Simplifying My Wardrobe

Can a woman have too many clothes?  I would like to say NO, but the reality is that it is possible. There was a time in my life when I own only four outfits and one pair of 2 inch heels.  I would rotate these for 6 months and then buy new ones because they were worn out.  I came out of that period of my life not knowing how to dress my own body.

For the next 3 years, all I wore were two piece suits - pants suits and skirt suits.  I did not know how to mix and match, so I wore them the way they were sold.  Soon, I was bored of my clothes.  I wanted something more, so I started looking through magazines and clipping pictures of outfits I was willing to try.  It was hard because I did not have the right pieces to mix and match.  Eventually, I built an OK wardrobe - mostly suits and button downs or shells.  However, this was the time of business casuals, so I was always over dressed for work.  Most of my peers were wearing jeans.

The problem was that I did not own a single pair of jeans.  Worst of all, I did not know what would go well with jeans - I am not a t-shirt and jeans kind of a girl.  So, I spent the next two years pouring over magazines and google images.  Slowly, I started to build a functional wardrobe.  Little by little, I began to buy bits and pieces that would work well together.  Before I know it, I have taken over ALL the closets in the house, and more.  At the last counting, I have over 100 jackets and blazers - approximately 80 of them are leather jackets of every color, size and styles.  

Finally, I have a wardrobe that I can easily mix and match. Putting together a stylish outfit is now effortless.  Getting dressed in the morning is a cinch because I can just grab and go.  The only problem I have now is that I have too much clothes.  It is hard to decide which outfits I want to take with me on my trips.  I guess this is not necessarily a bad problem.  However, I need to pare down my closet and get rid of pieces that no longer fits into my style.

Now begins the hard part - letting go of pieces that I love.  I have been thinking about this process and what I would need to do.  I have read many articles on cleaning out one's closet.  I know there are many rules out there, but I think that some of the rules that I will try to use in editing my closet will be the following:

1.  Does it fit me well?  Not just size and lengths but the cuts and styling as well.

2.  Does it depict the image I want to convey?  Elegant, simply, effortless, chic, edgy, etc.

3.  Will I ever wear it again?  If so, where?  

Here are some more helpful readings:

http://kissonthechic-.tumblr.com/post/15158841475/how-to-organize-your-closet