Post #114: A New Year's Resolution

Let's face it, when it comes to most people's closets, there's the stuff that you reach for all the time. There's the stuff that you reach for sometimes (every so often, on special occasions, etc.). And then there's the stuff that you try to avoid reaching for. And hey, it's ok. Every closet needs its rejects...especially if there isn't a world of Narnian space inside that wardrobe.

So how do we go along with the whole "new year, new you" phenomenon while not losing our closet-focused minds?

In the past, I've always gone for the grand gesture. I make a billion resolutions without really writing them down. Somewhere in that mix the "Grand Closet Overhaul" rears its organizational head.

It normally takes a few weeks, during which time my bedroom becomes my new closet with piles of clothing big enough to jump into scattered around. Then I carefully put everything back in my closet, switch around my shelves, and somehow (almost) the same amount of stuff fits back in perfectly.

I always say that I'm going to get rid of/donate a bunch of stuff, but parting with even those reject pile pieces can be difficult. So this year, in an effort to really change, I'm taking a new approach to my closet.

Although I claim to have "actress style," meaning I like dressing for different "roles" à la Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (remember those good old days?), I am still going to make a concerted effort to reduce the amount of clothing I AVOID in my closet. The trick this year is this: instead of doing it all in one fail swoop, I'll go through my closet every couple of days in an effort to pair it down.

If I haven't worn it in forever: it GOES.

If I wore it in eighth grade and it's not a basic or from a special event: it GOES.

If I can't remember why I bought it and really hate it: it (sadly for my wallet) GOES.

If I won't wear it now and can't make it into something new: it GOES.

I know, I know. I'm being strict. And quite frankly when it's my closet instead of someone else's, each discard is a lot harder. Yet that's what doing it in little sessions is for...and at age 20, I feel like I should start making a more concerted effort to cultivate my personal (and future appropriate) wardrobe.