May 25, 2015 by Debbie Roes

On Wardrobe Turnover – How Old Are the Items in Your Closet?

I received a lot of great comments on my last two posts, my experience with using the “KonMari Method” in my closet and my follow-on closet inventory. A few of those comments have sparked topics for new posts, including today’s entry.

Meli asked me how many of the current items in my closet were there when I did my first closet inventory back in January 2013. Not only did I want to be able to respond to Meli’s question, I also was quite curious myself… So I took the time to make note of the years in which I purchased all of my current “out and about” clothing and shoes. My findings are included in this very numbers-laden post. I will first share my numbers by wardrobe category and then will round it all up into some grand totals.

Do you know how long your clothes have been in your closet?

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May 19, 2015 by Debbie Roes

May 2015 Post “KonMari Method” Closet Inventory

After downsizing both my clothes and accessories last week using the “KonMari Method,” I thought this would be a good time to do a closet inventory. The last time I did a closet inventory was about four months ago, on January 23^rd, after I had also undertaken a considerable wardrobe purge. In today’s post, I will share my new wardrobe and accessory numbers. But first, here’s what my closet looks like today:

This is what my closet looks like as of May 18, 2015.

As of my last closet inventory, I decided to start including my entire wardrobe in these updates (with the exception of undergarments and sleepwear). The reason for the change is that I wanted to place more emphasis on my at-home wardrobe. Those clothes count and I want to feel just as good in my at-home clothes as I do in what I wear when I’m out and about.

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May 15, 2015 by Debbie Roes

KonMari in the Closet – My May Closet Purging Session

After I bought so many new items in April, my closet started to feel a bit too full. So I elected to do something I didn’t think I would do… I decided to use the “KonMari Method” with my wardrobe. In today’s post, I will share what I did, what I got rid of and why, and how I felt during the process.

If you want to downsize your closet, give the KonMari Method a try!

Most of you are probably aware of the “KonMari Method” by now. Even if you haven’t read my two posts on that topic (see here and here), you’ve probably seen other blog posts or magazine articles on the topic. Marie Kondo’s book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” has been on the New York Times bestseller list for months and you’d almost have to be living under a rock not to have heard of it by now.

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May 13, 2015 by Debbie Roes

April “Love It, Wear It” Challenge Update

Before I delve into my April update on the “Love It, Wear It” Wardrobe Challenge (LIWI), I would like to say a few things in reference to my last post. I actually considered dedicating an entire post to this topic, but I decided to just write about it it here instead. Judging from some of the comments I received, it seems that perhaps I wasn’t clear in the way I wrote about my April overshopping, so I’d like to clarify the situation now.

Explaining Isn’t the Same as Excusing

While I wrote about the reasons why I ended up shopping too much last month, it was not my intention to excuse it in any way. I take full responsibility for buying too many items and spending too much time, energy, and money on clothes during April. I acknowledge that my behavior was not in line with my goals for having a smaller, more cohesive, and more functional wardrobe, as well as my desire to trade my full closet for a full life. I know that using shopping to try to deal with my emotional issues is a dead end and will never make me happy or lead to long-term fulfillment. I have definitely learned that much in the almost two and a half years of writing this blog.

Setbacks are normal as we work to overcome compulsive shopping.

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May 5, 2015 by Debbie Roes

What Are Your Wardrobe Do’s and Don’ts?

This is the first post of the month, which is usually when I do my accountability update for the previous month (see previous months’ reports here). However, those posts take me a while to put together and I’m still working on it, so I’m going to do a short post today that I’ve been meaning to do for a while. Stay tuned for my April accountability update later this week and my LIWI Challenge update early next week.

When we are working to overhaul or refine our personal style, it can be helpful to take some time to consider and write about what we like and what we don’t like. As you know, I’ve been honing my style for quite some time now. My work with Bridgette Raes (see the series beginning with this post), as well as my outfit journal (see the two most recent posts here and here), have been integral parts of that journey. I’ve become more and more aware of how I want to present myself to the world and what does and doesn’t feel right to me.