#éclipsewardrobejumpstart ~ Are you ready to create a wardrobe with only pieces you USE and LIKE?

How about clothing - do you want fewer pieces in your wardrobe, that do more? Are you ready to create a wardrobe with only pieces you USE and LIKE? If so, we’ll help you jumpstart your goals 🌈
Today’s exercise: spend time with your clothing - look at and feel your garments, thinking about the last time you wore it, and if it’s still serving the purpose it was intended to when you first purchased or were gifted it. Do you have a lot of the same type of pieces (t-shirts, jackets, jeans, athletic wear...)? Is the quality of the clothing good enough to last for years to come?
You don’t have to make any decisions today, just tune into your thoughts and feelings.
Tomorrow, we start making decisions ⭐️😁

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Part 2 of the #éclipsewardrobejumpstart : Take action, slow and steady!
Here’s where you’ll start making decisions about what to keep, and what to do with the rest.
⭐️First, create an environment for yourself that’s motivating: put on a favorite TedTalk, podcast, music or even makeover show. Or, if you make decisions better in silence, that’s fine too - whatever works for YOU is the right thing to do! ⭐️Next, create a space where a few piles of clothing and shoes can stay for a day or two out of the way. Remember that this process isn’t a sprint, so no pressure to make all the decisions in an hour!
⭐️Now it’s time start: pick a part of your clothing to start at and go through each piece, remembering how each felt. Try it on and make sure it fits comfortably and is still your style. And then decide: keep or remove. ⭐️If it’s a piece to remove, place it in one of the following piles: Repurpose, Sell/Consign and Donate. Another category to consider is Clothing Swap (éclipse holds one each season - click on our bio for information!) ⭐️The important thing is to take your time - sometimes it can be really motivating to start to clear out what you don’t need, but it can also be mentally (and physically!) fatiguing processing each piece of clothing. Start with one category of clothing, and start small - socks are a great starting point! Then, move on to the next category with the smallest items, and keep making your way through each type of clothing. ⭐️Next time, we’ll talk about the items you’re keeping.
Want more motivation? Check out @nourishingminimalism ‘s Yearly Decluttering Challenge, where her tally sheet helps you stay on track to get rid of the same amount of items as the year is (so, this year is 2020 items!). Share with us your progress, and any ideas or even suggestions you have - what works for you, and what doesn’t. Just know, you’re on your way to creating your dream wardrobe that works perfectly for ⭐️YOU! ⭐️

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Part 2.1 of the #éclipsewardrobejumpstart: Clothing Swaps!

We ❤️ love Clothing Swaps: it’s a chance to get together with friends and meet new people, get rid of items you don’t want or need anymore, and maybe find a treasure or two for yourself! Plus, all the clothing not swapped can be donated to your favorite organization.
Check Facebook events, Meetup and Eventbrite sites and search for local clothing swaps nearby. If you’re in the Boulder, Colorado area and want to join our winter swap next Saturday, click the link in our Bio!
⭐️Can’t find a local swap? Organize one! It’s easy to do ~ here’s some helpful tips: ⭐️invite your friends and/or make a public event. Try to limit it to about 10-15 people your first time (having that many people’s clothing in one space can be a lot). ⭐️decide if you want to have the current seasons items only, or year-round clothing, shoes and accessories brought. Also, decide if you want to accept jewelry, Men’s and Kid’s items, unopened beauty items, etc. ⭐️ask that all items are freshly laundered and free of stains and repairs needed - have them only bring what they would to a consignment store ⭐️you can choose to have the participants take turns to pick what they want, or (like we do) everyone can browse and choose at once. Some clothing swaps limit the number of items you can take to the number you brought. We let our guests decide for themselves. ⭐️have some food and drinks - nothing fancy needed (unless you want to!) - simple teas and snacks work for us ⭐️if you don’t have a charity in mind, decide with your guests where there un-swapped clothing goes. Some folks may bring items that, if not swapped, they may want to consign afterwards. And sometimes having people take an interest in your clothing makes you want to bring it back home 😉

Take time this weekend to finish your sorting and whittling down your wardrobe to the pieces you absolutely love. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about repurposing clothing!

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Part 2.2 of the eclipse wardrobe jumpstart: repurposing clothing!
Here’s some ideas for repurposing different types of clothing:

🧵 Wool sweaters: there’s so many things to do with these! Wool dryer balls, tea cozies and hot drink sleeves, Tea pot cover and warmer, scarves, hats, mittens and fingerless gloves...there are so mamu options to find simply by looking on Pinterest or searching the internet! Check out @icebox_mfg - they have lots of original designs made from Upcycled fabric, and have been upcycling since 1994!

🧵 Jeans: there are lots of ways to repurpose jeans, beyond cutting them off for shorts! Skirts, aprons, scrap wreaths, and even shoes, to name a few.

🧵 Shoes: yes, you can repurpose shoes! Planters, bookends, pin cushions, jewelry organizers(!), or custom paint and rewear!

🧵 Socks: don’t throw those solo socks away. These are so much fun to create with: protect your golf clubs, store golf or tennis balls in them, use as packing materials when moving or sending items, use to defog car windows, create cute gnomes or play food, or store shoes in them when traveling so they don’t get scuffed or scratched.