Conquering My Closet: 7 Reasons Why My Closet Got Too Full
Posted on Fri, Jun 25, 2010
Now that my first post is out there, I feel as though the whole world is holding me accountable for purging and cleaning out my closet. It's a scary thought...but the final outcome will be a good thing, right? I must admit that I have not yet removed a single item from my closet.
Before my adventurous closet purge begins, I feel I need to first explore how my closet got so full in the first place so that it hopefully never happens again. In all honesty, I need to do more than just simply clean it out by giving away clothes. I have to identify and change my "bad closet habits" that I have formed over the years.
Top 7 Reasons Why My Closet Got Too Full
1. Shopping is my favorite past time.
I would not consider myself to be a "fashionista," but I love clothes and always buy them. If I had to guess, I would estimate that I bring home at least one or two new items of clothing each week. This does not include the items that I buy for my daughter, which may be a whole other blog post.
2. I can NEVER turn down a good deal.
Whether I need it or not, if the price is too good to be true, I have to buy it. I would argue that my case could be considered a true medical condition - "shopaholic" should be a clinical term. I have attempted to walk away from a good deal in the past but, I find my heart racing rapidly and my head spinning. I physically cannot walk away from a good deal.Which brings me to my first confession; I bought two new articles of clothing since my first post...
3. I love free stuff!
I am going to blame this attribute on my Dutch "heritage." I married a Dutch man, I live in a Dutch town, and I even take part in the world famous Tulip Time Festival Dutch Dancing. Dutch is in my blood...so whether I need it or not, if it is free, it is soon in my hands and making its way into my home.
4. Michigan has four wonderful seasons.
Living in the state where you can both get a tan and make a snow angel within the same day, I need to have a complete wardrobe for temperatures that range from -10 degrees to over 90 degrees. This means that I need to have a lot of layers for those days with questionable weather, not to mention multiple swimsuits and wool sweaters.
5. "What if I lose/gain weight?"
I say this to myself often. In the case that I do lose weight one day, I still have plenty of pre-pregnancy jeans folded nicely in the back of my closet. Or, in contrast, what if I get pregnant again?
6. I have a "work wardrobe" and a "mom wardrobe."
I must wear professional and stain free clothing to work, but my wardrobe also has to contain clothes that can stand up to a day at the park with my three-year-old.
7. Clothes represent memories for me.
Some pieces of clothing are almost like looking at a photograph. If I glimpse at a dress that I wore to a wedding five years ago, all of the great memories from that event will come flooding back to me. If I were to get rid of that dress, it would be like tossing out a really nostalgic photograph filled with memories. Not to mention, many of these dresses and special occasion clothing items cost an arm and a leg.
Now that I have dissected the origins of my problem, my next step is to assess my clothing needs and wants appropriately - I am going to take inventory of every item within my closet. To give you a little taste of what is to come, I confirmed last week that I own at least 73 skirts and over 37 scarves. Yes, you read that correctly!
More closet stats to come very soon...
-Lisa