Streamlining Your Wardrobe - Part 1

I have gotten serious about confronting my weight and for the last few months I have been working hard on shedding some pounds.  A lot of the credit goes to my daughter, Kayte, for convincing me to do Weight Watchers online, and gifting me with a Fitbit. I have now lost 22 pounds and counting, and none of my clothes fit!  My pants (and that is mainly what I wear) literally fall down. Kayte is on the same journey and to date she has lost 47 pounds, so her clothes crisis is even more extreme. To compound her problem, she also just started a new job with a completely different dress code.

She and I have agreed that we are going to get rid of all the clothes that are too big, and literally start from scratch.  The challenge is coming up with the money to buy new clothes, and since neither one of us is sure that we are at the end of our weight-loss journey yet, being reluctant to invest much in things that actually fit.  We have both been purging our closets, and have discovered how freeing it is to only have a few choices of what to wear.

I have been following several blogs that talk about minimalism and capsule wardrobes, and am experimenting with doing a seasonal capsule wardrobe, where I select about a week's worth of clothing according to each of four seasons, label 3 plastic totes and pack away the selection for each season except for the current one.  I already know that by the time I get to the upcoming seasons, I will probably have to replace everything in the tote, but I intend to look at that as a good thing!

Believe me, it is hard!  I have spent years with a variety of sizes squirreled away, both too large and too small, some of which I haven't worn for years. It took me two years after I retired to make the decision to get rid of most of my work wardrobe and the thought that someone else would be glad to have the opportunity to wear the items was what spurred me on.

Most of what I have been wearing lately is large t-shirts and sweat pants (I could cinch them up so they didn't fall down), and Kayte took me to task, challenging me to get rid of them.  She and my other daughter, Maggie, took me shopping and encouraged me to buy a couple of pairs of jeans that actually fit (2 sizes smaller than what I had been wearing), hooked me up with Old Navy, and passed down some fitted tops that were far more flattering.  I took the plunge and can't believe how much better I feel about myself!

It is hard to know where to start, but here are some links that may help.  The most important thing to keep in mind is that it has to work for you - everyone has different needs and priorities. Take the time to really give some thought to what yours are.

What is a Capsule Wardrobe?
How I Purged Half My Wardrobe
Create a Decision Free Closet
Rule of Ten
7 Tips for Creating a Capsule Wardrobe