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Post by Unswamping on Jun 25, 2014 21:20:43 GMT -5
@sunshinehouse thats great that you have stopped the inflow and the desire to acquire is gone. That is huge. Because we can get rid of things, but if we buy two more (kind of a two in, one out rule) to replace what we get rid of, its impossible to make progress. I am glad you counted your skirts. I think having a number like that helps to realize the scope of the problem.
My therapist couldnt believe that i had enough underwear to wear clean ones every day AND go two months without doing laundry. When she put it that way, it just made sense. 173 tee shirts meant i could wear one a day for more than six months. I see her twice a week. She wanted to know why i always wore the half dozen tee shirts. She was right, i tended to wear the same small selection of clothes. So why did i keep all those clothes?
Ironically for all the clothes i had, i would wear the same things over and over. Now that i have reduced the hoard somewhat, i wear a more varied selection. Now that all my tee shirts git neatly folded in one drawer, when i put the laundry away, i put the just washed ones on the both of the stack in the drawer (since i usually just pull out whatever is on top).
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Post by ClimbingPyramids on Jun 26, 2014 21:40:50 GMT -5
If you would like to work together on this, i would love to work with you. I think it would be great to have someone who really gets what i am going through. Because i may have gotten my sox and tee shirts down to a reasonable amount, my throwdobe is another story. Oh yeah and the six large rubbermaid totes stacked in the bedroom and the coat closet that is so crammed i cant get anything in or out (and i live alone). By the way the picking a number and sticking with it hasnt help me, at least not with the clothes. I would love to collaborate. A couple weeks ago I was asking a close friend about appropriate numbers of shirts, skirts, trousers, purses, pairs of shoes, etc. I found some articles online, a few of which were helpful. Here's an example: Slatalla, M. (2013, April 26). Closet Cleanout: The Only 10 Pieces Of Clothing You Need. Retrieved from www.gardenista.com/posts/closet-cleanout-the-only-10-pieces-of-clothing-you-need-organize
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Post by ClimbingPyramids on Jun 26, 2014 22:05:19 GMT -5
I should add, regarding the article I posted previously ("Closet Cleanout: The Only 10 Pieces Of Clothing You Need."), that it is extreme. I am not following the author's advice on having only 10 pieces of clothing. But it gives me some perspective; I don't need 100 shirts, 100 pairs of shoes...100 anything...or 1,000 anything. Also, I realize that I tend to wear the same stuff over and over. So I will be trying this particular piece of advice by Michele Slatalla:
"Step No. 9: Wear your ten favorite pieces, in as many combinations as possible, for a week. See how that feels. If things are going well, try a second week..."
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Post by Unswamping on Jun 26, 2014 23:06:52 GMT -5
ClimbingPyramids what a great article. I loved the story about the kittens. My cat couldnt even get in my closet there were too many clothes. So she just had them on my bed. Hahaha, if i had had a walk-in closet then, i probably would have come home and found 2 month old kittens rolling around the house. I do love her suggestions. I agree with you about 10 pieces being extreme. I did implement number one picking out my favorites. It really helped, by focusing on what i loved and really wanted to keep, getting rid of the rest was easier. Unfortunately, i had alot of "favorites" so i still have alot of clothes. I would love to collaborate with you. I do wish hiding would come out of hiding, i apologize if ive hijacked your thread.
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Post by hiding on Jun 27, 2014 1:02:58 GMT -5
hiding i am new to SOS and am reading through some blogs. I found yours and can definitely relate to the clothes hoarding issue. I have been seriously working on decluttering, not just clothes but everything. I have too much of everything. I read in a decluttering book or maybe online, "to pick a number and stick with it". Having grown with little and as an adult having a good job that i could afford to buy lots of clothes, i had no idea what a reasonable number would be. If you would like to work together on this, i would love to work with you. I think it would be great to have someone who really gets what i am going through. Because i may have gotten my sox and tee shirts down to a reasonable amount, my throwdobe is another story. Oh yeah and the six large rubbermaid totes stacked in the bedroom and the coat closet that is so crammed i cant get anything in or out (and i live alone). By the way the picking a number and sticking with it hasnt help me, at least not with the clothes. SBS, Yes, let's try to work together on this stuff. Perhaps it will help both all of us.
