I have talked about my closet a lot. I have reorganized, decluttered, even emptied it completely, and I still find myself drowning in clothes! I just don’t get rid of a lot of them! I keep some for lounge days or for when I’m sick. I save them for fancy occasions. I wear them only for specific holidays. It leads to a very full closet!!
I am now finding myself packing for a trip and it suddenly occurred to me how I picked my clothes for the trip. I compared like to like and chose only the best stuff!
So, here’s a fun trick.
Book a trip! Make it a long 10-14 day trip!
If that’s too out of your budget right now, make a pretend trip itinerary. Literally pick out real sites to see at a specific destination. Pick out hotels, restaurants, historical sites, whatever you want from your trip. If you aren’t actually going on this trip (yet…) make sure you plan it as if you are going so that you can pick the right clothes for it! It can even be a trip itinerary for a future potential trip. Plan it as real as you can.
Now comes doing all the laundry to ensure you have access to ALL of your clothes! Pick or plan the clothing types for your trip (real or pretend trips!) Decide if you need shorts and t-shirts, or pants and long sleeved shirts, beachwear, or even fancy dresses.
Try stuff on!! If they’re too big, too small, don’t fit right, or sag awkwardly toss them into a donate bin! If you have decided they are coming on the trip, put them in the suitcase. (Yes! Even if it’s a pretend trip – there’s something more tangible about picking your clothing and placing each piece into a suitcase that makes you think more carefully about what you are picking out!)
In your suitcase, once it is packed, you will find a wardrobe that you love to wear, want to show off, and it will give you mix and match options for up to two weeks. That’s essentially all you need!
If you have any specific type clothing or off-season clothing, you could plan a different trip for different seasons or climates.
Also if you have any specific wardrobe needs like clothes you might specifically wear hiking or camping, or clothes for a sport, or clothes for a hobby, sort through those at some point to make sure they all fit! A great closet saving tip is to store these items in a different space than your everyday wardrobe, especially if they are used relatively infrequently but still required.
As you pack your suitcase with your two week wardrobe and you end up doubling your picks, you are still limited by the size of your suitcase! Meaning, whatever clothes you left behind in your closet are not the top-tier items! Chances are, you can get rid of them and still be satisfied with your clothing options.
Test it out! See how it works for you! Take your time planning the trip, too! Who knows, maybe you can find an excuse to go on your pretend trip afterall – besides, the planning is already done!!
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