As a minimalist at heart, I wanted to really challenge myself this year. Could I possibly fit my whole wardrobe (yes, shoes included) into one large 28” soft-sided suitcase? Spoiler alert: while it was wildly difficult and slightly emotional, it is possible...and it feels damn good, too. I’ll share how I did it below.

Note: I live in Phoenix, Arizona where it's muy caliente most of the year. If you live in a colder climate, perhaps two suitcases are fair since winter clothes are quite bulky.

Let’s back up for a second.

A while back, I wrote this post on my favorite book and how “invisible thieves” are stealing your energy on a daily basis. These crooks come in various forms. They’re the actions you take, the toxic people in your life, and all the belongings you own that don’t bring you joy. Instead, each time you interact with them, they steal portions of the finite energy you have to expend each day.

It’s the belt that’s a size too small but you suck in your gut and suffer through the discomfort to wear it anyway. It’s the lady at the office who always talks your ear off until you have to stay late to finish everything. It’s the ungodly amount of clothes in your closet—most of which you don’t like or need—that hide the things that are comfortable, attractive, and in good condition.

Stop the madness!

I’m not about that life anymore. I’ve done a pretty good job cleansing myself of the random crap in my house and life so that (hopefully) the only things that use my energy are the things I care about. But recently it occurred to me that I never really gave my wardrobe that same attention. And what better way to test my minimalistic limits than by slimming down my clothes so everything fits in a large suitcase?

How I Did the Damn Thing

Step 1: Hanger Flip

I’m not sure where I picked up this trick, but it’s been one of the most useful life hacks I’ve ever learned. All you have to do is turn every hanger in your closet the opposite way. Whenever you wear something, hang it up the right way. After a month or two, whatever hangers are still facing the wrong way are clothes you probably don’t wear or need. (The only caveat is off-season clothing.)

You really can’t argue with your own preferences in action. I found myself wearing the same few shirts, skirts, and dresses the entire two months and it was clear that I liked the idea of the other clothes, but I didn’t like actually wearing them. Sometimes, things just look better on the hanger.

Step 2: Fashion Show

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This step is super helpful for the clothes that didn’t end up getting worn for 30-60 days but you’re still struggling to part with them. Try ‘em all on! Be critical. Be honest. Is it itchy? Stretched out? Stained? Not a good fit anymore? Weird color? Toss it into the donate pile.

I also found it helpful to put together full outfits at this step. When doing this, it becomes really apparent that there are just some garments that don’t go with anything else. They might be oh so fab on their own, but the pattern isn’t agreeable with other things and therefore it’s gotta go! It helped me to have my boyfriend and best friend in the room too. I gave them permission to tell me when things weren’t flattering or just not “me” anymore.

Step 3: Bring Out the Bag

To start, I laid everything out on the floor like this:

You’d probably guess that at this point, you’d be down to just the clothes you truly love. I thought so too—by now, I had donated more than a quarter of my clothes. Sadly, I still had about twice as many clothes as would realistically fit. Busting out the luggage gives a good sense of how much progress is still needed, though.

Step 4: Ask Questions

When it got down to the nitty-gritty, I started asking:

• Is there anything about this that bothers me? (i.e. wrinkles easily, always shows sweat, etc.)
• Do I need more than one of this? (i.e. scarf, brown belt, hat, etc.)
• When would I actually wear this? (i.e. cowboy boots, evening gown, sports gear, etc.)
• How many (clothing category item) do I need? (i.e. dresses, pants, underwear, etc.)
• Could I live without this?
• (The hardest one of all…) Would I be willing to give up another piece of clothing to keep this?

There were a number of accessories, shoes, and clothes that I thought I loved, but they didn’t make the cut for reasons such as...

• The only way it looked halfway decent was by wearing it with an ill-fitting belt.
• One scarf really is plenty when you live in the desert and it barely gets cold enough to need it.
• At one time, they were useful but I was only keeping them around for the “what if” possibility I ever started the sport/activity/pastime again.
• I don’t really need two dozen t-shirts because I prefer dresses and skirts, so I hardly wear them anyway.
• Although it’s cute/comfy/stylish/sexy/whatever...I don’t neeeeed to have it for any good reason.
• If I was honest, other things that truly brought me joy and this was just keeping me from enjoying them. I definitely wouldn’t keep whatever item it was over my favorite shirt, dress, skirt, boots, etc..

Boy, oh boy. This was definitely the hardest. It’s easy to flip hangers around and donate the stuff that you clearly don’t wear. It’s not too tough to get rid of things when you see that they don’t look stunning in the mirror. And it’s not terribly difficult to kick things to the curb when hearing from your significant other and best friend that you don’t quite rock those pants like you used to.

What is hard is admitting that you used to thoroughly love two stepping (country dancing) but you don’t do it anymore and probably never will. The cowboy boots gots to go.

It’s hard to donate your favorite pair of shorts from high school because they bring back so many memories. They don’t fit anymore, someone will be happy to find these at Goodwill. And it’s damn hard to be realistic about just how many dresses, pants, shorts, skirts, etc. are sufficient for a “normal” rotation of outfits. Dammit, Brittany. Pick your seven favorite dresses and move on.

Step 5: Pack It Again

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Alright, here we go again...attempt to get it all into the suitcase. (I recommend using the rolling technique to save more space. And although I’ve never used them before this experiment, packing cubes help a ton with organization.) Thankfully, I was much closer the second time around and only had to part with a few more things to accomplish my goal.

What I Learned

1. When I enforced a strict limitation on myself, it became really clear what I actually cared about. It wasn't the super cute cocktail dress that I might wear on a night out. No, I actually kind of hate going clubbing. What I care about is the flowy summer dress that's perfect for the beach or a leisurely walk with my dog and boyfriend.
2. Doing this showed me where I am in life right now. It helped me see what I truly enjoy doing in my free time and, for instance, how I like to exercise now, not what I did/liked during college.
3. When I had to choose certain clothes over others, it showed me that there are certain memories or habits I'm clinging to, even though they aren't important or worthwhile anymore.

It's amazing what an impact your clothes can have. They're small glimmers into memorable nights. They're anchors to good and bad memories. They show you what you once loved. They connect you with a loved one. They're ghosts of how your body used to look.

It's strange how clothes can do these things. All things considered, I recommend trying out this experience, even if you're just a little bit curious. Who knows, you might find that a huge weight was lifted from your shoulders; one you didn't even know was there.

Have you tried anything like this? What was your experience?

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