Ever wonder why it feels so hard to organize your clothing closet?
Your closet holds some of the most fun and fascinating clutter in your house (I’m looking at you, 1970’s platform boots).
But closets are hard to organize because your closet isn’t about clothes. It’s about identity.
It’s how you see yourself. And how you present yourself to the world.
In many ways, we wear “costumes” every day. We dress for work. For motherhood. For dating. For grief. For ambition. For comfort. For artistic expression. For reinvention.
Inside your closet, there are layers of every version of you…
- Younger you.
- Career-shifting you.
- Postpartum you.
- Pre-pandemic you.
- Sweatpants-era you.
- “Finding myself again” you.
It’s beautiful. But it’s also why your clothing closet feels so hard to edit.
Because you’re not just deciding about jeans. You’re deciding who you are and where you’re going.
And if they don’t…what does that mean?
So, instead of asking you to purge half your wardrobe, I want you to consider another option…
What if your closet only held the pieces that are active in your life right now?
Not your past. Not your someday. Not your “what if.”
Just today.
That doesn’t mean you have to get rid of everything else. I will NEVER be the organizer who tells you to toss your old jeans because you haven’t worn them in six months. In fact, have a box of jeans that my post-pandemic body can’t currently fit into, but I refuse to get rid of them because I love them and have every intention of wearing them again.
Bodies change. Life changes. We all go through seasons. It’s ok to be in transition.
What you can do is separate out the versions of you that aren’t part of your daily life right now. Keep them, but move them out of your daily view.
When everything lives together in one space, your brain has to process all of it anytime you get dressed. It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed when we’re confronted with every version of ourselves, especially when we’re just trying to throw on an outfit to go run errands.
The less visual noise you have to face each day, the more you’ll actually wear what you love. And the easier it will be to get dressed.
So, here’s my invitation to you today…
Box up one category of clothing that doesn’t fit in with your current day-to-day life. This might be costumes, memorabilia, off-size, or off-season items…whatever feels like it doesn’t belong here right now. Then move that box to a storage area (even if it’s just a high shelf in your closet).
P.S If you want help editing your closet in a way that honors your past and supports who you are now, come join us inside the Chaos to Calm Community. We’re working on organizing our clothing closet this month and would love for you to join us!
Or, if you want deeper support, book a virtual 1:1 session with me, and we’ll curate your space in a way that actually fits your life.
