By SHAY GREENWOOD
Does your closet (or closets) have so many items that it’s hard to see what you have? Have you ever felt like you’re spending too much time deciding what to wear?
It may be time to purge items you aren’t wearing from your closet.
Cue the Thanksgiving season: As we focus on what we are thankful for, we can apply it to our closets too. Let’s encourage each other to be grateful for the clothes we love wearing and then bless others by donating the items we are no longer wearing.
We think we need it all, when in reality, we can get by on much less.
I have to challenge myself too: How can I be more thankful for what I have? How can I share the abundant blessings that I have with others?
I love assessing my closet and assessing the time it takes me to decide what to wear. Most often I will ask myself: How can I purge the many items that are in my closet that hinder me from making quicker decisions about what to wear, and gift them to others? Do I really need everything that is in my closet right now?
Now that we have cooler weather, this is a great time to purge items we didn’t wear from the previous season and donate and/or sell them. We can give the clothes and/or the money to charity.
Here are a few tips to help decide what to donate:
• Anything you haven’t worn in a year. If you didn’t wear it in the last season, you probably won’t wear it in the next season.
• Any item you have multiples of. We may have 10 pairs of black slacks, but we truly only wear that one pair that fits us best. Keep that one and donate the rest.
• Any item that doesn’t make you look and feel your best. Try it on, and if you don’t love it on you anymore, then donate it.
• Clothes that aren’t your style any longer. As time and seasons change, our style can change, and it’s good to donate items that don’t go along with your new style.
• Items that are no longer your size. It’s so hard to do, but so much better to give these items away and then reward yourself if you get back to that size.
If you don’t have a place to donate, here are some ideas:
• Resell boutiques. You can bring like new, in-season items to resell stores. You can donate the money you make to your favorite charity, or if the items don’t sell, the store can donate the items for you.
• Charity organizations. There are local churches or organizations in your area that have resource centers to donate your clothes.
• Is there someone you know who needs clothes? Ask your friends and family if they know anyone in need.
Ultimately, our closets full of clothes can cause us worry and anxiety over what to wear and also stress us as we decide what to give away.
God gives us direction even in this in Matthew 6:25, ESV: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”
The more we purge items from our closets that are hindering us, the more we will enjoy this season! What will you give away this week?
Shay is a style coach with a mission to help women look and feel their best! Follow her on Facebook and Instagram @shaygreenwood.
