Spring Cleaning - My New Minimalist Closet

New thing today, cleaned out my closet in attempt to go minimalist with my clothes. Like my shoes post, I'm not ready to live off of a severely pared down wardrobe, but some spring cleaning and minimalist inspiration to help me slowly get to reducing how much stuff I keep and use. I set aside about 3 hours to do this, but it took 6 hours, but it was super super productive. 

This is a first cut, but I'm really proud of myself for what I was able to weed out. 

My clothes before. Everything was stuffed.

My closet - sometimes with multiple shirts or sweaters on one hanger.

My extra clothes I stuck in a bookshelf thing. Mainly I kept pants, skirts and some sweaters in here.

And another dresser, stuffed with underwear's, shirts, pants, scarves and some winter wear. 

So one of the things I learned while researching, is that it's easier to take everything out and add what you want back in, rather than trying to take stuff out of your existing collection. So I did that. I started by taking out everything. I sorted them into "what they were" piles, such as bottoms, tops, sweaters/jackets, scarves, dresses, underwear stuff, etc. They ended up in giant piles on the bed. 

Then out of these, I slowly started adding stuff back into my closet. I was trying to add back as little as possible, and choosing multi-purpose stuff. Sometimes it was easy to pick out the good stuff, and the definite "get rid" of pile. Other times there were a ton of "maybes" and a lot of analysis over what I should keep.

It was a fascinating experiment and I learned a lot about myself.

1 - I have a ton of shirts and sweaters/jackets.

2 - A lot of my clothes are very casual/party clothes that aren't really work appropriate. One thing I learned is finding a balance and getting clothes that fit your lifestyle. I'm at work 5/7 days a week, and so it is hard finding work appropriate clothes because I either have formal blazers, or party clothes, so there's not a good mix of business/business casual.

3 - I love most/all of my dresses, so that was tough weeding through. I realized that even though some of the dresses went to the "keep" pile, they were only really appropriate for parties, and not for work/casual, so I had to put them in the "get rid of" pile, because they weren't as versatile as other dresses.

Anyway so after all that. This is what I ended up with.

Personal items - underwears, bras and socks
Started - a lot... possibly 80-90 pieces/pairs.
Ended - 30 pieces/pairs

Started
Scarves - 23
Gloves - 7
Beanies - 3

Ended
Scarves - 5
Gloves - 1
Beanie - 1

Dresses
Started with 35

Ended with 15

*At this point I started getting really tired, and well, I came to the bigger tougher piles.

Shirts/Tops
Started - A lot... estimating based on how much I started with, probably 150 shirts/tops
Ended - 50.... still a lot but considerably less.

Pants/Skirts/Tights/Shorts - Bottoms
Started - a lot... estimating 50
Ended - 25

Sweaters/Jackets
Started - a lot.... estimating 90
Ended - 40

****INSANITY****

How could I even wear that much clothing ever? What I ended up with was still probably a lot for minimalists, but I'm working on it. I know that my shirts, jackets and bottoms still need weeding, but this is a really great first start considering what I did have. It's like losing the first few pounds in Weight Watchers. You just learn and keep going and figure out what works.

Also - I'm not sure I have the "right combo" of things, as maybe I got rid of something that would work better than something I kept, so I put all the "get rid stuff" into black trash bags, but I'm keeping them hidden away, in case I need to exchange/retrieve something, or want to reconsider an item. Also if I ever feel like shopping for new clothes, I can go in there and look at all the stuff I already had, and maybe dig something out - MAYBE?

Anyway the "get rid of" pile is in limbo for now. I got rid of a LOT of "good" stuff, but it just wasn't going to work as a multi-use, timeless classic functional piece of clothing. I'm going to really think about my clothes now, try out the reduced stuff/choices/options of clothes, and see if it works for me. I hope so. I was really proud of myself and loving the extra space.

NOW - My fabulous closet! Everything fits! I have more than enough clothes for a month, with a new thing to wear every day. So that works :) Also every piece has one hanger, and I had leftover hangers!



I got rid of the bookcase full of clothes that were stuffed in there. The dresser is now filled with items, but not filled to the brim. There's plenty of extra space in each drawer between all my stuff.



