Since I am not taking vacation until mid-August and early September, I’ve spent the last week doing a limited, but very satisfying clean out of various parts of my life that tend to get cluttered. Maybe some of this makes sense for you as well if the kids are away, you’ve got a little time on your hands, or you want to do a major clean-out overhaul but it seems daunting, so baby steps.
First I did a minor closet cleanse. If you’ve been following me, you know how I harp on about buying less and buying better and did a series of closet clean-out videos–very unpolished, during lockdown. Recently, I was ready to let go of a red Bottega Casette bag I bought on a whim last year and that I never really got into. I took it to The Real Real, but before I went I did a quick look through my closet. Somehow, I managed to come up with 20 items (!) in total–Khaite and Toteme jeans that I can’t quite squeeze into, some crazy shaped Nili Lotan pants that were a ‘what was I thinking?’ moment, plus a few pieces I’ve been holding onto but not wearing. My advice to you–unless you have the most well-edited closet out there, spend 30 minutes going through your closet and see what you can let go of. It’s manageable, it’s liberating and it keeps you aware of what you already have. (Which, with fall coming up, I suggest you take stock of what you have that works and what doesn’t before you go out and buy new pieces so you don’t double or triple up where it’s not necessary.)
Then I tackled media + communications, which for me means magazines and emails. I worked as a magazine editor for decades, I love magazines and find a lot of inspiration in them (though less and less nowadays). I let go of most of my old issues when I moved, but still hold onto some favorites. But I still buy them here and there, and they pile up around my bedside table (on the shelf, on the floor). I went through them all this weekend, kept a few, tore out pages I loved in others and recycled the rest. Then I’m trying to get my email under control, as I don’t regularly purge my inbox enough. I’m doing a year and day this week, till it’s down to a good condensed version. (I can’t possibly do it all in one day, that is my idea of torture, smaller doses of torture are better.)
Then, I’m starting to think about repairs for fall clothes. I took sweaters with holes to be mended last week. (If you live in New York, French American Rewearing on West 57th. It looks like total chaos inside, but if they can’t fix your sweater, no one can. Trust me. Also they only take cash and you need to leave a deposit when you drop pieces off.) Next I’m going to look at my boots and see if they need resoling and head to Leather Spa.
And finally, the bathroom beauty drawer. Products people send me, products I tried but didn’t like, samples (which I try to avoid whenever possible because hardly ever use them)–it all accumulates. It’s time to streamline everything, purge the extraneous and only keep what I use.
Once it gets close to September, I will do a more intensive clean out as I transition my closet, but in the meantime, this felt like a good start.
I find myself getting swayed by the fact some designers have such an amazing reputation.
I do love Nili Lotan but I just ordered a pair of her pants which looked truly hideous on me. I suspected they wouldn’t be a hit but because she’s Niki, I ordered them anyway (and returned them).
This is so helpful. I started looking at the contents of my closet last night and I saw many “what was I thinking?” items. You have given me the push I need to continue to edit. Please post and share more videos on editing down the clutter. Your suggestions for a capsule wardrobe are always highlights for me.