60 Day Closet Challenge

I have been on a de-cluttering and organizing spree around our house. It started with the pantry and kitchen. We moved into this house December of 2006 and I was embarrassed to have found items from 2005 in our pantry, clearly well past their expiration date.

I figured it was time to take on my closet.

Not just a passing purge of obvious unworns and outdated pieces.

A true overhaul. An honest separation of items that are worn and those that are just taking up space. A closer examination of the goods in my closet reveals multiple wardrobes: college remnants in case I lose the equivalent of a small person’s worth of weight, pre-baby work clothes that would also require massive weight loss, pregnancy clothes, post pregnancy clothes, ten lifetime’s worth of yoga pants, and current work wear.

It was time to realize that no matter how far I run, how much weight I lift, how many salads I eat…I will never wear a 7.5 shoe again. Everrrr. Do you lose weight in your feet?

It was also time to realize that I am continually buying things…and never wearing them. Despite the plethora of items in my closet, I am sure I likely wear about a third of them. At best.

SO, about two weeks ago I decided to challenge myself to a “60 Day Closet Challenge“: shop ONLY from my closet for 60 days. No outside clothing purchases. Accessory purchases only if need be. First order of business, donate and purge all items that are multiple sizes too small or haven’t been worn in the last few years. Embarrassingly, there were quite a few things that fell into this category.

The challenge is twofold for me. On one hand, I’ll see what I truly wear and hopefully reach for things I would normally overlook. I will then purge/donate/clear out the items not worn. It will also force me to finally breakdown and bust out of my yoga wearing, unflattering, schlepy mom clothes. Daily photos will be a waaaaaake up call.

CASE IN POINT:

I often purchase cute pieces because I tell myself THIS will be the year I step up my game, take pride in my appearance, yada yada yada…

But the reality is that I fall back into my comfort pieces. Pants I’ve had for years. They are mostly black, misshapen, miserably faded, but ridiculously comfortable. Hat. Comfy sneakers. How incredibly humbling to see this photo staring back at me, but it is the truth and daily reality:

I found myself re-entering the work world this year for the first time in five years after having stayed home with the boys. The last five years sparked what has now become a pretty bountiful collection of yoga gear, t-shirts, drawstring pants, and hats. I have enjoyed shopping for work clothes again and having a “reason” to really get dressed. More so, a reason that “forces” me to get dressed.

I hope to document my journey over the next 60 days honestly, often schlepy, but hopefully the outcome is wardrobe wisdom. Hopefully, I learn about the pieces I really use and those I may need. Hopefully, I learn to balance my work days with the days I stay at home with Jake so it’s not THIS- my work wear the over the last few days:

And then THIS, what I am currently wearing:

But rather a happy, stylish medium. I am not a fashionista, nor do I admit to being one. I am just a mama who wants to be smarter about her clothing purchases, USE what I’ve got, and attempt to wean myself from my yoga pant wearing obsession. Wish me luck…