Splurging and purging
Spring just recently made its exit, but I failed to take part of the cleaning that is supposed to take place during this particular season. Though, any time is a good one to take a moment and examine what you have, and what you can get rid of. The habit of hoarding is a bad one to keep, as it only leads to a chaotic closet that hides things and makes you forget what you own. I like to periodically go through my things and evaluate if I should keep, pass along, or even try to sale.
A. A general rule I like to maintain while I'm shopping is taking into account what I already own. I try to actually visualize what I already have, and then determine if I have anything similar to it. It's easy to fall into the typical "nothing to wear" syndrome when you constantly gravitate towards clothing that are similar to things you already own. This happens to all of us though, as it's just a common practice and something we're not conscious of at the time. But try and exercise this visualization technique if possible, to help eliminate accumulating pieces that are ultimately the same.
B. There are moments when I think about a particular piece of clothing that I love, but haven't visited in a long while. I will go through my mental catalog to see if I can remember where it could be, and when I can't seem to find that elusive file, I know this is a bad sign. It's important to have a general idea and system so you can remember where your things are. When I can't seem to recall, this is when I have to physically go in and look through my drawers and closets to take inventory. This is really helpful in remembering what you have, discovering long lost treasures, and reminding that your wardrobe is in fact fuller than you imagined.
C. Once inventory has been made, it's usually a good idea to flush out some of those overfilled drawers. There are certain no-brainer things that we keep because we wear them often and are staple pieces, but then there are those pieces which ride a fine line between "Maybe I'll wear this one day" and "I'm probably never going to wear this ever." When it comes to these items, it's probably in your best interest to make amends and then part ways with them. Once you've pulled out these questionable items and set them aside, you can move on to D.
D. I'm often plagued by purchases that were maybe impractical, but are just too pretty or awesome (or worst yet, expensive) to throw out for Monday's garbage pick up. But I'm 90% sure that I'm not going to wear these things anymore. What are my options? I usually first offer up my goods to friends and family who can benefit and get use out of things that I haven't. It's always nice knowing that someone I love can be helped. However, there are certain items in which, I know are worth reselling. This is where stores like Wasteland, Buffalo Exchange, and Crossroads come in handy. You can pop into any one of these shops and have your items evaluated by a buyer, who will then decide if the store will buy to resell. In truth, this is not always the best way to maximize profit, because they will give you 30 percent of the resell price. So in effect, if they decide to buy my J Brand jeans and price them at $40 to resell, I'll be gaining $12. Yeah, kind of a bust. But sometimes this is just the best way to get quick cash with little hassle. Ultimately though, if you have the time and patience, eBay is one of the best resources to resell your designer goods. There's also Etsy, but it is only reserved for vintage items (I think). The rules are a little more specific than those of eBay's.
So, purging isn't just liberating for you and your closet space, it can be cost effective too. Getting a little return is a good way to rid of things that don't get worn and in turn helps to fund replenishing and renewing your wardrobe. And even if you don't profit and can pass it off to a friend, it's always good to know that someone else can benefit and give new life and meaning to something that has long been hanging lifeless in a closet.
A. A general rule I like to maintain while I'm shopping is taking into account what I already own. I try to actually visualize what I already have, and then determine if I have anything similar to it. It's easy to fall into the typical "nothing to wear" syndrome when you constantly gravitate towards clothing that are similar to things you already own. This happens to all of us though, as it's just a common practice and something we're not conscious of at the time. But try and exercise this visualization technique if possible, to help eliminate accumulating pieces that are ultimately the same.
B. There are moments when I think about a particular piece of clothing that I love, but haven't visited in a long while. I will go through my mental catalog to see if I can remember where it could be, and when I can't seem to find that elusive file, I know this is a bad sign. It's important to have a general idea and system so you can remember where your things are. When I can't seem to recall, this is when I have to physically go in and look through my drawers and closets to take inventory. This is really helpful in remembering what you have, discovering long lost treasures, and reminding that your wardrobe is in fact fuller than you imagined.
C. Once inventory has been made, it's usually a good idea to flush out some of those overfilled drawers. There are certain no-brainer things that we keep because we wear them often and are staple pieces, but then there are those pieces which ride a fine line between "Maybe I'll wear this one day" and "I'm probably never going to wear this ever." When it comes to these items, it's probably in your best interest to make amends and then part ways with them. Once you've pulled out these questionable items and set them aside, you can move on to D.
D. I'm often plagued by purchases that were maybe impractical, but are just too pretty or awesome (or worst yet, expensive) to throw out for Monday's garbage pick up. But I'm 90% sure that I'm not going to wear these things anymore. What are my options? I usually first offer up my goods to friends and family who can benefit and get use out of things that I haven't. It's always nice knowing that someone I love can be helped. However, there are certain items in which, I know are worth reselling. This is where stores like Wasteland, Buffalo Exchange, and Crossroads come in handy. You can pop into any one of these shops and have your items evaluated by a buyer, who will then decide if the store will buy to resell. In truth, this is not always the best way to maximize profit, because they will give you 30 percent of the resell price. So in effect, if they decide to buy my J Brand jeans and price them at $40 to resell, I'll be gaining $12. Yeah, kind of a bust. But sometimes this is just the best way to get quick cash with little hassle. Ultimately though, if you have the time and patience, eBay is one of the best resources to resell your designer goods. There's also Etsy, but it is only reserved for vintage items (I think). The rules are a little more specific than those of eBay's.
So, purging isn't just liberating for you and your closet space, it can be cost effective too. Getting a little return is a good way to rid of things that don't get worn and in turn helps to fund replenishing and renewing your wardrobe. And even if you don't profit and can pass it off to a friend, it's always good to know that someone else can benefit and give new life and meaning to something that has long been hanging lifeless in a closet.
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