The #1 Mistake to Avoid When You Bring Out Your Spring Wardrobe
17 Apr 2019
It’s Time to Declutter and Organize Your Closet
It’s officially spring in Minnesota. Let’s all just will away the cold weather—warm(er) temperatures (with admittedly cloudy skies) are in our future!
Spring is my spirit season. The new beginnings, the clean home, the green sprouts—they all bring me so much joy. It’s also the time to put away the winter coats and other cold-weather gear and take out our clothes from storage that are better-suited for this season. But when you do that, be sure to declutter at the same time. Avoid making the number one mistake of putting clothes that don’t spark joy back into your rotation. Now is the time to make sure your closet supports your ideal lifestyle. Your closet should reflect who you are and who you want to become, not the person you used to be.
Use KonMari As Your Guide to Decluttering
The promise of spring is the perfect time to make decisions about what items to keep and what to let go. As you unpack your warm-weather wardrobe, each item you see and hold should “spark joy,” or, put another way, it should make you feel happy and excited to wear it. Personally, when I bring out the new season’s clothes, I get a little giddy from seeing “old friends” that will support the fun plans I have in the coming weeks and months.
Anything that doesn’t make the cut? It’s time to appreciate the role it served in your life or what it taught you. Does something you bought two years ago still have the tags? Think about why you haven’t worn it, and that might be the lesson it’s trying to teach you. Was it a gift? Then maybe the item’s purpose was to be received— representing a gracious act by the gift-giver—but not necessarily to be worn by you. Maybe that item’s purpose was to teach you that a particular style or color doesn’t suit you very well. Simply permit yourself to feel gratitude for the lesson, and then let the item go.
Remember, the sole criterion for keeping an item is whether it brings you joy.
What To Do When You’re Not Sure What to Keep
I recently worked with a client who had difficulty deciding what items among her clothing sparked joy, so I shared with her a few other related questions that helped her get the clarity she needed to make decisions:
- How does it make you feel when you wear it?
- What were you really trying to buy when you purchased this?
- Would you buy it again today?
- If it was ruined, how would you feel? Would you invest in fixing it?
- When you picture your future, do you see yourself wearing this?
- Does this item reflect who you are and who you want to be?
I’m particularly fond of this quote by writer Amy Fine Collins: “Opening up your closet should be like arriving at a really great party where everyone you see is someone you like.” No matter your situation, we all can and deserve to feel this way.
Good luck with your spring wardrobe declutter!