Tony and I purged our closets for the Collective Market sale this weekend. We ended up selling 132 items in the sale! I think we had more items than any other seller! We are pretty good at donating and selling items on a regular basis. When either one of us buys something new, we try to find something to get rid of at the same time. We live in a condo (with limited storage) so we have a one-in and one-out type policy. But for this sale, we really went all out. As I cleaned out my closet, there were a few things I asked myself about the items to determine if I should keep it.
Does it spark joy?
This will sound familiar to anyone that has read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying up. First, this book is life changing, so you should read it if you haven’t. But the main point of the book (for me) is that an item should spark joy for you when you touch it. If you don’t get excited about how you might pair it differently, how great it will look at a party coming up, or just how beautiful it is, you should get rid of it. Simple as that.
Is it high maintenance?
I am a super low maintenance type girl. I take maybe 15 minutes to get ready and I am out the door. If the item is too much maintenance, I get rid of it. I do not want to steam, iron, or de-pill (is that a word?) while getting ready. I also don’t want to dry clean it or alter it in my free time! I try to purchase things this way, but somehow items still make their way into my closet. I find myself not wearing something because it’s not ready to wear that minute, and then it sits in my closet for far too long.
Is it a duplicate?
If I like something, I tend to buy it repeatedly. Maybe not the exact same item, but extremely close. I was looking through my clothes and had several grey sweaters, that were all essentially the same thing. What can I say? I love grey and I love sweaters. Realistically, you only need one of these. There may be exceptions to this, like if you wear something so often you need multiples (possibly for work).
When was the last time I wore this?
I have to admit, there are items I just sold that still have the tags on them. There were dozens of items I’ve had for a year that I’ve either never worn or worn only once. Clearly, I either don’t love the item or there just isn’t a place or occasion to wear it. Time to say good bye!
Can I sell this and make money?
I like to have two piles – one to sell and one to donate. If I know I can make money off an item, I am way more likely to part with it. Don’t get me wrong, I donate A LOT of stuff too. But let’s be honest, cash is king, and it sure makes parting with things easy!
Did “the old me” wear this?
What I mean by this is that, we tend to hold-on to items from when we were heavier, thinner, wore business casual a lot, went out all the time, etc. “just in case” we need them again. If you still have the clothes from when you were “the old you,” you need to accept the new you! I know a lot of people hang on to their “skinny clothes” to help motivate them to lose weight. I say dress for the body you have!
Is it damaged, stained, or needs repair?
This one is kind of a no-brainer. If you have any items that are damaged or stained, you should donate them right away. First, you are a lot less likely to wear them if they don’t look nice and polished. Second, you probably shouldn’t wear them if they don’t look nice and polished. Right? These clothes had a good life and were loved a lot. Donate them to someone who really needs them.
Shop the post
I got this Topshop shirt from the Collective Market pop-up shop last night (for such a great price!) There are lots of designer items at a fraction of the cost. I linked a similar Topshop top above if you want to re-create the look. The jeans are some of my favorites (only $37) and the shoes are dupes for Givenchy!