As I’ve been cleaning out my closet and embarking on the creation of my first ever capsule wardrobe the past few weeks, I’ve found myself falling into a number of what I call closet decluttering and purging traps.
What’s a Capsule Wardrobe?
Before I go too far, let me explain what a capsule wardrobe is if you are unfamiliar with the term. A capsule wardrobe is basically a collection of wardrobe pieces. It is generally drastically smaller than the average wardrobe, and may be seasonal. A lot of people consider capsule wardrobes to be boring because they often consist of mostly basic pieces that allow for versatility. However, a capsule can consist of whatever pieces you want in it as there aren’t really any hard and fast rules.
I recently finished creating my first capsule for the fall season, or September-November. I took most of my “rules” or guidelines for my capsule from Courtney Carver, creator of Project 333, and author of Soulful Simplicity, a book I’ve finished recently as I further my dabblings with minimalism. Project 333 consists of selecting 33 pieces for 3 months at at time. This includes outerwear, accessories, and shoes. Carver’s “fall” capsule runs October-December, but with the extreme cold we are often subjected to in Wisconsin, I’ve decided to end my fall capsule in November and then switch to a more layer-friendly, snuggly capsule for winter in December.
As I sort through sweaters and scarves and bundle up swimsuits and shorts for next summer, I’ve found myself falling into all sorts of traps. As part of my goal to live more simply, I’m trying to drastically reduce my wardrobe size (hence the capsules), but I still find myself resistant to giving up some items. Some things are extremely easy: pieces that I love, that fit well, and that I wear often are “keeps” and go directly into a storage tub (if they are off-season) or into my current capsule. Some items aren’t so easy to decide on. When I’m waffling on an item that I know I don’t wear but don’t feel compelled to give up, I’ve found it’s because I’ve fallen into one of the following traps. If you are working on your own capsule, I’d recommend trying to avoid them, or at the very least, recognizing when you may be falling into one.
The Traps:
First, there’s the “what-if” trap: What if I need those gold braided sandals that I didn’t wear once all summer because they are kind of too big and hurt my feet? What if I need that navy silk tank top that fits all wonky and which I actually kind of hate?
There’s the “old-me/imaginary-me” trap: These are items that used to fit my identity and lifestyle but which no longer do at this time. These are hard to get rid of because they are wrapped up in my ideas of myself and who I’ve been or who I thought I might become. Giving these things away is akin to giving away a tiny piece of my personality. Sound dramatic? Almost all the books and blogs I’ve read about minimalism so far say that minimalism isn’t easy because our possessions symbolize so many what-ifs and things that never came to be. Getting rid of the past isn’t as easy as packing up clothes for donations, unfortunately.
Items that fit into this trap include: approximately 35 patterned scarves, any clothing item with a fancy fabric that is hard to clean: brocade, silk, anything requiring dry cleaning or that I can’t throw in both the washer and dryer, a number of pairs of very fashionable heels that end up killing my feet and leaving me in pain for days after I wear them, which is no longer an option for me as running becomes more and more of a priority, and so many more items.
I need to accept that these pieces are no longer a good fit for me. The white jumpsuit that I HAD to HAVE at the end of this summer, even though there is truly no appropriate occasion for a white jumpsuit and I can’t wear anything remotely light colored for more than 10 minutes without dumping coffee down my front. Nope, not a good choice.
So as I reflect on my first capsule and start work on my second for December-February, I’ll again try to avoid these traps. It should be easier now that I’ve made it through one round of closet decluttering, but I know I still have a ways to go.
Any tips?
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