much there was. Where was it all hiding!?


I put things back in one at a time, but only if I loved them. If I didn't love them, they went into a maybe pile or into a trash bag for Good Will.


Three hours later, I'd filled 10 trash bags of clothes to donate, gotten rid of one nightstand and had two trash bags full of hangers. I would venture to say 75 percent of my closet is gone. I deliberated on consigning, but decided against it.

I want to create a habit of giving generously without expecting things in return. It gave me a lot of anxiety to fill bags full of clothes and I found myself trying to calculate the monetary value as I loaded my car. But clothes sitting in my closet aren't bringing me financial gain. Consigning them might, but it didn't feel right in the moment. Why make money off of something I haven't worn in (some of them) years, when I can donate them to someone who really needs them?


I didn't quite get down to a capsule wardrobe, but I purged a whole lot and feel light on my feet today. Yesterday, when I picked out my outfits for the week, it was  liberating to have so many fewer options. I like everything in my closet now, so whatever I grab to wear works!

I'm also slightly obsessive so now I want to purge every closet in the house. Minimalism here I come :)

I hope you had a great weekend!

4 comments:

  1. I love this idea! I am guilty of being a hoarder of not just clothes but pretty much everything (is scary). This post definitely inspired me to make a change. Maybe one drawer & closet at the time.

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  2. I NEED to do this...I usually give away a few things each season when I am trying to make room in my closet for new things, but haven't really PURGED in years, and there are definitely things sitting in my closet that will never be worn. I also am with you on giving things away to Goodwill vs. consignment - one man's trash is another man's treasure, right?

    --Kelly & Meg
    Peachtree Roadies

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  3. Whitney this was so inspiring!! Yet again you are on my same wavelength exactly... I've gotten more and more obsessed with minimalism lately, and have started a new series on my blog where I try to simplify my life (and possessions!) little by little every week of the year. http://daybydaymasterpiece.com/2015/03/17/a-year-of-living-simply-week-9/ I'm also super inspired by The Minimalists Blog, if you haven't checked it out yet you should! Have a great rest of the week xoxo

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  4. Oh my gosh, I am so impressed!! My closet is definitely in need of a serious clean out but honestly it always feels so intimidating to begin! But I'm inspired by yours and it must feel so great now to have it more streamlined! And how wonderful that you donated all of those clothes!

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