Do You Own Your Clothes?
Do Your Clothes Own You?

A few months ago I did something drastic. I gave away about 90% of my clothes. I wish this was because I had lost a huge amount of weight and needed all new clothes.

The reason?

I was drowning in clothes: shirts, dresses, and pants stuffed into drawers and closets like a clown car.

Mothers in particular can relate to the overflow of clothes: we have pre-pregnancy clothes we hope to one day fit back into, clothes we are emotionally attached to, (“oh, I wore that when we brought the baby home…”), maternity clothes that we think we can still sneak into and wear — and then what we actually fit into.

And maybe a good pair of “fat jeans,” if we’re honest.

In the midst of my giant closet I still felt unsatisfied, and I continued to buy clothes. I was especially fond of thrift stores, but you can’t try on clothes there, so you do your best guess, and then end up with some clothes that don’t fit you and you can’t return.

And those two bridesmaids dresses we think we might need one day? You know, when our Prince Charming picks us up for the ball? In Never Land?

If you thought having lots of clothes and styles would bring you the most freedom, I politely beg to differ, and I offer you this suggestion instead.

What if you went down to a minimalist wardrobe? It sounds scary, but you won’t regret it. I can say without a doubt that it was one of the best decisions I’ve made.

Does your morning entail a treasure hunt?

Are you looking for that one white shirt you had in mind that is stuffed somewhere in the back corner?

What if, instead, you calmly grabbed a shirt and pants that fit and went on your way?

It took some time, but eventually I found a minimalist wardrobe that works for me, and it might be a little different for everybody. I’m not going to give you rules and ideas of what you need to have.

Besides, people with much more fashion sense have already figured that out. If we were sitting down having coffee right now, I’d tell you to check out these two fashion bloggers for inspiration — Un-Fancy and The Project 333.

Don’t let your clothes rule you. Whether this means going down to a minimalist wardrobe or just pairing back, make them work for you!