Although the area you live in might not look like a scene from Bambi yet — featuring adorable woodland animals, blossom falling from the sky, and a chorus of disembodied ladies singing — spring is almost here. There is one thing I will be doing come the first day of spring 2016 when it comes to fashion, and that's clearing out my closet. This might seem like the most boring thing you could do to celebrate winter's end, but I am personally counting down the days and looking forward to purging my wardrobe. Some folks might say I have an organizing fetish (blame it on my Virgo star sign), but there are a whole host of reasons to clean out your closet come the first full day of spring.
IMO, one of the main reasons you should clean out your wardrobe on March 21 is that the first day of spring is all about those feelings of new beginnings. The end of the cold season calls for hope and a fresh start. You don't need to wait until the next New Year's Eve to turn over a new leaf, quit a bad habit, or change your life in some meaningful way. You can just use the spring equinox to kickstart your journey. And an easy way of beginning this transition is by getting rid of anything that is weighing you down.
Rebecca Butler, a yoga teacher, inspirational speaker, and writer, discussed how to utilize the power of the spring equinox in an article for lifestyle media site Mindbodygreen. Butler wrote, "As we transition into spring, step back and be truly honest with yourself about what you're nurturing. You might need to do a little pruning."
Your clothes are likely items that you utilize every day. But instead of amassing a vast collection of garments you never wear, why not try "pruning" or pairing back your wardrobe? Chances are you'll leave room for yourself to focus on the more important things in your life, like your dreams, goals, and ambitions.
To me, the first day of spring symbolizes the saying, "Out with the old and in with the new." I openly admit that I'm one of those people who has stood in front of my jam-packed closet and cried, "I have nothing to wear!" Sure, this is probably connected to the nature of our throw-away society and the privileged ideal often perpetuated by our culture at large that a night out means a new dress. Add to that the fact that I'm a fashion hoarder, and it can be difficult to even see what I have hanging in my closet due to the sheer amount of stuff that's crammed in there.
Granted, your personal style can change gradually or even overnight, so it's easy to accumulate a variety of pieces plucked from different looks and trends. I'm definitely not begrudging any fellow sartorial lovers their awesome closets, but sometimes when you've outgrown a style or you don't like an item as much as you once did, it might be time to get rid of it. If you sift through your wardrobe, you'll probably find that you've been hanging onto some pieces that you haven't worn in over a year or two. I suggest donating them to charity or giving them to a friend, so that you have more space for your changing life.
Since 2014, the KonMari method of cleaning seems to have set organizing lovers' hearts on fire. The concept behind this method, created by author of The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up Marie Kondo, is simple enough even for those who hate tidying and cleaning: Question whether each of your belongings brings you joy. If you come across an item that does not "spark joy" in your soul, get rid of it.
Kondo has also written another companion book, Spark Joy — described on the cover as "an illustrated master class on the art of organizing and tidying up." It literally shows you how to store your belongings and it looks fabulous. Almost a year and a half later, Kondo's work looks to still be very popular.
As luck would have it, a trend that appears to be on the rise this year is minimalism. The minimalist trend can be applied to all aspects of your life, although if you're new to it, you probably want to start small; possibly with your wardrobe. Vegan vlogger Jenny Mustard is a self-described minimalist who recently started a mini series on the topic. Mustard explained the concept of minimalism along with her explanation of what a "lifestyle minimalist" might look like. According to the vlogger, it's someone who is "willing to live a simpler life" or someone wanting "to get out of consumerist society."
If you're interested in leading a more minimalistic life, there's never a better time than the present. As you await March 21, you could work towards completely decluttering your life so that you can enter the new season feeling much lighter.
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