“Don’t accumulate if you do not need. The excess of wealth in your hands is for society, and you are the trustee for the same.”
— Mahavira, sixth century BC
I rather vowed I would not discuss closet organizing or capsule wardrobes or anything like that for my Lenten commitment. After only four days I realized it was a terrible commitment because we are right in the middle of a season change where one day it’s a chilling 30 degrees and the next day it’s a warm 70 degrees. Practicality dictates one should evaluate and organize their closet seasonally as much as possible. I may be obsessive about closets, decluttering and organizing everything, but really, is that such a bad thing?
For Lent one should give up a bad thing or add a good thing. By day five I was hauling out heavy, dark clothing and ushering in lighter clothing, cardigans and lightweight jackets. I checked each item for stains and tears and tried everything on. It only seemed practical.
As for a better Lenten commitment, I thought I’d try being nicer, more attentive to others’ needs, patient and available. My pastor always says taking up a good thing could be more beneficial to everyone rather than, say, giving up cookies.
I received a call from a professional friend who said, “I can’t wait for you to see what I’ve found.” This friend provides a professional service but happens to know I’m wild about closet organizing. We’ve shared books on the subject, and now she had something new. I suspected right off the bat what it would be.
The friend had downloaded a clothing app like Cladwell on her phone. There are several apps providing the same type service, but I would say Cladwell is one of the best. You can create a virtual closet from what you own. You chose a like item from their inventory. You answer questions about lifestyle and other factors such as weather/temperatures and the app creates daily outfits. It even logs how many time you wear a certain item.
Cladwell challenges your creativity by coming up with outfits you never thought of as well as eliminates standing in front of the closet trying to figure out what to wear. We’ve become so digitally-minded, one day we’ll practically have to do nothing at all.
A bonus for organizing your possessions, donating and discarding, buying and selling second-hand, or trading, is that it goes a long way in helping not only yourself but your neighbor and the entire planet.
While in Nashville a couple of weeks ago, I asked my hostess if I could see her closet and hear her philosophy on clothing. She has a very neat, appropriately small and organized closet. She described the type of clothing she liked and thought looked good on her. I had to agree. There was a limited number of colors and items in her wardrobe. She said, “If I haven’t worn something in a year, I donate it.”
“But what if you really love it?” I asked.
She said, “Well, if I haven’t worn it in a year, I figure I don’t really love it.”
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