4 Criteria for Keeping your Clothes

“I’ve got nothing to wear!” his wife whined while she starred down the full racks of clothes in her closet. “Where what you have on… or one of the many you just tried on that are laying on that chair.”

Is there a woman in this world who has not faced this dilemma?

We may have a closet full of great clothes, but if they don’t work together or fit well, then we still have “nothing to wear.” I suppose it’s not as big of a problem for men because their bodies (and their fashions!) don’t change as quickly as our’s do. Perhaps that’s why they just don’t get it.

They have a valid point, though, when they question us on why we hold onto things we cannot wear.

I have helped a lot of women de-clutter their closet. It’s what I do.

Once you know your personal image identity, you want to rid your closet of any style that doesn’t compliment your authentic beauty. If you are a Bold Beauty and you wear lace, for example, you will not only feel awkward and frustrated, others will hesitate to trust you because the gentle impression that lace gives competes with your strong personality. This is the very reason you may put on a beautiful outfit that you love on the hanger (and your husband thinks “it’s fine, just wear that”) yet you cannot bring yourself to wear it out the door.

But why do you hang it back up in the closet? This is the question that we attempted to unravel in my last blog. Today I want to share with you the greatest trick I have learned in helping women let go of that which they don’t want to get rid of.

FullSizeRender 22I have never once completely succeeded at weeding another woman’s closet. Every single client I have ever had has had trouble letting go of at least one item that was not a good fit for her. She doesn’t want to throw away the item because it still has worth in her eyes. She doesn’t want to give away the item because it has an emotional attachment.  She doesn’t want to store away the item because she thinks her body will change again and doesn’t want to forget about it when she regains her figure.

I tend to be non-confrontational. I quince when I watch how Stacy London and Clinton Kelly handle this in What Not to Wear. I know what it’s like to be on a tight budget and I don’t offer the credit card to go shopping with when I do a Wardrobe Weeding, so I have had to come up with another method of helping women transform their image by creating a Confident Closet.

As promised (to introduce my new blog day) I am going to share this tip with you. Drum roll please…

WEAR IT

Yup. If you are having trouble getting rid of something in your closet for any reason, simply wear it for a day. This works for a number of reasons:

  1. It has to fit. If you cannot put it on and feel good about how it covers your body and you refuse to put it the Give Away, Throw Away or Store Away piles (which we do during a weeding) then hang it up in an annoying spot until you can–or until you are ready to pick your pile.
  2. It has to be in good repair. If it puckers or pulls; is ripped, stained or missing buttons; if it rides, falls or splits in anyway that will make you feel self-conscious, then leave it out until you can fix it. Do not put it away until you do, and once it is in good condition, wear it. If you feel confident, keep it. If not, pick your pile.
  3. You have to complete the outfit. If you do not have anything to go with it, put it out somewhere annoying and do not put it back until you either find something to go with it, or you decide it’s time to let it go.
  4. You have to feel confident. If this item you love meets all the requirements above, then leave it in your closet, but wear it on the first opportunity you get. Make a commitment to yourself to decide by the end of the day if you are keeping that item or not.

These are the questions you should ask yourself throughout the day:

Am I comfortable? Or am I fidgeting with the fit? 
When I catch a glimpse of myself do I pull my shoulders back or drop them? 
How is my energy level? Do I feel empowered and aware of those around me or do I feel awkward and self-conscious?
Is this “me” or do I feel like my mother?

What you wear is an explanation of who you are. It’s your brand. Even if you do not know your Img.ID, try this trick with each item in your closet. Systematically go through your entire wardrobe. With each outfit you wear, ask yourself the questions above. At the end of the day, divide your laundry into four piles: Throw Away, Give Away, Store Away and Put Away. Before you know it, your closet may be scares, but everything in it will be a good option and your husband will no longer laugh at you for having “nothing to wear.”

To help you declutter your closet, I created this FREE checklist for you. Click Here to get FREE PDF

*****

Catrina Welch is an inspirational author and speaker whose passion is empowering women and girls to BE and LET BE. Her expertise as a cosmetologist, image consultant and Biblical life-coach, as well as her personal experiences with abandonment and grief make her message relatable to anyone dealing with rejection, betrayal or loss.

CoversSidebar280x150-1Her latest book, CONFIDENT BEAUTY: Reflecting the One Who Made You, with the Images in your Mirror and in your Soul, will soon be available as an audiobook. Autographed copies of all her books are available on her website at www.CatrinaWelch.com


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