August Resolution : A good declutter
What is enough ? Who gets to decide how much is enough ? Should one scream depravation/diet-culture at the slightest hint of budgeting/less ? No one can answer such questions in a vaccum. We should definitely seek answers when decluttering our wardrobes. Why has this garment made it into the decluttering pile ? What thought process of mine created this waste ? Without contemplation and learning, decluttering is yet another form of consumerist endeavor to make space for buying more. My spring clean-out list :
Blue tunic : Definitely hit 30+ wears since I started cataloging my closet in 2019. I have owned and worn it since 2009. It looks shabby. I would have over dyed it back to navy and kept wearing it if I didn’t have the rest of my closet that needs wear.
Citizens of Humanity Gray denim : Only 44 wears since purchase. Letting them go because of weight gain. Dont want to hold on to tight skinny jeans that I have mentally & physically outgrown.
Studio Nicolson Akerman jeans : They aged poorly after only 60-ish wears and have terribly disappointed me. The once jet-black fabric looks blotched grey. The fabric at knee caps poke out because it has disfigured. 60 wears for denim is too less of wear for it to look like I mop the streets with it. The more I try to wear them in-spite of the short comings, the more angry they make me about the money spent.
This is the first time in a decade that my decluttering spree hasn’t resulted in a bag full of clothes. Like the wise women say : “shop your closet”, I did shop my declutter pile. A sky blue linen tunic got a pledge of another summer year’s wear. A feminine maxi dress that was once adored but currently makes me feel caricaturishly-feminine, will be archived for resort wear/weddings. A slightly faded navy shirt with a burgundy collar from Marni will be held on to for next summer. In my mind, I will be succeeding at Rule of 5 this year and keep the discipline going. I won’t throw away clothes that I already own that can cure future boredom. This is probably how I remove the dopamine factor from decluttering. This act has always been akin to debt forgiveness - a huge sign of relief from mistakes glossed over and newly minted closet space. Garments I own have a higher value today, because I don’t see a future where garments enter my closet in the volumes I have been acclimatized to. Rule of 5 has changed the way I future plan. August resolutions ?
Meditate on enough-ness. Let the mindset of Rule of 5 set in. What if I succeed ? Wouldn’t I respect myself more ? Wouldn’t I be happier in the long term ?
Give those clothes a second chance when ever possible and shop your own declutter pile. Increase your emotional durability to match the material durability of already purchased garments.
Do not declutter winter garments in summer. Let them be.
I sold a lovely wool peacoat this winter because I accepted that it's become too small for me and no one I know wanted it :( It felt so good that I immediately wanted to declutter more things but it's so true that sometimes old clothes can cure "future boredom". It's a shame about your Akerman jeans! I bought a white pair last year when it went on sale, and it was a big splurge for me so it's disappointing that yours has not aged well. I'm about 20 wears into mine and it looks fine but maybe because I don't wear white jeans to do anything more hardcore than go to the movies/library/restaurants. They might make good kneelength shorts if you cut them?
I really enjoyed this!
I had a good decluttering earlier this year, and what was great about it was that I didn't feel like I had to immediately fill the empty space. Contemplating and learning is everything, and I love how it's becoming more and more difficult to cull any more pieces. That means good purchases. Not that I'll never make a mistake again because I will!