Every year I do a closet purge. A committed deep dive through every single piece of clothing and donate the items I no longer want. Last year my purge yielded four full thirty-gallon trash bags of clothes and twenty pairs of shoes. In the past, I’ve looked forward to purging my closet as a way to help organizations like Goodwill or Dress for Success. However, this time all I saw was fashion gluttony. I started questioning my shopping habits and wondered how I can scale back. Do I need 6 black blazers, 100 pairs of shoes, 85 belts? Absolutely not! I probably could sell most of this stuff, make a few dollars, but I don’t really want to take on that task. Instead, I’ll use this as a learning opportunity and help a couple non-profits.
I’m done wearing uncomfortable shoes
I love shoes! No exaggeration I have over 100 pairs. However, when I started my new job in June of 2017 I learned very quickly that wearing high heel shoes and being on my feet all day was “no bueno”. Not being able to wear my beautiful four-inch heels to the office anymore stung at first. Nothing finishes off an outfit like a fantastic shoe. However, I realized that I was killing my feet and it wasn’t worth it. I now save my high heels for date night and events. Even then I am not wearing anything that I can’t comfortably wear for more than a few hours. Beauty does not have to be painful. Y’all remember these Ankra Just Fab shoes? They ended up being one the prettiest and most uncomfortable shoes I own.
Closet Purge Lesson Learned: It’s absolutely possible to be stylish and comfortable. Don’t waste money on shoes that are ridiculously uncomfortable. Get rid of shoes that no longer fit my lifestyle.
I like trends in moderation
I would describe my personal style as classic with a slight trendy mix. My closet is full of pencil skirts, a-line dress, fitted blazers, and midi-skirts. My indulgence in trends and fast fashion lead to some great purchases, like this hoodie dress that I LOVE! Not every purchase ends up being a score and most of my trendy buys end up in my purge at the end of the year. Investing my money in items that are classic and high quality is a better move. I’ve fallen victim to super cute cheap clothes from overseas clothing companies. Y’all know which ones I’m talking about, they are notorious for stealing fashion bloggers content and passing it off as their own. The clothes aren’t made from the best materials and they fall apart or shrink after one wash. Remember the bomber jacket trend? Yea…mines is still in my closet with the tags on it, smh.
Closet Purge Lesson Learned: Continue to purchase trendy clothing in moderation.
I have shopping FOMO
I let my shopping habits get out of hand, which is wasteful. That money I overspent on clothes could have been in my bank account. My weakness is sales and perceived good deals. I convince myself I have to buy something because I’ll miss out. Nothing haunts you like the things you didn’t buy. I am also guilty of buying clothes “just in case”. I purchase items with the notion they “may” get worn. Rushing to make purchases because items sell out quickly and won’t be around when the occasions arrive that I will need them. I passed on this beautiful skirt and it drove me crazy! I eventually found it on eBay paying slightly more than the retail price, smh.
Closet Purge Lesson Learned: Be a disciplined shopper. Remix the clothing I own more and don’t fall victim to fast fashion purchases.
I don’t need to buy everything I see my favorite bloggers wear
Ok, this probably sounds hypocritical because I am a blogger. However, like you guys, I read blogs and follow influencers. On several occasions, I’ve made purchases based on another bloggers influence. Case in point, I purchased this beautiful pleated maxi skirt after seeing Cortnie Elizabeth of Style Lust Pages wear it. Yep, I am an influencer that is influenced by other bloggers and gets excited when I see my faves wear a dope item. I slowed down a lot on my influencer prompted purchases but there is still room for improvement.
Closet Purge Lesson Learned: Show love to my fellow influencers for their great style and content. Do not whip out my debit card every time a blogger wow’s me with a dope outfit.
When is the last time you do a closet purge?
p.s. I linked each picture to the orginal blog post ?
28 Comments
What a great way to start your new year! I, also, have began the new year with a closet purge. I love the insight you gave on getting rid of things you no longer wear like heels! Ugh! They hurt my feet and, if I’m honest, they no longer fit in with my personal style aesthetic. So thanks! I’ll be getting rid of some of my shoes too. Pretty to look at, but I hardly EVER wear them…smh.
It was really hard to get rid of my shoes! However, they weren’t being worn anymore and hopefully they will make someone else happy.
Thank you for this awesome post. I too fall victim to every ‘baad’ top, dress, shoe I see on a blog or that is on sale. Starting my clean-out today.
Awesome! I am really trying to do better. I don’t need so much stuff. I ‘d rather spend money on traveling or good food, lol.