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Post by Unswamping on Jun 27, 2014 1:18:15 GMT -5
hiding i am glad. Its nice to know im not alone in this.
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Post by def6 on Jun 27, 2014 13:42:45 GMT -5
Hello Hiding,
I loved what you said about making yourself wear clothing that you don't normally choose to wear...You gave the pants an honest try and then decided to donate them. Seems reasonable to me.
About the issue of not being in the size you like to be in, I'm in that category myself. I recently started walking everyday, many days I walk a 5k. It has improved my whole outlook. I no longer feel frustrated about not getting anywhere with my diet and I look forward to wearing some of my clothes that look better now. I thank members like Ally and Razy for encouraging me by example to get started with this .
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Post by hiding on Jun 29, 2014 12:47:48 GMT -5
Folks,
I love Papermoon's process and questions, but I am not that evolved as yet. I will keep chipping away at this. There are 2 garments I recently got rid of. OK, so big deal, 2 garments. I think what matters here is that my thinking is changing, if ever so slowly.
1. I received a new dress by mail. It looked good on me and I liked it a lot. However, I sent it back and asked for a refund. What was wrong?
- There was a defect in the fabric. It wasn't fixable even if I wanted to bother.
- It was a long dress that I almost never have occasion to wear.
- It doesn't fit in with anything else in my wardrobe.
- I bought it partly because the price was so low. I told myself I would stop putting so much emphasis on low sale prices if I wouldn't have purchased at full price.
- It is an import and buying imports is not supporting the business model that matters to me.
- I am embarrassed to admit that one of the main reasons I purchased was the recommendation of a blogger I admire greatly. Usually what looks good on her will look good on me. And it did, but the negatives... It's hard to admit that I would buy something because a friend did. What am I, in Jr High?
2. I have had this tunic for a long time but I now have added it to the donate bag. I do take bags of donations to the shelter at least once a month so they don't sit in the house for a long time.
- I keep it mainly because it is heavy, well made, and USA made. I think that I have to hold onto all my USA made clothes because it is so difficult to find anything but inferior imported stuff these days.
- However, the tunic looks awful on me and always has.
- I am uncomfortable wearing it because it looks so bad.
- I have been wearing it out of "duty" to American Clothing Workers. I have noticed that hanging onto the tunic did not keep clothing manufacturing in the US!
So now you see into my ridiculous thinking when it comes to clothes. I have revealed a lot and it makes me a bit nervous.
I will keep on keeping on.
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Post by Arid on Jun 29, 2014 13:00:52 GMT -5
Good job, hiding!
Arid
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Post by joyinvirginia on Jun 29, 2014 13:55:57 GMT -5
Hiding, thank you four sharing your thought process. I have some ” skinny clothes” from twenty five years ago that quite honestly I will never fit into again. some I have kept because of the brand, never mind that seriously I will NEVER fit into it again. I have donated a lot of clothing over the years. My thinking is that, all my clothes fit in the closet, so what if I have unused stuff at the back? its probably time to think about it again.
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Post by hiding on Jun 29, 2014 14:48:10 GMT -5
Joy,
It's so difficult giving up the skinny clothes. I know! My thinking now is that if I can fit into skinny clothes eventually, I will enjoy buying new ones or good used ones. The money I (am supposed to) save from not buying every low quality, "cheap" thing that comes a long will go into a fund. I can then purchase few but medium to high quality clothes made in the US, Canada, or Britain. I hope that my plan works!
Good luck to you too! All your clothes fit in your closet?! Great job, even if some items you consider questionable at this point.
