Things I Learn EVERY Time I Purge My Closet

Photo: Nasilele Photography

After I graduated and got my degree in Marketing, I got a Certificate in Image Consulting from the Fashion Institute of Technology. I learned the science behind the best clothing for varying body shapes and which colors work best on varying skin tones. I started a small Image Consulting business and worked with clients to empower them and their closets. I did a lot of closet purging with those clients—helping them to build wardrobes they’d love over and over and over again. While doing that I was in my 20s and a clothes-aholic—I’d shop regularly and get some amazing pieces I liked at the time. I would sometimes practice what I preached and did pretty regular closet purges but for the most part I was outchea hustlin’ backwards. I mean, after all, it IS easier sometimes to teach than to do.

But every year I’d get wiser and wiser with each year passing I’d get better and better about spending on clothes. I’d slip up every now and then, but every time I’d go through a closet purge (which were happening less frequently than before), I’d learn some HARD and HEAVY lessons about myself. And nothing gets you to learnin’ more than putting TONS of clothes into contractor bags to send out for the Salvation Army.

Yeah, I could consign or sell them online but I just need the stuff gone the fastest way possible. I also learn my lesson faster and more effectively this way.

Anyway, here’s some things I learn every single time I purge my closet:

(Not my actual closet…lol. This is from a shoot I did for creating a work wardrobe on a budget)

1. Every piece is indicative of money that could be in my savings account

Every single piece of clothing and every single shoe is indicative of money that could be in my savings account. YOOOOOO. I scratch and survive much like the fictional family in TV’s “Good Times,” but I could be SO much better off if I didn’t “NEED” 50 million pairs of cut-off shorts or 20 billion sundresses. All of that represents money that could be chilling in my savings account with surpluses going into investments. I’d have less bills if I had less things and more of my money would go to me. Or the house I want to buy eventually.

See this is why I try to tell as many 20-somethings as possible to save your money. I was spending money fast in college because I wanted to look cute and have “things,” but that trapped me into working in a field that really didn’t fulfill me just so I could afford my bills. Mind you I worked in the financial services field telling other people where to invest their money…lol. I’m MUCH smarter about spending and money now, but man, when I imagine how much MORE I would have and how much stress I could have saved myself if I just kept my spending hand quiet.

P.S. I filmed a fun video on things I want 20-somethings to know so stay tuned for that on my Youtube channel!

2. Quality not Quantity.

This year I’ve chilled out even more on spending on clothes and pretty much wear the same things all the time (which is my ultimate goal—I only want to own things I wear a gazillion times with the exception of dresses I need for events and other appearances). I just this weekend purged a bunch of clothes whilst I had an H&M online cart with three items in it. After purging I felt SIIIICK and closed out that hm.com page with the quickness.

Now, I’m not saying buying new clothes is bad. I’m saying that the items in that shopping cart were added on impulse and if I bought them they’d wind up being tossed in a contractor bag next year. SMH.

This season the off-the-shoulder and cold-shoulder trend is pretty big. The fashion fan in me wants EVERYTHING but then reality hits and I realize that I can treat myself to ONE off-the-shoulder top (I recently got one on sale at Burlington that I’ll post soon via an outfit pic) and keep my spending hand quiet on trying to buy anymore.

And since I pretty much wear the same stuff all the time, I don’t need a lot of things.

3. Honing in on My Personal Style.

Yes, you’re encouraged to try new things when it comes to your wardrobe and don’t let anything limit you from trying new things. Unless you’re a pretty particular Virgo like me. My Image Consulting background has taught me the best silhouettes for my body type and the best colors for my coloring so that helps a lot with narrowing fashion choices down. Even with as much as I would shop, there was SO MUCH that I knew wasn’t for me that I bypassed no matter how cute it looked on the model. But I’d still slip up and buy something for whatever reason and either winding up having to return it or donate it. I have to remind myself often what my personal style is: I like menswear-inspired styles (one of my fave summer pieces is a pair of camo cargo shorts I got from Old Navy in the men’s section like five years ago) but I also like flirty pieces (trumpet skirts, fit-and-flare dresses, pencil skirts, form-fitting tops, etc.) for when I need to be more dressed up. If I come across something that doesn’t fit that bill, I now veto my strong thirst for wanting to buy it.

4. I Can Love Fashion and Not Need to Own It.

See, this is where my profession can get in my way…lol. I create Wear to Work outfit inspiration posts every week to inspire you guys with your own work wardrobes. But do you know many times I start awakening my inner thirst and want to buy some of the stuff I post? LOL. I don’t even have to be “dressed” for work yet I’m contemplating buying wide-leg trousers. SMH.

It’s also very fun for me to watch runway shows and to have style bloggers in my social media feeds because I can’t NOT look at a well put together outfit. I think I’d turn to stone if I didn’t. What I need to have more balance with is appreciating the fashion without needing to actually own it myself. I know not every trend is for me—I was able to fight the off-the-shoulder trend for the longest because I fake-reasoned to myself that I’d need to wear a strapless bra to rock it and I HATE strapless bras on me (I don’t even feel like looking for one that will fit me comfortably because that means trying on ones that probably aren’t and I’m over it. I no longer consider any piece of clothing that requires a bra that I don’t already own) BUT then I found some off-the-shoulder items that don’t require new undergarments. *SIGH*

Every day is a challenge to not immediately go buy something I like that I saw on another blogger or in a magazine, but I take it one photo post at a time…lol.

With the Generation of Style and Baby Shopaholic back in 2014

5. Occupational Hazards.

LAWD. So here’s the thing about fashion blogging: people are very visual and learn by seeing so in today’s world of blogging and social media, if you blog about fashion, chances are you might also be showing off your personal style. And just like I tell people who want to become beauty bloggers who say they don’t have the money to buy new products: work with what you got! How can you be a beauty blogger if you don’t already own beauty? Talk about the stuff you have and typically buy—when you get consistent THEN reach out to your favorite brands (if they haven’t already reached out to you) to get on their list about new launches. So the same rules sorta apply with fashion blogging except typically people want to buy the exact item you have on which means being on the pulse (and on the buying end) of what’s new in fashion. I can’t live that life alluh time…lol.

And then there’s the whole having cute pictures of yourself thing. I’m not going to lie—that can be pretty addicting…lol. Not sure if addicting is the right word because it does amazing things for your self-esteem and who doesn’t want that? But seriously, right now as I type I’m thinking about how I haven’t taken outfit pictures in a while and I want to break into my inner Naomi and setup a shoot…lol. So funny—I went from HATING to have my picture taken to setting up regular shoots.

I’m also loving creating videos (now that I know how…lol) where I can share some fashion lessons (and get to work with some awesome brands) but that requires me to have or acquire clothing either through pulls or gifting. These are the breaks when you love producing fashion content that you hope inspires others but you don’t have funding like the commercial sites…lol.

Welp, that’s that for now. I shared this because style is a work in progress and for those of you still on your way, don’t feel bad. It can take some misses to really learn—shoot, I even studied this and I learn new things about my own style quite often. I could be salty with myself for all the unnecessary things I’ve bought, but I learned—boy, did I learn…lol.

Do you purge your closet? Tell me all about it in the comments!