Back to answer a reader's question

My blogging hiatus has been due to work, social and eBaying commitments... but I'm back to it as of now and thought I'd re-start by answering a reader's question asked recently. 

Wendy has asked: Has [the culling] process helped you control your impulses or perhaps just given your wardrobe more room for new items?

I guess the best way to answer this question is to explain what started me off in the first place. To summarise for those that cannot be bothered reading the rest of this post:

1. I moved house (twice).

2. I put on a little bit of weight.

Here are some of the disturbing tales from both of my moves which have played a part in my commencing culling.

Moving Tale No. 1

I threw out about 3kg/6.6lbs of old makeup and skincare!

Newsflash to all the women out there who "collect" makeup - it's akin to collecting food - it goes off eventually! 

I threw out about 30 lipsticks and lipglosses ranging from Dior to Revlon and almost untouched bottles of foundation because they weren't quite right.  I couldn't bring myself to calculate the 100s of dollars that I was throwing out into the bin. I vowed at that point not buy anymore makeup unless I really needed it and most definitely not to be sucked in by GWP promotions.

Over the past year I have polished of bottles and tubes of foundation and tinted moisturiser, a pressed powder and I've hit pan on a couple of eyeshadow - not to mention I'm about to finish a MAC lipstick!

Maybe I'm a weirdo, but finishing a tube of makeup or skincare actually feels really good - a real feeling of accomplishment!

Moving Tale No. 2

I had to make A FEW trips in a STATION WAGON to move all my shoes and clothes.  I had more clothes and shoes than other household possessions!

Moving Tale No. 3

I used to store all my shoes in their original box at one point.  Unfortunately I did not have room for said shoe boxes in my new house... When I went to discard one of my shoe boxes (belonging to a pair of sneakers that I last wore in high school, AKA a long time ago) - I found a redback spider nesting in there...eek!

Moving Tale No. 4

Earlier this year when I was moving for the second time, I found myself moving the same box and the same two space bags filled with clothes from when I moved the first time!  I lived at my place for exactly a year and for this whole time I didn't feel the need unpack this stuff! Mind you these are the very bags and boxes which started the culling process. I culled the majority of the contents bar an old favourite or two which I re-discovered at this point.

Furthermore, and I'm not sure whether this point is more disturbing than the last, but I found myself moving items of clothing and shoes that I had not worn since before when I moved the first time!!!

Both moves made me wonder 2 things about the possessions that I was moving:

1. Why did I buy this? (If the item had never been worn or used.)

2. Why do I still own this? (If the item wasn't being worn or used anymore.)

Fast forward 6 months and 5kgs extra on my hips and again I found myself asking the same question about the same things that were still hanging in my wardrobe that now in addition to not being worn ever, did not even fit anymore! SO WHY DO I STILL OWN THIS!?!?!?!?

More frustratingly was a wardrobe full of clothing that was uninspiring, ill-fitting and old (I stopped/slowed down my shopping when I ploughed money into my renovations) - hence I made the decision to cull and re-invent my wardrobe.

My aim has NOT been to turn into a minimalist. Kudos to those who get by with owning 3 pairs of shoes, but being a minimalist does not interest or excite me at all.  I don't even think I need to say this, but I enjoy buying new things now and again (or every week).

My one and only goal has been to eradicate all the things in my closet that I do not wear anymore (for whatever reason) and to replace those things with a few items that I will wear.

Another behaviour which I am trying to adopt is to get rid of anything that I buy that does not quite work on me and does not quickly become a regular go-to-item. For example, just last week I decided to cull my Witchery animal print dress that I bought only a couple of months ago .  I like the dress, but I do not feel awesome wearing it, so it must go!

I'm over allowing my shopping mistakes to hang in my wardrobe for eternity to mock me each time I look inside.

In terms of the lessons I have learned from my culling adventures:

• No more sky high heels. No matter how much of a bargain they are!  Given that I am not a spring chick anymore, mega high heels are seldom worn. I have decided that it is better that I only own a few pairs of truly great or comfortable shoes rather than many uncomfortable heels that just end up standing around looking pretty. 
• No more cheaply made garments from cheap chain store brands. Not that my wardrobe was ever been filled with such garments, but I admit that sometimes I would succumb to a Sportsgirl or Miss Shop sale only to be dissatisfied with the polyester top that I ended up buying for a bargain - it's not a bargain if it's never worn or only worn once.  That my friend is classified as a waste of money...
• YES to Country Road, Cue and Veronika Maine dresses ... great quality and re-sell well.
• YES to designer bargains... (that fit well and that I can see myself wearing).

And yes, the culling has made room for lots of new purchases that I'm excited to wear ASAP - no more of this hanging around with tags still on!