How Many Sweaters Does One Woman Need?

Decluttering Your Wardrobe with the Change of Season

I am awesome at living on auto-pilot.

Sometimes it’s the good kind (emptying the dishwasher as soon as I get up in the morning), and sometimes . . . not so much.

Like when I’m standing in my closet and something soft and fuzzy falls on my head. I look up (after recovering from my small heart attack) to see that the teetering stack/pile of sweaters has finally tipped and fallen.

I think, “Where did I get all those sweaters?”

And I really don’t know the answer to my question.

Some were gifts, some were bargains, and some were hand-me-downs from well-meaning friends who lost or gained weight.

And then there are some that I’m pretty sure just appeared.

Really, I don’t understand how I collect so many sweaters. (Or sauce pans. Or children’s books. Or wooden spoons.)

So I look for natural bumps in my road.

Changing seasons are wonderful bumps. There’s nothing like walking out the door in short sleeves on the first chilly day of fall to help me break out of my auto-pilot reverie.

I love the motivation of a seasonal clothing changeover to help me declutter my closet.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t love it in a yay-oh-yay-another-excuse-to-ORGANIZE-something way. More of a how-in-the-world-did-I-end-up-with-all-these-sweaters way.

I have a few tricks I’ve come up with over the years that help me break through the angst that happens whenever it’s time to decide which sweaters stay and which ones go.

1.  Only Keep What Fits . . . in the Drawer

This is such a simple concept, but it’s one that took me a long time to truly grasp.

I need limits. A drawer is a natural limit.

I fill the drawers with my favorites first. Once the drawer is full, my decision is made. It’s so much easier to part with the ones that won’t fit into the drawer because I have already prioritized them.

2. Only Keep What Fits . . . Me

I’m going to blame it on the years of pregnancies, but I tend to keep things that I’m pretty sure I might fit into again.

Someday.

When I’m at a weight that doesn’t feel like me, it’s hard to part with an item of clothing in the size I think I should be. But heading into a new season means that even if (IF) I started working out and eating right today, I probably wouldn’t fit back into it before the weather changed again.

And if it has already been a year or two since I wore it . . . it likely won’t be in style next fall.

3. Only Keep What Fits . . . My Personality

I lived for many years as the Dream Friend for people who wanted to clean out their homes.

Don’t need that fishing pole? Give it to Dana. Replaced your curtains? Give the old ones to Dana.

Right.  I saw the “beauty” and “potential” in every random item other people didn’t want.

But as their homes cleared out, mine became more and more cluttered. As I switch out clothing for the new season, I pay extra attention to each item that I didn’t personally buy.

Do I love it? Do I actually wear it?

I used to keep hand-me-downs out of guilt. My friend had entrusted me with something that she wanted to have a good home!

Except that she didn’t want it in her home, so it couldn’t have been that special. I only have room (and mental energy) for the things that I love and can use in my home.

Do you use the changing season as an opportunity to declutter your wardrobe?

Heidi St John Guide to Daylight

18 thoughts on “How Many Sweaters Does One Woman Need?

  1. Amber Oliver

    Love these tips, Dana!! At one point my closet was mostly full of clothes that didn’t fit me well, most of which I didn’t even LIKE all that much, because I needed clothes after having a baby and putting on weight.. and I kept taking all these handmedowns even if they weren’t a good fit so I’d have something to wear — but then I wouldn’t wear most of them because they didn’t fit well and I didn’t like them! I ended up with a cluttered closet full of stuff I couldn’t or wouldn’t wear. Even when we are poor, going through trials, life changes, whatever, we don’t have to be the Good Will of our social circle. If it doesn’t fit our style, our needs, our body, whatever, we need to pass it on. =) Who knows — it might fit someone else and they might love it!!

    Reply
  2. Hearts Home

    Been purging the house recently, only one more room to go. The basement storage will have to wait till spring. BUT it is all on hold as I try to finish painting the outside of my home. I will admit though, the purging I’ve done has sure made house keeping EASIER! 🙂

    Reply
  3. Melodie Miller

    Have you seen that meme that says something about looking at the last few loads of laundry and considering just throwing them away? When this happens, I know its time to start bagging stuff up for the thrift store. It happens 2-4 times a year.

    Reply
  4. Meghan Nibbelin

    Been working on this all month – hubby decided 4 kiddos was enough so all the baby and maternity stuff is heading out (course my whole family has told me I am just jinxing myself by do that 😀 )

    Reply
  5. Lubna Zuberi-Khan

    Clean your closets monthly, if not weekly. Give away what you haven’t worn for a year, does not fit,toys which aren’t played with any more. Replace clothes when you buy a “newer version” of the kind. Winter clothing (coats, sweaters, socks) is such a wanted item by the homeless!

    Reply
  6. Kelly Alpacapeople

    I have been going through all of our clothes for 2 days. I emptied my closet of two, huge, black bags of my clothing. I am 37+ lbs lighter than I was pre-pregnancy with our (5th) baby. But, 47+ lighter than my heaviest weight! God is good!

    Reply
  7. Raina

    Not really caring about what’s in style, I just try to wear what looks good. So I end up keeping things for years, even if I don’t wear them, just in case I eventually get something that matches so I can wear it. Ugh.
    We do have one rule, though. The rare times I do buy clothes, I have to get rid of one old item for every item I bring in.

    Reply
  8. Clare

    Oh the best thing I ever did was have my colours and styling done! The styling analyses your body proportion so you can dress to make your figure look best (you know like the optical illusion where you can make a rectangle of the exact same size look either stumpy and fat or long and thin by the lines added). I kept about 1/6 of my clothes after realising that much of it was not doing me any favours. between colour and cut it was so easy to cull and now I go to my wardrobe and feel happy choosing something to wear. despite carrying a little extra weight 😛

    Reply
  9. Heather Kempton Wahl

    When the Rescue Mission calls looking for donations, I say yes, even if I don’t have anything set aside for them. Since I don’t want them to come out for nothing, I tend to dig a little deeper. Yesterday I had NOTHING to give them…by the time the truck got here today, there were 5 bags and a TV set.

    Reply
  10. Meghan Nibbelin

    heehee – My sister is convinced another one will appear. Since I won’t do anything permanent there is always a chance if God wills 🙂 Meanwhile I submit to my husband and trust Gods plan 😀

    Reply

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