I don’t know about you, but this month’s 30 in 30 Closet Minimalism Game has been an eye-opener. NO, it’s no surprise that I have a large wardrobe – if you’ve been following along on my thrifting adventures, you already know I don’t spend a lot compared to regular retail, but I get a lot and more importantly I have A LOT of fun thrifting and trying out “new” pieces. The surprising part was just how much of my wardrobe isn’t as awesome as I thought it was. I have many GREAT pieces, but I figured most of my wardrobe was great and it turns out it’s not. Or, it wasn’t. This month, I purged 5 bags worth of clothes with the goal of leaving behind only the GREAT pieces that I love wearing over and over!
I do think of my wardrobe as a collection, meaning that I have no intention of wearing it all regularly just as someone who collects teapots can’t use them all, all the time. I enjoy seeing my collection each morning when I get dressed and putting together outfits with a mix of old and “new.” The last #purgeprompt for the Closet Minimalism Game was aimed at making sure our “collections” have curated GREAT pieces!
I challenge you to go through your closet and pull out ALL the pieces you would consider to be just “good.” Make 2 piles: 1. The good pieces that you are comfortable letting go. 2. The good pieces that could be GREAT. Now, take a photo or make a note of the pieces in number 2. THAT is your new shopping list! That is what you look for when you go thrifting! You already know you’re going to wear them, but wouldn’t it be nice to have the perfect fit and version of that piece instead of something that’s just “good?” It might take time to find a GREAT replacement, but doesn’t it feel GREAT knowing what you’re looking for?!
Here are my “good” pieces…
Black pants! These are good, but they’re a little big and tend to bag out by the end of the day. I am ever looking for a GREAT pair!The grey sweater – this one isn’t quite as roomy as I would like. It’s only good, not great.Light wash denim. These cost me $2.80 and I have worn them hundreds of times so the cost per wear is less than a penny! They are starting to wear out though and I need to replace them soon!Khaki skinnies. These are a bit tight so I have to be careful what top I wear with them. I either need to lose weight or get a bigger pair. Which do you think is more likely to happen? Me too.My light wash chambray is starting to lose the button caps! I can live with it as is but I’m always on the look out for a GREAT chambray.I have worn this denim sheath countless times but the neckline comes up quite high, limiting the styling options. I would love to find the perfect denim sheath dress – I have hope!I paid $2.50 for this skirt and have gotten my money’s worth and then some! I would love a looser a-line lighter wash denim skirt that doesn’t make me look like a Duggar which would NOT be great.Continuing on my “good” denim, I have actually moved these to the donation bag. I DIY distressed them and loved them but the distressing is starting to look a little unintentional. I think I can find another pre-distressed pair or do it again myself with a pair of denim shorts.I also donated this hot pink tank. It should have gone with the Faded Glory Purge Prompt. I think I can find another great pink shell that looks better worn on its own.I’m always on the lookout for longer tops (not dresses I’m forced to wear as a tunic), especially in versatile black. This is a good basic top, but really only as an under layer because of the tight fit.Emerald green top, I adore your colour and details but oh how I wish you were just a bit longer!! You’re good but I know you have a GREAT cousin out there somewhere!Floral top, I love your easy breezy romantic vibe but the side is cut pretty high and I don’t like how that shows my undershirt. You’re good but there’s GREAT floral out there, I know it.This red cardi is a handmedown and doesn’t fit great though I love the colour. Enough said.I will wear this teal cardi till it falls apart if it comes to that. The piece IS great but the wear is not. I will need to replace it, and sooner rather than later.Another handmedown, this navy cardi has served me well but the fit is just “good.” I’m keeping my eye out for something FAB!And last but not least, a beloved Anthro-brand tee. I love the length, I love the colour but it’s showing some wear and the light fabric isn’t exactly forgiving. I believe I can find GREAT Anthro and that’s what I’m holding out for.
Surprised? I was! I thought I would have just a couple “good” items to pull from my closet. Turns out there is a lot of room for improvement in my wardrobe, so I can go forth and make better thrifting decisions – replacing the good with great or buying pieces to try knowing they might end up falling into the former category. At least with thrifting, I’m only out a small amount of money with these style life lessons! In any case, I hope this month you found, like I did, that editing your closet day by day, bit by bit, prompt by prompt was a whole lot gentler than the Konmari method or any other closet edit I’ve ever done. For me, the Closet Minimalism Game was a GREAT experience! I’m planning to bundle up all the Purge Prompts and make them available for anyone who might have fallen behind or want to go through them at their own pace or maybe even repeat them! Thank YOU to everyone who played along! I loved reading your posts and feeling the sense of international camaraderie as we all tackled our closet together! Have a wonderful December everyone, perhaps a bit lighter in spirit!
I wish I had that skill!! As it is, I rarely find time to even take my high end pieces for tailoring, so I usually just pass the ones that fit poorly along! I consider it spreading the love! Good suggestion though if you have the resources!
I do exactly the same thing – pieces that are “good enough” are “placeholders” and when I find something better to replace them I do a “thrift upgrade.” I never thought of it as a shopping list per se but that’s what it is!
I’d gladly take that grey sleeveless dress off your hands – I’d do long sleeve shirts underneath, or cardigans/blazers over, plus any medium or long necklace over that high neckline and/or all the scarves…. mmm!
PS the purge prompts were great – I loved following along even if I didn’t have something to donate in that particular category. I think bundling them is a good idea but even moreso I hope you do it again next year – with closet creep and wear and tear we will all surely have additional pieces to purge, and part of the fun is doing it as a community. Thanks for all the hard work that went into it!
Thanks for the positive comments about the purge prompts-it was fun!! I actually keep a Pinterest board for items on my thrift hunting list, and ❤️ The term “thrift upgrade”!! Love the styling ideas and have worn as suggested! It is pretty versatile! Not bad for $11 (which was relatively pricey!!)
I do think of my wardrobe as a collection, meaning that I have no intention of wearing it all regularly just as someone who collects teapots can’t use them all, all the time. I enjoy seeing my collection each morning when I get dressed and putting together outfits with a mix of old and “new.” The last #purgeprompt for the Closet Minimalism Game was aimed at making sure our “collections” have curated GREAT pieces!
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I could use some of the”good” to refashion sew extra fabric to scythe lengths, or add fabric to side seams to make not so tight. just saying
I wish I had that skill!! As it is, I rarely find time to even take my high end pieces for tailoring, so I usually just pass the ones that fit poorly along! I consider it spreading the love! Good suggestion though if you have the resources!
I do exactly the same thing – pieces that are “good enough” are “placeholders” and when I find something better to replace them I do a “thrift upgrade.” I never thought of it as a shopping list per se but that’s what it is!
I’d gladly take that grey sleeveless dress off your hands – I’d do long sleeve shirts underneath, or cardigans/blazers over, plus any medium or long necklace over that high neckline and/or all the scarves…. mmm!
PS the purge prompts were great – I loved following along even if I didn’t have something to donate in that particular category. I think bundling them is a good idea but even moreso I hope you do it again next year – with closet creep and wear and tear we will all surely have additional pieces to purge, and part of the fun is doing it as a community. Thanks for all the hard work that went into it!
Thanks for the positive comments about the purge prompts-it was fun!! I actually keep a Pinterest board for items on my thrift hunting list, and ❤️ The term “thrift upgrade”!! Love the styling ideas and have worn as suggested! It is pretty versatile! Not bad for $11 (which was relatively pricey!!)