Minimalist Challenge: The Argyle Closet Monster

I have way too much clothes.

There, I admitted it. Isn't that the first step?

Frankly, I know that I dont have as much as some of my friends do, and I rarely shop compared to girls I know. My clothing overload comes from hoarding.

Call up TLC and A&E cause this girl has an issue of letting go for the sake of letting go.

Seriously, I look at a fairly worn work shirt and reflect on the 3 months of wear time it most likely got. It has memory, attachment, and symbolism to it. This particular shirt was bought before I started student teaching and placed in the category of: Teacher Clothes. It had a title- a purpose. And, for the most part, it fit that role ...

... Until it shrunk. Now I cant lift my arms without it exposing my belly. I haven't worn it since I finished student teaching (about a year and a half ago), and it has been moved around from three closets till it met it's final resting place.

Now, instead of being a trendy, versatile piece of highly sought after fashion, it has become a symbol of my biggest fear: letting go. Cue internal argument:

"It's teacher clothing, so maybe, whenever/if I get back to teaching, I could try it out again. Maybe if I lost weight it would fit better. Or, I could always wear an undershirt under it. OR I might need it one day. Seriously... the argyle sweater look is always in fashion!"

Kanye gets it!

Ugh.

I need help, so I of course turn to the Gods of the Closet, the ones every 22-30 year old girl looks up to:

Comfortable is a four letter word.

Yep, this is a WWC&SD situation (What Would Clinton and Stacey Do?).

According to their book, building a minimalist, standards-based closet requires these items:

Suits
Black pantsuit
Softer neutral suit with pants or skirt (gray, brown, khaki, or navy)

Dresses
Black dress
Solid color dress
Print or embellished dress

Tops 3 cotton button-front shirts
3 blouses
2 sparkly tops
6 sweaters (3 neutral, 3 color, and vary necklines: crew, V-neck, cardigan)
3 blazers (1 summer weight, 1 three-season weight, 1 winter weight)

Bottoms 3 pairs of neutral trousers
3 winter-weight skirts (1 should be a tweed)
3 summer-weight skirts (1 should be a tweed)
3 pairs of jeans (all hemmed to different lengths, for flats, heels, and sandals)

Outerwear Leather jacket
Denim jacket
Trench coat
¾ length wool coat

Accessory
Watch with two bands (leather and link)

Bags
Black bag
Brown bag
Color or print bag

Footwear
Black heels
Brown heels
Color or print embellished heels

Black boots
Brown boots

To be fair, I have about 80% of that and more. But heels and me dont go far. I also need to ask why so much tweed and sparkly tops? Whatever, I dont question WNTW style.

In order to stick to my minimalist reordering of my life, I've started to clear out my closet by using this list. Before I moved, I got rid of 3 garbage bags full of clothing alone, yet, I still have those argyle print stragglers.

Now that I am buying clothing that is more appropriate to my current work situation, I have decided to follow one simple rule: For each item of clothing I buy, I must give away one of equal value to a charity or drive. This rule does not include under garments.

So, when I finally got the nerve to try on a pair of skinny jeans from NY&Co, it was with the thought that I would finally be saying goodbye to that argyle monstrosity. And then, because it was a two for one pant deal at the store, I picked out a pair of work appropriate, flair jeans, so gone goes another similar fated sweater top I purchased in high school.

Maybe this anti-hoarding thing wont be so hard after all... if it means Stacey and Clinton shopping time.

What articles of clothing have you kept around past it's prime? Do you donate? What about the WNTW essentials list, do you see anything I shouldn't purchase?

Minimalist Challenge

Lately, I've felt pretty selfish. I evaluate my life and think that I have way too much stuff. It's hard to imagine life without most of this junk, but I think it is time to learn to let go.

It's actually a challenge I've been working on for awhile. When I planned out my latest move, I decided to get rid of over 3 bags of clothing and bedding to goodwill. I also gave away a box of books I haven't read in over a year, and threw away countless amounts of pictures of people I couldn't name. I proudly sold a clarinet and organized my sheet music down to the essentials. It felt great. Today, if I buy something, I must donate a previously owned item of equal value. It cuts my spending by making me reconsider the overall purpose of the item and I feel great donating something rarely used. But, I could do more.

Out of boredom and curiosity, I've been reading about the 100 Thing Challenge. Basically, the author of the blog and book cut down his possessed items down to a mere 100. He personalized the challenge to fit is lifestyle. For instance, underwear and socks were in one category instead of having to limit himself to a disgustingly small amount of skivvies. He also didn't count items that he didn't own or were shared in his household. Oh, and groceries and purposed goods didn't count either. Just clutter got the axe.

While I dont think I could get down to 100, and I certainly dont feel too much of a frivilous spender, I could limit what I own and donate the rest. Hence, the challenge of it all. What can I live with? And what can I look at and depreciate based on my current lifestyle. Hopefully, as I sort through it all, I can let go of my attachment with stuff. And my ownership could be more based on contentment rather than pride.

I'm going to start with a list of expendable essentials, or things I need to function daily but could part with if you paid me a gazillion dollars.

First things that come to my mind as absolutely essential are my laptop and cellphone. Like most 23 year olds, I live and die by those two gadgets. I freak out if my cell dies mid day (i.e. see Monday afternoon) and my computer brings me countless of internet memes to laugh and snark at. Plus, with the help of today's interwebz, I learned how many calories were in a krispy creame cheeseburger! I teared up from a news article on a fatal shooting. Oh, and I bought Chicago Fire tickets for the Ginger and me without having to pay for a convienance fee.

Conde and McBride say, "suck it Ticketmaster!"

More importantly, I couldn't write this post without a computer or the interwebz. And I certainly couldn't write so candidly if I relegated myself to a shared public library.

Plus, have you seen what people do on shared library computers...

As for my cell, well this is more sentimental. Yesterday, I had yet another "quiet day," meaning that I had no calls, few texts, and little interaction with my coworker (who works three feet away from me). My family calls maybe once, sometimes twice, a week and our conversations never last more than two minutes. Living alone makes this "silence" last a longer and sting a bit more.

It's needy, I know, but the internet, application, and cheap(ish) phone options make it almost a drug to be connected. Just as I cant cut my power cords and phone charger lines just yet.