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
