What do my personal values have to do with my closet?
Well hello there!
Recently, I’ve been working with a few new clients to clean out their closets. Shedding the old to create a beautiful wardrobe environment filled with clothes that bring us joy and help us feel confident is so rewarding.
However, at the end of the closet cleanout, the bags of unwanted clothes have to go somewhere. The easiest option is the donation bin. Drop them off and never think of them again. It is so easy that way! And sadly also not great for the environment.
Which brings me to values.
When your personal values are applied to your wardrobe, it is a lot harder to dump the clothes when you know they are most likely going to end up in a landfill. We know the recycling programs are available to help recycle unwanted clothes, which requires effort of separating and sending clothes to different programs. But how do we reduce the amount of unwanted clothes in the first place?
Creating a conscious and conscientious closet starts with three activities that will set you up for success.
Define your personal style (I call this a style summary) – what words or sentence represent your style? Mine are simple, chic and sustainable. Use your style summary before making a purchase, when getting dressed and while cleaning out your closet (including donating/recycling). Reach out if you need help with this step – its a critical piece of creating your style that most people overlook.
Define your personal values – what drives you? The environment? Workers rights? Animal safety? All three? Use these values to help you hone in on creating a conscious closet by finding brands that align with your values.
Define your boundaries – none of us are perfect and we are working within a flawed society and a majorly flawed fashion industry. We can do our best – what does YOUR best look like? Buying from sustainable and/or ethical companies? Recycling your clothing? Buying secondhand? Define what is important to you and give yourself (and others) some grace with rest.
Take time with these activities and it will make managing your closet in a conscientious way so much easier.
Yours in conscientious style,
Kevin