So ya! I have enough clothing for awhile, and in-between when we do laundry. I definitely want to keep getting rid of more items, but it's all about quality and choosing the right things. You don't want to end up with fewer terrible options. I want to come to the point where I have very very few choices in my clothes, but they're all fabulous! Also, I want to get more "classic" styles. I LOVE the idea of classic fashion and pieces that just last, and are wonderfully timeless. I think that's why minimalism appeals to me too. Anyway - I am learning by doing, and seeing what items work and what don't. If I don't use an item in awhile, I might get rid of it. Also, if I get a new clothes item, it has to replace 2 or 3 items I already have - so I can continue to reduce. I already see where there are gaps in my fashion closet, as to what is functional and fashionable :) So ya, working on it.

I don't know how far I'll go or what will work for me in the long-term, but I'll enjoy finding out :)

Slowly but surely. New Minimalist Closet!!!

Spring Cleaning - Minimize - Shoes

New thing today, did some spring cleaning and decided to get rid of some shoes. I've been researching and reading up on minimalism and living that way. I'm not ready to live off of 33 pieces of clothing yet or only own 150 things total, but I'm fighting that primal packrat instinct genetically gifted to me by my ancestors.

So, decided to start with shoes. I'm not a shoe-holic and I'm fairly practical with this, so it was relatively easy to start with. On one YouTube video by Love Raw Vegan, she explains very well how and what she does in choosing and living minimally with shoes in her video - Fashion - Shoe Minimalism + Fashion Tips. Anyway supposedly women on average own 27 pairs of shoes. That's what I decided to keep, but I did get rid of quite a bit - which is good for me.

One tip I followed is to "get rid of everything" and only bring back in what you wanted to use. It had to be functional and fashionable - meaning it makes you feel fabulous.

So I started with 39 pairs. It was a ton after looking at them all.




Supposedly we only really wear 5 pairs on average. I rotate more with the shoes that are accessible and visible, so I will work on that, and see what else I can cut out.

In total I got rid of 12 pairs (30%)! That's a good start. I got rid of 2 extra pairs of tennis shoes, extra hiking boots, some shoes that were really worn out or that I hardly ever wore, or that were really uncomfortable but cute, or really comfortable but ugly. There were some really good pairs in there, but following some minimalist principles and all.

The - out the door - pile.




This is the pared down overall keep pile - with possibly a few extras in the photo that I didn't get rid of just yet. I ended up keeping 27. I wrote down the categories to see if I could eliminate duplicates or extras later on. I'm not ready to do it yet, but it's in progress.

8 black shoes
3 flip flops (these are in the maybe/get rid of pile - for the next cut)
4 brown boots (assorted styles)
12 other - mainly nudes, sandals or assorted styles.

I also arranged them so I could visually see them better. This is the first round. I want to learn to be as minimal as possible for me and my lifestyle. It can be quite exhausting emotionally and mentally if you're not prepared. It's similar to weight loss. You won't lose all 50 lbs in a few weeks. You have to do it slowly, and find out what fits, what works, and what is worth keeping. That way, everything that remains, is truly essential. Plus learning to let go, and get rid of things that do not enhance, but just weigh you down.

Here's the final photos of the keepers, for now. I know I can cut down more. I want to get better at it as time goes on. I may actually have to learn to end up buying shoes that replace multiple pairs and are more versatile and using and keeping those. Some of the shoes I kept are place holders for that. Work in progress :) I was pretty proud.

Minimalism - Buying Advice - The Power of a Purchase Pause

New thing today, I read a new blog post that I found enlightening and wanted to share it with you.

I've been researching minimalism and minimalist living. Once upon a time I read a book called Enough - Breaking free from the world of more by John Naish which I loved and really spoke to me. It is one of my favorites, and a book that really changed how I see the world.

Anyway so I've got life things to manage, and with the successful weight loss from Weight Watchers, I'm looking to trim the fat and downsize other parts of my life that are weighing me down and keeping me heavy. So, the minimalist lifestyle and philosophy is appealing and I'm researching and learning to live it. It looks like a shift in philosophy and maintenance in how you manage stuff, but it's also about growing and learning and continuing to improve and streamline what you have.

There's a phrase that really got to me in my research "Everything That Remains" by this group The Minimalists and it got me thinking. It makes me want to keep and cherish and value what remains, and get rid of everything else. It's also part of my love of the movie Fight Club - one of the quotes being, "No Fear. No Distractions. The ability to let that which does not matter truly slide"  - Chuck Palahniuk. I am drawn to simplicity. My English teacher once said "It's harder to write something short, than it is to write something long". I'll keep that in mind in my blogs, but possibly not. You may still hear me ramble.

So anyway I've added a few minimalist blogs to my feed (a few) and this one post from today really got to me and I'm going to use it when considering buying things.

