Closet Edit

VV Boutique has their stamp card promotion on now.  Basically, you earn a stamp for every $5 spent or bag donated, and then redeem a full card for 30% off your purchase.  Let me tell you, once you start thrifting, your perspective changes.  First, you think $5-10 for a top is a total score.  Then you think, that is way too pricey I will wait for the 50% sale.  Then you think, when is the next 50% sale for crying out loud oh fine I will just use my stamp card then find a bunch more stuff to donate so that I can fill another card in case it's too long to wait for a sale.


So the stamp card promotion + blizzard + a recent email from Frantic but Fabulous have spurned me into closet edit action!

I am quite blessed as far as closet space goes.

I am aiming for a balance between between making quick decisions to honour my instinct, and being too hasty about items that may have some value left in them.  After reading the suggestions from Frantic but Fabulous about how to decide when to pass an item on, here's what I am considering as I go through my clothes:

• photographic evidence - if it looks like crap in photos, that ought to be a sign
• wise council - my favourite Megan is consulting via iPhone due to said blizzard
• ill repair - I'm not fixing them
• ill fit - my size varies a little but not so much that if they don't fit currently, they probably won't (at least for any longer than a week after Whole 30)
• let go of cost per wear under a $1 - though this is my aim when I make any purchase, I'm not hanging onto pieces solely because I haven't got enough "value" out of them   

Here are some photos from the process:

To Donate

To Pass on to a Friend

  To Keep

There were some hot debates.  Take the denim skirt...  The one on the left is circa 2004 and no longer fits well.  I bought the Levis one on the right recently from VV Boutique for $5.  It's not perfect but I think I'll keep it beyond today's blizzard, at least until I find a better replacement.

Then there is my Banana Republic red polka dot button down.  I love this top but it is probably a size too big.  However, tucking it gives it the Ain't No Mom Jeans cool-baggy vibe I like.

I ended up with a fair size pile to donate...

And I learned some lessons:

• I DO need to keep some clothes for camping or other situation-specific activities.  For some, this would be where work-out clothes would fit in.  
• I have no room in my life for boring pieces.  I got rid of my plain old tees.  They are going to have to amaze me with fit or vibe in order to get me to bring them home.
• Some memento pieces are worth keeping.  E.g., I have one "Occupational Therapy" piece of clothing.  It's not a fanny pack, surprisingly.  Haha, OT humour.  I rarely wear it, even for camping, but it is irreplaceable and not captured in photos from any specific event, so I will keep it. 
• Don't waste a nice day on a bad dress.  Or a winter day on a bad sweater.  You get the idea.  Any "bad" piece that competes for wearing time with other "good" pieces has got to go.

I also updated my hunting list for VV Boutique.  I have a feeling there will be a sale soon, and if not, my stamp card will likely be filled up after this run!  And anyway, you can see I'm fresh out of everything.