Scaling down your collections - de cluttering

[PixieChick72]

Hi all,

Are there any fellow de cluttering bugs on here?

Every year I promised myself I will focus on scaling down, I read Andrew Mellen and Kon Mari (Andrew's method works better for me).
But since August I have been properly working on minimising my handbag collection (and my clothes, shoes, fragrances and jewellery!).

I'm not on the same level as some of you, as my handbag collection comprises mostly of British designers: Mulberry, Modalu, Blondie Mania and Owen Barry, with a couple of Michael Kors and Coach handbags, but I did have rather too many handbags and was not using them.
I also was running out of storage space.

I've become very interested in the minimalist/paring down of 'stuff' movement and I wondered if there were any other likeminded people on here? How did you decide what to keep and what to part with?

 

[Pomba]

Hi all,

Are there any fellow de cluttering bugs on here?

Every year I promised myself I will focus on scaling down, I read Andrew Mellen and Kon Mari (Andrew's method works better for me).
But since August I have been properly working on minimising my handbag collection (and my clothes, shoes, fragrances and jewellery!).

I'm not on the same level as some of you, as my handbag collection comprises mostly of British designers: Mulberry, Modalu, Blondie Mania and Owen Barry, with a couple of Michael Kors and Coach handbags, but I did have rather too many handbags and was not using them.
I also was running out of storage space.

I've become very interested in the minimalist/paring down of 'stuff' movement and I wondered if there were any other likeminded people on here? How did you decide what to keep and what to part with?

me !! I put up a post on this and it got moved from collection now I cant find it! oh well it floating around in some abyss.

 

[Antigone]

Me!

I've decluttered a lot. I think I must have sold I think 13 bags (designer and contemporary) and 7 leather jackets since August. For every bag or jacket I sold, all I felt was relief.

Except for one - the small goatskin Givenchy Pandora. I intend to replace that since I really miss it.

I still have some bags and jackets to sell, but I feel better knowing I have way less clutter now. Clothes though are another story. They're harder to sell.

I've purchased one of my dream leather jackets and a Saint Laurent LouLou bag since. I would not have had the money if I didn't sell the bags and jackets I wasn't using/are redundant.

 

[bellebellebelle19]

https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/cleaning-out-the-closet-club.616792/page-407#post-32703089

 

[Pomba]

Me!

I've decluttered a lot. I think I must have sold I think 13 bags (designer and contemporary) and 7 leather jackets since August. For every bag or jacket I sold, all I felt was relief.

Except for one - the small goatskin Givenchy Pandora. I intend to replace that since I really miss it.

I still have some bags and jackets to sell, but I feel better knowing I have way less clutter now. Clothes though are another story. They're harder to sell.

I've purchased one of my dream leather jackets and a Saint Laurent LouLou bag since. I would not have had the money if I didn't sell the bags and jackets I wasn't using/are redundant.

great ! I need to do that, Im terrified of ebay though and in Canada, what did you use to sell? I got 6 bags to sell and 12 pairs of shoes, and 3 other items (lv sunglasses, lvwallet and hbelt strap) and I'll be at peace.

 

[Antigone]

great ! I need to do that, Im terrified of ebay though and in Canada, what did you use to sell? I got 6 bags to sell and 12 pairs of shoes, and 3 other items (lv sunglasses, lvwallet and hbelt strap) and I'll be at peace.

I used eBay. I'm in Australia.

I always describe all flaws and take a lot of clear pictures. And also underdescribe the item - so for pristine, I'd write very good condition. For VGC, I'd use good condition. This way, the buyers are most of the time always pleasantly surprised.

I also sold shoes, all BNWT. I was such a hoarder.

 

[jayeoh]

Here! I'm a declutter bug lol. I'm forever purging and decluttering. I've been on this journey for several years and what made me go down the minimalist route and taught me how to be more mindful of my purchases was/is due to working in the fashion industry. I learned about unethical practices, product wastes and how excessive it can be.
I had 30 something bags and now I'm down to 6 that I'm happy with and rotate though weekly. I have 8 shoes I rotate throughout the year, and I only wear black clothing and have about 50 pcs total in my closet. Although I feel like I can purge some more, but I live in NYC and I feel like it's hard to have a fixed number with seasonal weather, especially dressing warm for winter .
If I'm not using it or wearing it, I give it away. I only want to keep what I use, and use what I keep. I also purchase quality over quantity and I'm now on a mission to remove any duplicates in my closet to help me scale down below 50pcs of clothing.
Good luck on your journey!

 

[diane278]

Some of you might want to check out the minimalist closet thread.....but it’s about much so more than minimal closets.
The current discussions begin on page 9. Post #126 by Doloresmia. Link below.
https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/show-us-your-minimalist-closet.867625/page-9
It’s about the life journey to “figuring it all out” with wardrobes, closets & more....and it can move at lightning speed.

 

[anitalilac]

I donated a bunch of bags to relatives, did not buy any bags for 2017 and the whole of 2018 until recently I ordered a bunch of Massaccesi bags.

 

[NateSelwyn25]

Not allowed to buy a new bag without getting rid of one. Exception is the recent purchase of a violet briefcase, as my partner wanted the navy messenger bag I had and wasn't using much.

And this was after getting rid of half of what I had.

 

[eckw]

I love the idea of decluttering and have purged my share of clothes, shoes and bags over the years. I even had someone professional come in to review and declutter with me.

My closet still has way too much in it but now it’s full of stuff I love so while I want to purge more, I find it very hard to part with what’s left. I have learned to shop more mindfully so that’s something anyway.

 

[Elsie87]

I've also been into decluttering and having a more minimalist approach when it comes to shopping and what I have/put in my wardrobe. So far I have sold/donated about 60% of my clothing - only keeping what suits my current life and style, and what I really love. I've also sold about 4 bags this year. By now, I figured out what type of bags I enjoy carrying and what suits my lifestyle best. All the rest was fluff and had to go.

I've also cut down my shopping drastically, and only purchase what I truly love and will use frequently. For bags, this means: luxurious classic styles in mostly neutral colors that lack superfluous bells and whistles. For instance: Hermès Birkin & Kelly, Chanel Classic Flap & Reissue styles,...

That being said, I really enjoyed reading The Curated Closet by Anuscka Rees. I really like the author's more minimalistic approach to shopping and personal style.

The benefits I've experienced so far:

• It's so much easier getting dressed in the morning. I made sure that the clothes I kept fall into the color palette I've determined for myself: mainly shades of black, grey, white, tan with denim blue and accents of red and burgundy. This makes it so much easier to mix and match my clothes.
• Less time spent shopping equals more time spent with loved ones and my dog
• Less shopping equals more money in the bank + money for high quality pieces that I truly love
• Decluttering and minimalism reduce my stress levels immensely