We have a small non-venomous python snake either living in our yard or in the local neighbourhood. It is only an accident when I glimpse it. That is the way I like it and we both live in peace.
I was reminded of it when I saw its slowly decomposing, discarded skin in my back yard.
What has this to do with modern dressing? Let me explain.
Our local python is my inspiration for this article on regularly de-cluttering your wardrobe. Read on for three hints based on the cycles of nature.
Let Us Part Company. You are Out-of-Date.
Many animals like our neighbourhood snake shed their skin or their fur once a year. When the old covering is out-of-date for the coming season or its future needs, they part company. Deciduous trees lose all their leaves once a year. Even evergreens shed a certain portion of their leaves annually.
That is a good guide for you. At least once a year go through your wardrobe with a discerning eye. Do not toss out everything like our snake. Do get rid of clothes that have passed their use-by-date. They may be too small, too big, too baggy, too staid or too much like everything else in your wardrobe. The same applies to your accessories. How many handbags and pairs of black shoes do you really need?
Out of Sight So I Can Re-create Myself
Our neighbourhood snake shed its skin on our pool patio. It shed it there so that wherever it lives stays neat and tidy. It does not store its old skin in a back cupboard hoping to fit back into it next year. It is out of sight and gone forever from its mind. Our snake is now free to re-create itself in a better version.
I am not a snake expert but am using this picture to help you get the real purpose of de-cluttering clothes and accessories. You do not do it to fill your wardrobe again with clothes and accessories that are almost or exactly like the ones you got rid of. That is reproducing yourself. Men's dressing is like that as their fashion styles do not change much during their adult years.
Dressing as a woman is about re-creating yourself. Yes, you may need to replace some classic items with similar ones. Aim to replace your discarded clothes with modern classics or classics with a twist like a top with ruched sleeves. Buy modern shoes and accessories to re-create yourself as ten per cent better. Changing a little regularly over a long time is easier to accept and maintain than an instant dramatic makeover like the ones shown on TV.
Out You Go - Downcycle, Recycle or Upcycle
In the natural world many things shed their unwanted pieces for recycling. Some like our snake's skin takes a bit longer to decompose than other things. Nature recycles the item where it is dropped. Women can recycle in three ways.
Downcycling is my term for destroying by cutting up, pulling apart or re-mashing. It is when you cut up your old tee-shirts into polishing or cleaning rags; you cut jeans into shorts or you put old clothes out for charities to collect and turn into rags for industrial purposes.
Recycling is passing on the unchanged item to someone else. It is swapping, donating or selling. Money may change hands or it may not. If you sell it, you usually get less than you originally paid for it. Vintage items are the exception.
Upcycling is a new term for an old skill. It is when you make entirely new and different items out of old items. Think grandma's depression-era thrift skills for today's economic climate, only it costs a lot more. You pay either for your or someone else's creative ideas, time, tools and materials. Danny Seo is a US upcycle expert who teaches people how to make things like fancy bowls from old tee-shirts. Tracey Trinder makes and sells skirts and bags created from old ties. The end result is a unique item. Google upcycling for more examples.
Last Words
Like my neighbourhood snake, clean out regularly; move the old out of your home and replace with items that create a ten per cent updated, modern version of you.
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