Living in Europe means that I make a lot less trips to the mall or shopping areas than I did in the states. Partly because it just isn’t convenient, partly because I would rather shop in USD than EUR (to save money), and finally because we spend so much time traveling that I don’t really have time to shop! So when the big Nordstrom sales like the Half-Yearly sale and Anniversary sale come around, I am all over them to stock up on fresh new pieces! The last two years I have posted the items I was looking at for the sale and the ones I ended up snagging have become constant repeats in my daily looks.
In order to make room for these new pieces, I do a little “shopping” in my own closet first to decide which pieces I need to let go (and so that my husband can nag me less about how much clothing I have). I definitely struggle with getting rid of things because each piece has memories for me and when I go to release it, I always have that “what if” whispering in my ear. Still, it is important to really wear the things that speak to you and not let old pieces hold you back, so….
Here are my tricks for letting go of clothes (when you have a hard time letting them go).
1. Take your time
I can’t just go into my closet and start pulling things out because I end up getting overwhelmed and talking myself into keeping everything. I find it is better if I do it in small chunks or over time. I may take 1-2 things out of the closet in a week, and then the next week a few more. The next time you pass on a piece of clothing when picking an outfit, ask yourself if you passed on it because its not right for the occasion, or if its just not right for you anymore. Over time, you’ll find more and more empty hangers piling up.
2. Touch everything
That massive hit book “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up” wasn’t life changing for me, but one thing I did take away was the importance of touching things when you decide to keep them or donate them. I like this for a couple reasons – one, you can feel the quality or wear of the item and two, you can feel if you still get excited about it or are apathetic. There is something to thinking about if the clothes make you excited or not. That being said, I sometimes talk myself into keeping things even when I am indifferent about them which leads me to the next step:
3. Think about the last time you wore it
If the last time I wore something was because I knew I wasn’t going to see anyone I knew, that’s probably not a good piece to keep. If I wore it because I felt like I “should” wear it but didn’t feel that special in it, that’s a sign to get rid of it. I always have pieces in my closet that I remember loving when I bought them, and even now there may be nothing WRONG with them – they are still well made, well maintained, pretty colors or material etc but that doesn’t mean they belong. These are the pieces I struggle with getting rid of because I remember how I did feel about them and I can convince myself that they are still nice pieces and I COULD wear them someday. This is when I move to the next step:
4. Come back to it
This is linked to step #1 because normally when I come back to a piece I was on the fence about, I will talk myself into donating it. Taking my time lets me feel less stressed and then I am more likely to find more pieces to remove as a result. On the other hand, if you keep coming back to it over and over, you may end up wearing it instead and fall back into love with it. Or you wear it and it goes back to #3, and you realize you were wearing it just to wear it, and now it is time to release it.
5. Think about the piece you want instead
When you really are struggling with letting something go – even when you’ve realized you are indifferent about it and havent worn it for a while, try and think about the piece you just purchased (or want to purchase) and how it will replace the item. If you like the new item so much more, then the old one doesn’t stand a chance. If you DON’T like the new item so much more…you probably shouldn’t buy it anyways!
Now that we have gone through and made space, here are all the pieces I have my eyes on from the upcoming Nordstrom Sale – Early Access for Card Holders 12-19 July, and 20 July – 5 August for the rest of us!
I am LOVING some of the shoes on sale right now (luckily I just tossed out 8 pairs to make room for these beauties)
These tops and sweaters are perfect for fall and winter. The anniversary sale is the perfect time to stock up on cool weather gear!
If you’re looking for a new bag or luggage, here are some amazing deals coming up!
Finally, there are a ton of good deals on beauty sets that I am definitely going to be buying (as long as they don’t sell out!) Here are my top picks!
Which piece are your favorite?
Xx
Kali
