Everyone has unique needs and often our clothing represents this. For example, someone, such as a Naples realtor, who wears a business suit to work everyday will have different wardrobe needs than say a receptionist in a Naples office that has a business casual dress code. The Naples realtor must also have business casual clothes for evenings and weekends, whereas the receptionist can wear their work clothes during non-working hours.
Clothing, like many other things in life, often follows the 80-20 rule, which states, 80% of the effect comes from 20% of the cause. Most of us find that 80 percent of the time we only wear 20 percent of our clothes. So, do you have too many clothes? Here’s a quick quiz to find out:
1) I misplace my favorite jeans/top/shoes more than once a month.
The fact that you have a favorite article of clothing proves that given the choice, you will choose this item over all others, even changing other pieces of your outfit to accommodate it. This item is definitely a keeper.
Tip: What do you like about this item? Is the the color, material, comfort level, style, or do you like the way you look in it? Donate or give away items in your wardrobe that don’t fit this description.
2) If I place one more item in the drawer or closet it won’t close!
Since we’ve already established the 80-20 rule above, don’t delude yourself into thinking that you’re wearing all of those shirts in the drawer 80% of the time. There are only 7 days in a week. If there are 14 shirts and you do laundry once a week, 7 of them are not getting worn. Rid yourself of a couple of shirts that you wear least often and you’ll be able to find the shirts you actually wear quicker.
Fringe benefit: Applying this suggestion will allow you to put together an outfit faster!
3) I know I bought this a year ago, but I’m going to wear it soon!
Do you have clothes in your closet with tags still on them? If you don’t have an event in the upcoming 3 months that you will wear this item to, consider selling or donating it. Items that are new with tags will usually sell for a higher price than a used item.
Tip: If donating clothes, don’t forget to ask for a receipt from the organization you’re donating to. At the end of the year, you can claim a tax deduction for clothing that are in good condition.
If you find that two out of three of these statements apply to you, you may benefit from having a professional organizer help you through this process. Often, overbuying and underusing become habits that are hard to break. Even if you take steps on your own to get organized, you may find yourself back in the same situation a few months later.
