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My closet shrank.
Moved to a bigger house, ended up with smaller closets. I could get some fancy clothes-containment system, spread out into my hub’s unused closet space, store under the bed. But, no. I’m editing.
The smaller my wardrobe gets, the more I like it.
It’s lean and lovely and somehow feels more abundant.
How does less feel like more? How does less feel more rich?
Less gets focused. Going small means I like every item in there. It means no duds. No ill-fitters. No waste. It means never a bad choice.
It also means practicing building the life I want. Gettin’ spiritual in my lil’ ole closet. I want simple. I want beautiful. I want what I need without a lot of excess to make the hinges hurt. And I can create that for myself with something as simple as shirts and shoes.
Finding metaphors in your microfibre? Air your laundry in the comments.
Gathering light,
About Laura Simms
Bravo, Laura! Over-stuffed closets are usually a sign of relentless shopping, chronically buying the wrong things and an inability to let go of the past. Freeing yourself of all that visual noise will instantly make you less stressed. My recommendation for editing your wardrobe, if you’re not ready to permanently part with the items you edit out, just pack it up into a box and store it somewhere in the house. You’ll probably forget you even had it.
And for me, it means owning (and buying) fewer but higher quality pieces that make me feel amazing. Why have a closet full of cheaply made tops and dresses that fall apart after a few washes, when you could commit to one absolutely gorgeous dress that fits you like magic and makes you feel invincible?
Excellent…was just thinking this Monday morning, as I searched for something to wear, jamming my hands in between clothes in my overstuffed closet, that I really need to weed out some items, pare it down…you read my mind! I am even more inspired, motivated to sort it out and not face a sea of textile mish-mash every day!
Oh, this is such perfect timing! I am currently purging my home as we prepare to put it on the market and move to a loft condo (with virtually no storage…) And it just occurred to me that I had chosen the word “LESS” as my word for 2012! I hadn’t made the connection to this unexpected move, but there you go – the Universe means business! An opportunity to carry LESS stuff and MORE meaning in my every day living – and in my closet… Great post!
Fabulous post! I strive for this every spring and fall cleaning, but have not yet achieved that simplicity. I’ll keep striving! Thanks for the inspiration.
I’ve been in the process of simplifying lately. I’m not done paring down, but already I can see a difference. The feeling of loving the things you own instead of wading through a bunch of excess stuff you only sort of like is so cool. For me, the higher the percentage of my stuff that’s made up of things I love, the happier I am and the more great things I feel like I own
I agree, and it doesn’t just work in closets I think. I am looking forward to a mental and physical editing of my entire home in the coming school holidays
very cool philosophy ! I moved to the country years ago and kept two fabulous red fine wool jackets that I wore to my job in the city – definitely not for this country town though – after holding onto them for all those years I finally decided to get them out of my closet last year to donate to charity and found big moth holes in both of them – so now they’re in my fabric stash to use as some pillow backs – I suppose now they’ll get some use again !
Oh! This is ME! I must do this!! Argh! I can’t even make my way to the back of my closet!
LOVE THIS. So true. And not a single extraneous word (just like your wardrobe)!