The other day I was going through my closet, and I realized that I was running out of hangers. So what did I do? I ran out
and bought a new pack of hangers. No no, no. Actually, I needed to get rid of some old items that I've accumulated over the past couple of years. So I'm going to talk today about purging your wardrobe.
About twice a year, I get this crazy urge to streamline my life, which includes getting rid of clutter. This purging usually coincides with seasonal changes, which is where we are right now. Regardless of the reason or motivation for wardrobe purging, you must do this occasionally to maximize your outfit efficiency and purchase
efficiency.
You can use your clothes and new and exciting ways by combining things you wouldn't ordinarily. You can't do this efficiently and effectively if you've got a lot of unnecessary clutter in your closets and dresser drawers. When your wardrobe is cram-packed with extra items that you never wear, don't even like, or didn't know that you even had, you tend to grab and gravitate toward the items
with which you are most comfortable.
Interestingly enough, we as men get attached to things, including clothes. I've had underwear that were so worn out that they wouldn't even hold a testicle, let alone two. I kept them for so long because I loved them. I also had a couple of shirts that were long past their prime simply because I liked the specific color. And I've also kept shorts that I loved even though they made me look like
I had a vagina. I've done it, you've done it, we've all done it. We have something in our wardrobe right now that we've hung on to way too long that we should not be wearing, has holes in it, or is worn-out. We keep it for whatever reason.
Now, worn-out clothes are just the tip of the iceberg. I'm sure you have items in your wardrobe that you've been hanging on to for years and haven't gotten rid of them. You never wore them, but they are still hanging in your closet. The same thing happens to me.
When purging your wardrobe, a rule of thumb is if you haven't worn an item into seasonal rotations meaning if it's summer and I haven't worn a specific t-shirt in two summers, it's safe to get rid of that item. If you haven't worn a particular item in one year, that item should be purged. Tuxedos and unique items are an
exception.
The easiest is to pull anything you absolutely do not like. Maybe it's just old and tired and you haven't worn it in 10 years. Also, pull out things you don't need. When you're finished, you're going to have a massive trash bag of old gear.
To help you with your purging, here are some items that are never coming back into style. You can get rid of these items now: man mule, logo tees, fedoras, boxers, sleep pants, baggy jeans, dude capris, and skinny ties.
On the flip side, items you need to keep include a pair of mildly distressed medium wash jeans, black t-shirt, minimal white leather sneakers, hoodie, three-button Henley, a badass pair of boots, black denim jeans, a bomber jacket, sunglasses, a watch, and a lightweight sweater with a polo
collar.
Keep it simple, but not minimalistic simple, of course. You need to keep a few ratty old t-shirts and a few pairs of pants for working out in the yard or hiking. You don't want to get your nice stuff dirty. But the majority of your clothing and your wardrobe should be clothing that you love, that fits you properly, and that you feel confident & fantastic
wearing.
Now get to purging! Next week we'll discuss HOW TO ORGANIZE the items you have left as well as what to do with the items you have decided to discard.
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