40 Bags in 40 Days-Post Three

What a dreary Monday we are having here, but the sun and temps look great for the week. 

Up next for today’s 40 Bags is my closet.  

I don’t like a lot of clothes and shoes and find myself wearing the same things again and again.  As a stay at home mom, I seem to always have had a “uniform” depending on what the fashion is.  It went from leggings, to khakis, to yoga pants, back to leggings again!  With jeans mixed in and a few dress up things.  Cotton sweaters and tops.  Shorts and easy dresses in the summer. 

I am the same with jewelry.  Less is more for me.

I always say the more I simplify the more I use what I have.  SO true with clothes.  And I LOVE cleaning out closets. Call me if you need my help! 🙂

Tips at the end of the post…

I am a size 10.5 and so I have to order my shoes online almost always.  Therefore-less shoes, because that is a pain!  I also have another area for shoes at the front of the closet.

Suits and coverups.

Journals and yoga/sore muscle things.

Sweaters and winter tops here, workout and casual long sleeves also.  More shoes to the left.

Pants, skirts and coats.

Sewing box and two boxes for receipts and special notes and cards etc I want to keep.

Another drawer with special keepsakes.

In the very back left and corner I hang my summer clothes-shorts and tops.

Drawers I didn’t take pics of-

Workout shorts and leggings (I hang my shirts and sweatshirts.)

Extra hangers.

Gift wrap and extra gifts.  (I use my closet to store birthday and Christmas gifts!)

Scarfs, slips, socks.

TIPS:

Remember to have one bag for charity and one bag for trash.  Other options are a box for the resale shop or a friend.

When deciding to keep or give away ask yourself:

Do I wear this?  

Have I worn it this year?

Is this a “it will fit me one day” choice?  Don’t keep things that torture you with weight loss unless you are pregnant or just had a baby and know it’s a temporary situation.

Is it comfortable and flattering?

Do I feel good wearing it?

I promise you the more you can see all your choices because the closet isn’t shoved full, the more you will be able to put together outfits that make you feel good.

Make sure you have something for:

A funeral.

A wedding.

Church.

Because I am not a big clothes shopper, I can’t tell you how many times I panicked during my childbearing years because I could never find something to wear when events out of my stay-at-home routine popped up. Fluctuating weight doesn’t help with pregnancy and nursing babies.  I find an A-line and/or shift dress work great.  Dressy pants with elastic (JJill has nice ones that don’t look frumpy, in smaller sizes too.) 

When I find one of something I love, I buy a couple if they are classic pieces.  

Once cleaned out, decide what is holding you back from wearing some of the things you love.  

I realized I didn’t wear many of my longer cardigans with my leggings because I didn’t have a shirt to wear underneath them.  I did some research and chose this oneand this oneand now I have many more options.  

I love TJ Maxx, the Loft, DSW, Amazon and find some things at my thrift stores too that I discover when I’m out looking for furniture.  (I just bought a beautiful Zara pink coat that looks like it’s never been worn for $4!)

Happy Purging!

Love,

Sarah