Getting rid of clothes and accessories

I hear it all the time when it comes to organizing advice: less stuff means less stuff to maintain. I currently dream of owning only a few items of clothing, bags, shoes and other accessories so that I can maintain a simpler life. However, throwing out stuff is more difficult than I anticipated. Contrary to what my hubby thinks, I do have difficulty throwing out certain things.

In particular, I have difficulty throwing out things that I like, even if it doesn't fit me anymore. For instance, I have a large number of skirts, tops and dresses that I cannot squeeze myself into anymore. However, for some reason, I can't bring myself to throw them away. I justify it to myself by thinking I'll one day lose the weight I've gained and be able to fit into these clothes again. Not only is this way of thinking unrealistic, it is also indicative of how much I really haven't accepted my new size.

So at the heart of the matter isn't just the clothes, but my inability to let go of my former self and body image. Being able to throw away stuff, for me, is an exercise in letting go of the past that you cannot change. Inability to let go of my past and my clothes means I'm not making room for the present and the future. All the space the old stuff is taking up, never to be used, is taking up space that could have been used for more current and more usable things. Meaning, instead of holding onto a skirt 3 sizes too small, that hanger could be holding a skirt that is the right fit and size and doesn't make me feel bad about my body being bigger.

Purging my closet is a good opportunity to really streamline my wardrobe and think about how I want to dress. I don't think I could be as strict as this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/fashion/22SIXERS.html?pagewanted=all
But the idea of paring down my wardrobe into a few basic, layer-able items is appealing. It means I don't have to spend time figuring out what to wear. It also means more space in my closet and less clutter overall. So one of these days, I'll have make myself take the plunge and do a good, deep purge of all my stuff. It may even involve rethinking the way I dress.

In any case, the first step is a purge, which will be a weekend project. Once the purge is done, I'll wear what I have for another few months and then decide if I have any "holes" in my wardrobe. I may have to buy a few more cardigans or sweaters since a moth infestation made holes in most of my winter wear. Believe me, I was pretty upset when I found out all my sweaters were ruined. Anyways, I'm going to try to get through step one first and then see what happens. It's going to be hard, but I think I can do it!