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Blackswan
Banned
Joined: October 2008
Posts: 6,388
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Post by Blackswan on Jun 29, 2014 16:49:02 GMT -5
I just washed mt washmore (24 loads) and realized how many clothes I had when I thought I had none! I one one trashbag full of folded shirts that I like. I got rid of all that were damaged or didn't fit or that I didn't like before washing and the trash bag of shirts is what I'm left with. I have one trash bag of pants and dresses. They are the 13 gallon kitchen sized ones not the big old ones. I think the amount of dresses and pants is appropriate but not the shirts. However I am losing weight and will get rid of shirts as they get too big so I guess it is ok for now since I like them all and I have a plan to get rid of more over time.
I had about 30 pairs of underwear! I am going to get rid of all the stained ones. I threw away all the ones with holes or that were stretched out. 30 pairs is what I am left with.
I had a big stack of my moms clothes to return to her. There were a whole bunch of sheets and blankets. I'm going to let my mom handle those cause they are for the house.
I went in with 12 bags of clothes and came home with 9 and that includes two bags of sheets so I have like 7 bags for myself and my son. Other than the shirts I think it's appropriate.
I was surprised that I have a lot of shorts and winter clothes because I was planning on buying new clothes for the weather and it turns out I'm already well stocked which is great.
So that goes to show that when we have a mt washmore it's very easy to forget what we have and end up buying more clothes and really exacerbating the hoard so it's best to bite the bullet and climb the mountain!
After 24 loads I'm exhausted! The clothes are all neatly categorized and folded but still in the backseat of my car. I will bring them in slowly over the course of next week.
I will keep them folded in the bags but will hang them after I wear and wash them. I will do laundry on the regular each time I have a load from here on out.
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Post by Unswamping on Jun 29, 2014 16:53:09 GMT -5
hiding WTG! On getting rid of two items. It is a start and that is always important. I love papermoons list too but i am not yet there either. I can see that you are thinking through things and can see your process. I know that was scary for you to share, im proud of you. Returning items is a good thing, its why stores have return policies. Ive learned that there is not difference between returning things that dont fit and returning things because of buyers remorse. If the storeperson asks why im returning it, i just say " its not me". They can take that however they like, wrong color, wrong style, etc. For me it means that while my former self would have kept it, my new "desiring to live squalor free" me doesnt want it junking up my house. I can relate to your made in america criteria. Right before i closed on my house, i bought a bunch of stuff online to decorate. It was all shoddy, made in china stuff. When i finally got around to unpacking it, i was so frustrated by the lack of quality, that i just dumped all of it in the "yard sale". I decided never to order from them again. I dont buy clothes online if it either says imported or doesnt say at all. I expanded that to tossing anything that was made in china, i dont even try it on. So maybe you can apply some of the reasons you let these two items go to some other items. First savor your accomplishment!
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Post by Unswamping on Jun 29, 2014 17:14:59 GMT -5
Blackswan thats awesome that you attacked and overcame mt washmore! I love that term, mt washmore - i just dont want it in my house anymore. Great job on narrowing down the underwear. I had a storage unit at one point. I would forget what i had packed away in there. Then when the seasons changed i would buy more because i didnt even know where to begin digging out the old clothes. I think sometimes when we have alot of stuff, even if its a huge pile in the corner of the bedroom, we stop really seeing it. We dont see the individual pieces that make up the mountain, we even stop seeing the mountain. Not seeing what we have, we go out and buy more because we dont "have" anything. I think turning our focus to the mountain and taking a look at the individual pieces thst make it up, makes it easier to stop acquiring more stuff. I think we have to get reacquainted with what we have to make headway with the hoard.
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Post by hiding on Jun 29, 2014 18:27:30 GMT -5
Swan,
24 loads?! That's incredible. I'll bet you are exhausted. What a project. You did a fantastic job. You learned so much and culled so much. Congratulations.
SBS,
I like the reason you give for returns. It covers everything. I'm sorry that you received a bunch of imported items that were of no use to you. Unfortunately, when purchasing just about anything, the imports are hard to avoid. I highly recommend the book, Overdressed:The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion It is about Fast Fashion directly and hoarding indirectly. I found the book most enlightening. The big picture is even worse that I thought and I thought it was bad.
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