It took me years to realize that while I had a closet full of clothes, I only ever selected certain shirts to wear, and by the time laundry was done next, I would have scarcely worn half of my shirts before my favorites were again ready for service.
Back in my apartment, I had this huge, square-shaped walk-in closet. I could fit almost all my stuff in it. But, seeing all of my shirts before me every morning, it had never been more clear to me just how many of those shirts I never actually wore. See, in length-wise closets, the shirts you don’t wear just stay hidden in the corners or on the far side of the closet if you have a sliding door. So, obsessed with reducing my possessions (we can talk about this another day…), I did a massive purge of shirts and was afterwards shocked just how unaffected my life was by the shirts I gave away. I’m not convinced I can even remember them.
Well, you know, things change, time passes. I’ve made some great thrift store scores over the years, but the shirts have stacked up again and I’ve had to clear more out. This room probably has the smallest closet in the house, and that’s fine by me as it forces me to think critically about the shirts I have.
I’ve established an overall objective as far as shirts are concerned: have enough for two weeks. First of all, my hamper, which I’ve had since freshman year in college nearly 12 years ago, only fits about two weeks’ worth of clothes in it. Secondly, I don’t remember the last time I went longer than two weeks without washing clothes, and I tend toward washing clothes once every week or week and a half. I wouldn’t describe myself as a clean freak, necessary, but I inevitably hit a point at which I want things clean and I want them clean now, and it isn’t unusual for me to find some dead time and think, “I should throw a load of laundry in the wash”.
Now, if I were an independent contractor, I’d probably have to wear nicer shirts to work. So praise God I’m not an independent contractor, because I hate dressing up. Currently, our CEO is the type to wear shorts and a Hawaiian t-shirt in summer time, so the dress code is very lax, but I do prefer to wear polos, then regular t-shirts on casual (or extra-casual) Fridays. Two week of shirts for work would mean 8 polos and then any number of normal t-shirts to get me through 2 work days. Then I just need enough additional shirts for wearing to the store and hanging out with friends. I’ve narrowed the polos down to 9, and I’m still trying to replace some of my baggier shirts that are worn with age.
One of my even more ambitious goals, though, is to have 8 polos that I love wearing. Because truthfully, I still tend toward the same 3 or 4, which tells me that I have shirts I don’t enjoy wearing very much. It sucks, right? In a world of such great abundance, we often don’t even enjoy the things that we own. Such a shame. But to have a closet of shirts you love wearing and no shirts that you hate wearing – that is progress, in my opinion.
Imagine planning to wash clothes every week! How much easier would it be to only own shirts you love?
For what it’s worth, I’m aware of but not necessarily a fan of Marie Kondo. My automotive tool of choice is a 1/2″ drive ratchet, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to ditch the 3/8″ drive ratchet just because it doesn’t “spark joy”. But her methodology is at least interesting.
A friend once asked me how to get rid of clothes. That’s a tough question. But going off the understanding about clothes that I had slowly been developing, I said, “Start out by getting rid of anything you’ve never worn”. And I still think that’s solid advice. I’ve had some truly awesome shirts, yet I had either never worn them or hadn’t worn them for several years. I guess they weren’t so awesome after all! Clothes are fascinating because how we actually feel about them can be so consciously removed from our behavior toward them. I suspect this may be true with other possessions. I’ve had to face the brutal reality that the shirts I never wear are the shirts I really don’t like, even when my brain tells me they look great. Actions speak louder than…thoughts?
Online stores are running out of short-sleeve polos, and thrift stores aren’t very reliable. I wish I had become determined earlier to replace the polos I don’t enjoy wearing with some I do, but I may have to wait until next summer to fully achieve this. I’m at least on the right path. And sometimes you can get lucky at thrift stores. At this point it’s not really about the money savings, though: if I could drop $200 for a few shirts I love wearing, deal. Sadly, it doesn’t really work that way.
Oh, well. Today’s a lazy day. It’s nice to take care of some things I’ve wanted to take care of for awhile.