This is the wardrobe of Mark Zuckerberg – the founder of Facebook. As simple as it is, it saves a lot of time to make decision every morning on the styles, colors, matches, etc. Its owner can focus on more important decisions than his morning picks on his clothing.
On the contrary, many of us, especially women, often have the wardrobes like this.
Then every morning or night we have to spend at least 10 minutes (based on my own experience as a woman) scanning through the selections, picking up the right styles, colors, or matches based on the situation. Ten – minute is not so much on a single day, but it can add up over the periods of months and years – over 3 hours per month and close to 40 hours per year.
For those 3 hours per month, I could have practiced Ashtanga yoga twice more to improve my mind and physical health; for those 40 hours per year, I could have gone some places new to seek a lifetime excitements. I have not even counted the money I could have saved by not purchasing those apparels, shoes, handbags or jewels.
Inspired by the simplicity of Zuckerberg’s wardrobe, I have made my New Year Resolution – to simply my wardrobe.
After I made my first attempt to check my wardrobe, I was surprised that some of the clothes I purchase a few years ago were still hanging there with the price tags. Since I completely forgot them, I purchased the similar styles later. I couldn’t control laughing at myself while looking at a few look – alike items. I folded them into my suitcase, and planned to take them back to my hometown at China, as part of the gifts, to my sisters.
Then I went through my jewels’ box, picked up two handfuls of pieces which I have not been wearing for over a year, and decided not to wear them in the future. Again they will travel with me back to my hometown.
For anything not so new, I made sure that I cleaned them before I put them into donation bag for the local charity organizations.
After initial downsizing my wardrobe, I felt unbelievably happy and relaxed, as if I unloaded some “burden” from my shoulders. I even felt proud by thinking that the donation would go to somebody who could not afford to buy those items.
Here is the part of my career apparel for spring, fall and winter after the first downsizing effort. I only kept those shirts of conservative styles and colors, and the pants of either black or dark blue. In this way, shirts and pants can easily match together. I also kept around 5 pairs of jeans for casual Friday and weekend family fun time.
I am still in the processes to figure out how to downsize the portions of dresses (casual and formal combined) and career apparels for summer.
My goal is to be able to shrink the size of my wardrobe from two closets into one by the end of this year. I might never be able to simplify my collections as Mr. Zuckerberg’s. As a woman, I like to keep slightly more selections of styles and colors, compared with a young man as Mr. Zuckerberg.
I will remember to snap a photo of my 50% smaller wardrobe at the end of 2016.
