We tend to be a hoarder, (particularly when it comes to our clothes) though it's something we've gotten much better at now that we've moved into a 350 square foot apartment with our significant other. (There's simply no room to hoard.)
However, we were still particularly inspired by an article in House Beautiful about clearing out the clutter. Jump through for our favorite tips...
It takes the idea of personal change starting with your closet, since it holds the clues to your past and future self. It also warns that the whole process can take a good four hours... so do it on the weekend, put some music on, and fix yourself a drink. Here's our favorites:
1. Begin by thinking on paper, which will help speed up and simplify the process. What do you love? When tossing, refer to your list.
2. When debating about an item, ask yourself: Which is more valuable? The item or the cleared space?
3. No one lets go of something without reaching for something else. Think of the theme, of what sort of feeling in your life you want next,(ie, serentity, creativity) so you can create the space for it.
4. Ask yourself, "Do I love it? Is it flattering? Is it the image I want to project?" If it's a "yes" to all three, then it's a keeper.
5. Determining if something is a personal treasure, ask yourself: "Is this the best reminder of that particular time in my life or person I knew?" If not, then toss it.
6. Invest in matching wooden or padded hangers and quality containers.
7. When you're 3/4 of the way through clearing your closet, you may begin to get overwhelmed by the space (What am I going to do without my stuff?) Remind yourself that you are who you are, not what you own. Get through the panic, and you'll experience calm and relief.
8. Keep in mind a Zen parable tells of a traveler on a road who came up on a river with a washed out bridge. So he built himself a raft which carried him safely to the other side. "This is a good raft" he thought, "If I come to another river, I can use it." So he carried it on his back with him for the rest of his life. How long do we hold onto something that's no longer useful?
9. Practice SHED. Separate the treasures, Heave the trash, Embrace your idenity and connect to who you are without your stuff, and Drive forward.
10. Decide who will get the cast-offs, i.e., a favorite charity or homeless shelter.
By getting rid of outdated items, the article by Julie Morgenstern says, you open yourself up to possibilities for the future. The author also has a new book that's come out recently, click here for the link.
photo: esrasu/stockxchang
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
My favorite rule is that if I haven't worn something in a year, it has to go. Special occasion dresses that I look great in get an exception because some years I'll go to 4 autumn weddings and the next, they'll all be in the summer, but otherwise, I've found this guideline very useful.
view emmyjane's profile
I could have used this on Saturday when I decided it was time to clear out my closet.
Rule number 4 would have helped.
And I sort of came up with 5 on my own trying to validate why I was keeping some old t-shirts.
But all and all this is a good list and would have helped for sure. I will definitely bookmark this for my spring clean.
view designedtoteach's profile
I like to pretend i'm a minimalist, but at the same time there's nothing i hate more than the feeling of "man, i could really just xyz that i JUST threw out 3 weeks ago!". When doing a closet purge, in particular, i tend to hold on to things that i no longer wear, arguing that i need clothes that i can ruin. As in "next time we paint, i'm going to need to wear SOMETHING" or "if we take that big 10 day camping trip this summer we're planning, these sweatpants/old teeshirts will come in handy".
Any suggestions for dealing with that line of rationale? :)
view mh330's profile
1) I have a certain amount of space for composting/camping/gym clothes. It isn't much space.
2) I have a friend who hosts regular clothing swaps, so I've gotten in the habit of stowing clothes in a bag to save for a swap. Since I know I *could* go fish something out I find it a little easier to put things in the swap bag.
view amanda bee's profile
mh330, I put things like that in purgatory until the next time a deep-clean urge strikes. They usually go in a storage tub or in underbed storage (out of sight and mind). only once did I actively go looking for something. otherwise, when I clean the closet the following year, everything from purgatory is tossed.
I find I have a remarkable facility to cope just fine with only things I can see in my closet.
view anninva's profile
I am a clothes horder and in preparation of my fiance moving in with me, I desperately need to purge my closet. Just as AT has an outbox for when you work on your home, I have discovered that an outbox for my closet is invaluable. I've already donated four bags full of clothing. I thought it would be harder, but I just place a bag in my entryway and slowly fill it. Granted, this is a slow process, but I find that I don't miss things at all when I know they are just in the other room. Plus, by the time I donate the clothes, I don't even remember--or care--what's at the bottom of the bag.
view harlie's profile
"We tend to be a hoarder...especially now that we've moved in with our significant other."
What "we" have here is either a very co-dependent threesome or just really poor phrasing.
view pz's profile
mh330 - keep one 'messy' outfit, donate the rest. And if the camping trip/painting stint actually does materialize and you need more messy clothes, you can always go back to the thrift store and buy similar items for a very little donation to a good cause. Chances are, though, that you won't.
view whytephoenix's profile
and the claws come out. Unnecessarily I might add.
Doesn't Apartment Therapy Etc. usually phrase things in the collective 'we'?
I am a bit of a hoarder. with a big apartment. I am going to use this article to help me purge.
view apdesigngirl's profile
Have a yard sale. List your stuff on ebay/craigslist. And put valuable clothes in a consignment shop. Making money goes a long way towards making you happy to let go.
Yard sales are not only surprisingly lucrative, but you get to meet the people who get your stuff. I really like that part.
view yolio's profile