Great post Shea! I have the same addiction to heels. I buy them because they are pretty but hardly wear them now. I rather money be in my account than hanging in my closet with the tags on it
Exactly! I love a beautiful shoe but I don’t need to buy every beautiful shoe I come across.
I think we have all had a look in our closet at the start of the year and come to the conclusion what the heck………………. I have decided this year to be wiser with my coins in all aspects.
I was ashamed and how much stuff I had accumulated. I definitely need to do better.
I love you Shay! You are such a great inspiration to ALL women. Your blogs are so relaxing to read. You encourage/uplift all women from all walks of life.
Thank you for the good work and keep the blogs coming…I love them!
Thank you! I try to keep my blog authentic. I have the same struggles as you guys.
That shoe thing tho–Whew! I love a pretty heel but as an elementary teacher, I’ve realized it makes absolutely zero sense to strut around in a pair of 4 inch heels just for the look. A couple of years ago I finally took my mom’s advice and stopped buying shoes that were cute and cheap & started invested in quality shoes that are comfortable and actually meant to be walked in. My feet, back and pocket book thank me. I agree with you–sometimes we just have to chalk it all up to experience and learn from our mistakes.
I can’t even imagine wearing four-inch heels all day as a teacher. My friend Kerrisa is a teacher and she’s always in heels. Thumbs up to mom for that great advice.
Great Post! I adopted a new closet rule last year – One new in, one old out (except Shooze) and so far it has worked. Since retirement I really do not get a chance to wear all my stuff & my shooze are subject to dry rot in the boxes under my bed. So this year I am giving them to family.
That’s a great system!
I need to go through my closet to be honest! I have so many tote bags and purses that I need to get rid of them. Same thing with shoes. I’m holding on to shoes that aren’t healthy for my feet and even those I haven’t worn in years.
I was doing the same thing. Not to mention all the stuff we collect from events and receive from brands.
Great post dear…. I began my closet purge a few years ago and one day I just decided that i was over doing purges all together. Trust me it wasn’t easy and wasn’t as cheap as I thought. I began to invest I.bought Good quality pieces and have adapted to a more minimalist style. I’m so happy I made the change. Congrats to u as well 😉
Thank you, Melissa!
Wow – this is totally me right now. Your lessons are almost identical to my own goals for this year. I’d had this niggling feeling that I wanted to make some changes. Then I got to a point where I decided that I wasn’t spending my time and money in a way that was truly best for me. And guess what? I also have a cupboard of gorgeous shoes that I never wear because I changed jobs (in JUNE!) and now the heels just kill me! This post resonated so much that I double-check that I was reading your blog and not something I’d written myself!
I just gave away three bags of clothes to charity, which is something I do quite frequently, but this time I’ve made a conscious decision not to replace anything I donated. A bit like Project333, but much more relaxed, i.e. cowardly. Not quite ready to part with my ridiculous heels, even though I’ve only worn them twice 🙂
Parting with the shoes is the hardest part ?. It was easy to get rid of the clothes I wasn’t wearing. Thanks for the tip about Project 333, I am going to check it out.
All very good points. I haven’t dived into that task yet but i already see the need!
I am hoping I won’t even need to purge next year. it’s hard not buying ALL the cute stuff I see online, lol.
Try being a shopaholic with fluctuating weight. Yep, my closet is jammed packed with super cute clothing in 4 different sizes…”what if I lose 10 lbs, what if I gain it all back??” ??♀️
I’ve been through that. That actually motivated me to keep the weight off. I didn’t want to give up my good clothes.
Love this post and I am with you on all of these points, especially about shopping for your lifestyle! I do a purge twice a year and am making strides in purchasing (and sewing) what fits my lifestyle and personal style.
I was gifted a sewing machine a couple years ago. I can’t even imagine how my closet would look if I actually dedicated the time to sewing! I know I’d be obsessed, lol.
I just read a really eye-opening article about how there is so much “donated” clothing out there that countries that used to take it and repurpose it don’t even want them anymore. It just points out how rapidly Americans buy clothes, how cheaply made they are, and how much if it is out there as castoffs.
I happen to sew and I joined a challenge this year where we are to hand make any new clothing item (underwear included!) rather than buy it. Looking at my clothing wishe through the lens of “If the only way to get this new item is to make it myself, then do I really need/want it” is really life-changing. Not everyone’s a seamstress, of course, but we all really need to learn to ask more questions before we buy!
Article is here: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/these-african-countries-dont-want-your-used-clothing-anymore_us_57cf19bce4b06a74c9f10dd6
Thank you for sharing the article!