Last year I did something really quite indulgent but worth every penny. I hired a “wardrobe consultant/stylist” to come in and help me de-clutter and organize my very messy and chaotic closet.
Her job: 1) toss what is heinous, dated and does not fit 2) make a list of what was missing and 3) not make fun of me for being a hoarder.
When she left, I kid you not, there was basically a lonely hanging t-shirt swinging in the breeze and I was sitting between two ginormous heaps of clothing to give away.
It was emotionally draining, sad and scary….but mostly FREEING!!! The clutter was gone!
It really did feel great — not just from an organizational standpoint but emotional one as well. Even better, I was able to donate all of my old work suits, never worn items, things with the tags still on to a girl’s garage sale in my neighborhood and raise money for charity. Like they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Someone out there was going to be delighted that I parted ways with my light-wash boot cut jeans and boxy, unflattering sweaters.
Another fun thing to do is to host a girl’s cocktail clothing swap. Everyone brings a bottle of wine and a giant bag of clothing and you trade the night away. Get a whole new wardrobe for free!
Simplifying your life, starting with your closet, is a good way to start the process. It’s the first thing we face when we start our day and I must say, there is nothing better then having fewer options to choose from than more. Having a lot of stuff can be emotionally taxing and you can wind up like these people. (I am totally obsessed with this show by the way.)
-Dina
Comments (13)
I think a good de-clutting is such a great idea and something we should all do at least one in our lives!! Love the cocktail clothing swap, might have to organise something like that soon!! Thanks
I’m not exactly sure that hiring a personal de-clutter stylist fits with the theme of ‘simple living’. I mean how many everyday folk can actually afford that? And then did you have to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe?
Love the idea, but the notion of paying somebody, is maybe defeats the whole idea of simple living and econimising.
Why not try to throw a coctail party with just one or two girlfriends (the ones who won’t judge you for being a horder!) that help you declutter (kind of sex in the city the movie style decluttering) and give the money you safe hiring somebody to charity (or put in your saving account)?
Love the coctail swapping party!!
Thanks for your comments girls! My apologies – my intention was not to suggest that you hire a wardrobe organizer to do this for you – it was to talk more about how to free yourself of all the “stuff” and how less is more.
OMG never seen the show (not airing in NL) but the one minute is carry enough… off to declutter my wardrobe I guess
I totally agree with you Dina. Less is definitely more!
And I’m trying to change the way I buy too… so that I buy quality over quantity and good staples which will last for a long time, rather than trendy pieces which won’t be ‘cool’ for very long.
Decluttering your wardrobe is a great idea. I guess where I have problems is that I keep thinking I’ll lose the baby weight so I can fit into some of my favourite pants, and maybe the shirts will fit once I stop breastfeeding. It makes it harder to throw things away. I feel like it would be throwing in the towel completely. Nevertheless I probably should because I pretty much live in my yoga pants these days…..
I have the same problem! I have clothes that span at least 3 sizes.
But I just moved this week, and I gave away to charity a lot of stuff that had not been worn for a few years.
On another note… it’s so much easier to throw away your “fat” clothes…it feels like a commitment device….
Sounds like a wonderful experience!
Some of my clients favorite time is when we are organizing and purging their closets. Not always easy to see your stuff \go\ but truthfully oh.so.worth it!
Glad you enjoyed the freeing feeling!
The only thing I can say is: I wish my closet looked like that…
Love the idea of a clothes swap party. I am sure the more cocktails get comsumed, the more clothes get swapped!
Dina, I am curious. How much did the consultant charge for how many hours? Any chance you can recommend her? I also live in NY and would love to de-clutter my closet!
Hi Shawn….
I am so sorry for the delay in getting back to you! Allison Berlin is the rock star that helped me. She owns a company called Style Made Simple (she has a website). I don’t have contact details on me.
It cost about $500 for four hours. Worth every penny. She went through my entire closet piece by piece and purged a lot.
Hope this helps…