My wardrobe culling... The entire contents of my wardrobe 2 years on.

Last month we decided to climb into the roof space of our house to snoop around for the first time since buying our place. We found no forgotten treasures... or dead bodies... thank goodness.

I imagine that you are wondering how any of this is relevant to wardrobe culling?  Well, the manhole to the roof space is directly over our wardrobe.  The entire wardrobe had to be emptied so that we could move it across the floor to access the manhole.  It was much too heavy to move otherwise, and that's saying something.

While we were at it, we re-modeled the whole room, so I emptied all my other cupboards thinking I would organise everything once and for all.  I assembled everything in the lounge room in no particular order on my clothing racks and I took a picture. 

This is NOT what I saw though the lens:

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Rather this is what stood before me:


Disappointing huh? And this doesn't even include the stuff I bought recently, thanks to Country Road's oxymoronic spend and save event!

It's been just over two years since I first began culling my wardrobe and creating what I like to refer to as my 'ideal wardrobe'.  My mission was to create the perfect capsule wardrobe, for work and for play, with most items interchangeable between the two occasions. I had initially hoped that this would occur within 6 months... but I can safely say that 2 years on, I'm not quite there yet.  Who am I kidding?  I have failed.

I have read many other bloggers' blog entries who have culled their wardrobes, all about their culling successes.  I longingly look at their racks scarcely filled with a few select 'pieces' and their couple pairs of ankle booties lined up underneath... what seems to be the perfect capsule wardrobe.  I feel envious reading about excess spare coat hangers and empty space in their wardrobes. I suppose at least this envy for minimalism is not as revolting as being jealous of other people's physical possessions, right?

I guess it's back to the drawing board for me...

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10 comments:

  1. Lol fun post. I just looked over at our wardrobe and it's much the same ad yours so I sympathize. I need to start culling again by not bring sentimental or hanging onto something cos it's designer or just in case I might need it one day. Good luck with your culling.

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  2. Ah don't feel disheartened. You'll get there.
    I take those curated photos ou speak of with a grain of salt. Especially by bloggers who wear something different all the time but have 10 items on their rack. It's just not realistic.

    I'm still in the trap of buying things that aren't perfect, which for me is key to feeling like I'm in love with my wardrobe.

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    1. i would have to agree, bloggers only show us what they want us to see -- their curated wardrobes may be small, but if they're regularly styling new items, then i always wonder where did the old pieces go? i think a small wardrobe is a nice idea too, but if the cost of keeping it small is lots of time spent doing it (so selling/donating/trading old pieces), then i think i'd find it just as frustrating. who wants to spend all that time at the post office?

      i've been culling for a similar amount of time as you (it's why i started following your blog!), and i think my wardrobe might be a smidge larger. i'm still getting rid of stuff. for as long as i keep changing, so will my wardrobe.

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    2. I'll third that - most of the images are highly stylised to show what bloggers want, not necessarily what they own. Ironic that it's making us all crave a wardrobe of less rather than more...

      Don't be disheartened, keep at it and really, if you love what you have then don't worry about putting a number on it.

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  3. Love the animated GIF. I'm not sure if I could be one of those gals with the wardrobe stocked with only the basics. I personally crave variety too much to be limited to <20 pieces of clothing. Not to mention I lack self control :S

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  4. I don't know that I would trust those photos of bloggers' wardrobes consisting of a few items and 3 pairs of ankle boots - I would hazard a bet that there are beat-up flats and old jeans languishing away in their wardrobe unseen.

    I think you've done excellently in your wardrobe culling process. I also think a perfect wardrobe is a fluid thing, it never really ends. you (universal you) are always going to want something else, and you're always going to get sick of something you previously loved. I've resigned myself to the fact that creating the perfect wardrobe is an ongoing process that doesn't really end.

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  5. Oh I'm in the same boat as you. I love variety far too much to whittle my wardrobe down to 20 items.

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  6. You know what I think? That curating a wardrobe is never complete, especially not if you love fashion. I feel the same way as you quite often about my own wardrobe, and it's disappointing for me to keep buying and selling, but I suppose thus is life. I'm finally starting to buy things I love and selling less of it off, and I guess eventually I'll get to a point where I don't need any more. For the moment though, I'm trying my danr hardest not to pre-order all the beautiful Cruise pieces I saw during MBFWA.

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  7. I think that you'll get there and that it's okay because creating a capsule wardrobe is an ongoing process what with new collections popping up and styles that evolve as we grow. Don't stress about it too much and try tomake the most of your clothes regardless of how much spce they take (which is the advise I give to myself every time I see my closet being crammed^^;;;)

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  8. The thought of culling my entire wardrobe sent me into shock, haha.

    I think it's an ongoing process, though, as I tend to get rid of stuff as much as I buy new stuff! Your wardrobe looks so neat!

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