Skeletons in your closet.

Hey there, so glad you're back!
If you have looked into minimalism you know that a big problem area that most people face, often without even really knowing it's a problem, is their clothes. It's the part I have worked on the most so far and I can tell you that it is absolutely life-changing. I know that sounds crazy, you wouldn't think having LESS is better. I have thought for my entire life that if I just had a top to match this or that new graphic tee, my life would improve...but it doesn't. Don't get me wrong, I still love clothes and I still love fashion trends. I like to look nice, but I also like the feeling of knowing that the things in my closet actually FIT me and look good on me. If you're like me, you might have had some body changes recently that makes your favorite shirt from last year a little less flattering this year. The thing is, you will probably pull that top out of the closet every time you go out (probably along with 13 other options, all of them flops as well) and you stand in front of the mirror, hating the fit or the color. Your body has changed, your taste has changed. But you used to love it, so you put it back on the hanger and wait for the day that you wear it again.

It probably won't come.

You are spending time pulling it out, trying it on, hating yourself in the mirror, and then you put it right back to do it again on the next date night. Why?

I am guilty of this. I would literally pull half my closet out, and then sometimes cry to my husband that I didn't have anything to wear that I liked myself in, ruin my makeup, then end up putting on one of the few blouses that I didn't hate myself as much in. Then I had to reapply my makeup! Oh, the waste!

E V E R Y T I M E.

And then after the date, I would come home to a bed with a mountain of unloved clothes that almost reached the ceiling fan. So after having a great night laughing with Cory, I would come home and spend 15 minutes hanging all of that stuff back up to torture myself again.

Let it go, guys. Let it go.

Can you imagine opening your closet and seeing only things that you like your body in? Can you imagine if they were all in plain sight? Can you imagine not spending 30 minutes flipping past hangers and hangers of things that you just know you aren't going to wear?

I'll tell you, it's amazing. I have been able to get ready and out the door in literally a quarter of the time it used to take me. It's simple, I open the closet and there it is, a shirt I love. I pair it with the only pair of jeans I own and I am out the door. I am not late, I am not sweating from stress, I am happy and I am confident in my clothes. Sure, it might be something that I have worn recently, but that's why we have washing machines. Clothes can be worn more than once, and if you really want to get your money's worth out of your clothes, you should love it and wear it more than once, right?!

I know a lot of people are on journeys to change their bodies, myself included. And if that is the case, and there are clothes that you honestly still love, but they are just a little too tight, I recommend getting a box, and putting them away until you reach your goals. No need to torture yourself every time you get dressed. You will get there, and when you do, you can pull out those clothes again. And I can promise you that if you have cleaned out your current closet and loved it, you will pull those clothes out one by one and realize that some of them may fit now, but you will still pass them over when getting ready. And getting rid of them at that point will be easy.

Some tips when taking this on:

• Get rid of any similar items. You don't need two coral blouses. You probably have one that you wear more than the other anyway, get rid of the lesser loved one. 
• If you are going to save clothes to fit into later, get them out of sight, but remember to pull them out again and really go through them before you buy more in that size. I didn't do this and already bought clothes out of excitement. and realized I had 6 pairs of identical yoga pants. YIKES!
• Keep accessories simple. You have your favorites. Let the rest go. You don't need 12 purses. You need your everyday one, and maybe a smaller one for a night out. That's really it. You don't need 40 scarves, you likely wear the same one over and over. 
• Don't spend a lot of money on storage solutions. If you feel like you need a closet kit, then you have too much stuff. 
• If you have reached weight loss (or gains!) goals, don't keep clothes that no longer fit. That will just allow you to feel like you can fall back on them later. Get rid of them and keep up the lifestyle change, and then give yourself a pat on the back! 
• If your clothes have value, sell them! Use the money earned to go on a road trip or pay a small debt. Either will make you excited for the changes you're making. 
• Don't worry about how much you spent on something. I know it's hard when you paid for it and never wore it, but look at it as a lesson learned. Don't let that item cost you more later in time and energy. If you haven't worn it yet, it's a safe bet that you won't wear it. 
• This one should go without saying, but if it has a hole or a stain, LET IT GO. I am guilty of this. I had shirts where a button on the sleeve was loose, but I kept it because I loved the shirt. Never fixed the button, but kept the shirt, and then never wore the shirt because the button was gone. Fix it, if you can. If you have not spent the 5 minutes resewing the button, then you obviously don't love it as much as you think!

I'll be back with more on the closet later! If you need to start small, do that. If you don't wanna dive into the whole closet right away, that's okay! Just go in there and get rid of the obvious. You will love the feeling and it will lessen your fears about the process. 

Thanks for reading!!