Closet Simplification Part 1

In today's society, people tend to be consumed with material things. Although we know it's silly, we are told, as consumers, that we need to own more stuff, and we continue to listen to this call, creating a never ending wastefulness and need to always have more. I have long admired people who follow minimalistic lifestyles, but have always been clueless as to where the best place is to begin. Although neat and organized, moving towards voluntary simplicity has always seemed like an impossible task. For about a year now, I have been fascinated by capsule wardrobes, and after doing some research, I feel like this is a good place to begin my pursuit to a simpler life. 

I had begun cleaning out my closet and ultimately decided that this time, I was going to work towards a goal of owning fewer pieces, in addition to creating a system of organization that works best for me. I have far too many clothes, so I am looking forward to cleaning out my wardrobe and refreshing it. During this process, I have some goals that I would like to accomplish:

• get rid of clothes that don't fit, are worn or just don't work for me
• find my personal style
• organize my closet
• save time picking out clothes in the morning
• save money by being very selective with my clothing purchases
• try out the capsule wardrobe

For me, it is very important that I begin to make these changes in a way that will be permanent and sustainable. So, I have chosen three goals as a starting point for changing my closet. After these are accomplished, I will make another set of three wardrobe goals. I find that setting three goals at a time is most effective, as this leads to accomplishment without ever feeling overwhelmed. The best changes are ones that are made slowly, with intention behind each step. Although this may take a few months, ultimately I will have a closet that I love and that will start to follow the simple lifestyle.  

For this month, here are my three wardrobe goals I will accomplish to begin freeing my closet of clutter and simplifying my life:

1. Get rid of 50 items in my closet. This will include anything from worn-out clothes to ones that do not fit or I do not like anymore. Accessories are also included in this. I may not be able to pare down my clothing to only a handful of items, but I can take care of 50 items!
2. Go through out-of-season winter clothing and store it away. This will create space in my closet and leave only seasonally-appropriate clothing.
3. Find places to bring my used clothes. I will look into places where I can sell or donate my clothing, places I can recycle items in rough condition and a seamstress where I can alter a few pieces of clothing that I love but do not fit quite right. 

Change happens most sustainably in small steps, so here is my starting point. I would love if you would join me in accomplishing these goals together! If you choose to do so, let me know how it goes for you!