I'm also keeping up with the blogs as a way to LEARN to be simple. It doesn't come naturally. We have hoarding and collecting tendencies in my family, and I've seen the kind of addiction and crutch it can become, so I want to be free from that and from the emotional attachment to stuff. I also moved around a lot as a kid, and so I really know what it's like to carry, move and have all that stuff with you. So I'm just trying to evolve. As one of my Fight Club movie quotes says "Fuck off with your sofa units and strine green stripe patterns, I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say let... lets evolve, let the chips fall where they may."

So anyway that's my minimalist spiel. Also new thing today, I learned how to spell spiel.

Ok so enjoy the article - here it is REPOSTED - but credit the original author as they did a fabulous job!

From the Be More With Less blog - The Power of a Purchase Pause by Courtney Carver

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The Power of a Purchase Pause
// Be More with Less


I left my sweatshirt on a plane while traveling in March. I wore it frequently, and it was a staple of my tiny wardrobe. I called the airline, searched lost and found, and when I couldn't find it, I wanted to replace it immediately.
Instead, I decided to implement a purchase pause. Even though I really wanted an alternative for my lost item, I knew I didn't need it.  Fast forward almost a month, and while there have been a few times that I wanted to wear a sweatshirt, I didn't think about it much. It didn't prevent me from enjoying life or doing the things I normally do.

The power of a purchase pause allows you to …

• save money
• limit impulse buying
• consider your purchases
• avoid buyer's remorse
• bypass emotional shopping
• create time (once you declare a purchase pause, you can stop searching sales and spend less time in the dressing room)
• gracefully bow out of trips to the mall (sorry, can't make it … I'm in the middle of a purchase pause)

I used to buy whatever I wanted, even if I didn't have the money. I also bought a bunch of stuff I thought I wanted, but lost interest after a few weeks or days. I shopped because "I deserved it" or because "it would make me feel better" or because "that new gadget would make me be a better ________."
I always had what sounded like a reasonable excuse to buy. I also had a pile of debt, a garage and shed full of stuff that I didn't use, and all of the side effects that come with that including discontent and stress.
Shopping never fixed anything.

1. Fake the purchase. Before you buy one more thing, imagine buying it. For example, if you want to buy a new pair of roller blades because you saw some people at the park having fun on skates, fake the purchase. Go through each step of the process. Imagine walking into the store, handing over cash or card, and bringing your new roller blades home. Are you so excited that you put them on and take them for a spin, or do you have to go back to work or clean your house first? Maybe you wait to try them until the weekend. Then it rains on Saturday, so you have to put your outing off a week. When you do get out, do you love roller blading and start using them every day or once a week, or after time do they work their way to the back of the closet while you look for something else?
When you finally give up on the roller blades, are you still paying for them? Roller blades might not be your thing, but whatever the item, fake your next purchase and think through the first 30-60 days with your new purchase. Still interested?
2. Buy it on paper. Declare a shopping fast for the next 30 days. Instead of buying it with paper or plastic, buy it on paper. Write down everything you think about buying along with the price. Keep track of the items you want and the money you would have spent buying them.
At the end of 30 days, look at the total amount of money you saved and ask yourself if you want to spend it on the items you listed or use it for something else. It's easier to justify one purchase at a time, but when you total your expenses and realize how much you are spending each month, the individual purchases may seem less important. If your monthly total is $800, would you go out and buy everything on the list or use the $800 differently?
3. Define need vs. want. Get honest with yourself about your purchases. What percentage of your purchases are needs versus wants? Buying something you want isn't a bad thing, but call it what it is.
4. Know what matters most. Use what matters the most to leverage your shopping decisions. If you don't know what matters, buying things may be your way of searching for meaning.
Instead, identify a few things that really mean something to you. It will be different for everyone, but some examples might include:

• school tuition
• paying off debt
• travel
• quitting your job
• donating money to a cause you care about

Maybe there is a physical item that you really want like a new computer to grow your business, or a bicycle so you can ride to work. Whatever it is, identify it and whenever you are considering a purchase, ask yourself what you want more, Roller blades or a trip to Spain?
5. Make rules. Challenge yourself to stick with a few shopping rules so you can fully embrace the power of a purchase pause. Before purchasing, wait 30 days for anything less than $100 and 60 days for everything that costs more than $100.
You don't have to be a shopaholic to benefit from a purchase pause. Most of us have purchased things we don't need or want and later regret the decision to buy. With a small time out, we can fully consider our purchases and make informed decisions about what really makes us happy.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Be More with Less and join me on Facebook. Check out courtneycarver.com for simple ideas for your life and business.