counting clothes

I woke up this morning and put on some water to boil for my morning cup of green tea. I tripped over the cat, and walked over to the closet to find something to wear for the day. When I opened up the closet door and peered in at all of my clothes crammed inside, it dawned on me that I have TOO many clothes. I think I need to state again that I have WAY too many clothes. Why?

I am just one man. Why do I have enough clothes for at least four? I think maybe consumerism has got the best of me over the past few years. Like most Americans, I have always felt the need to keep my look fresh and new. I can't tell you how many pairs of shoes I have absolutely "needed". My look just could not have been complete without them. I felt that as with every change of the season, my wardrobe also needed to change. This led to the purchase of more and more clothes. This might explain why my closet was crammed from wall to wall and why the drawers in my dresser could barely close shut. 

I decided to do something about it today. I piled all of my clothes onto the floor and started getting rid of as much as I could. This may sound incredibly painful, but once I got started, it actually became kind of a challenge to myself. How many of these garments could I get rid of without absolutely dying? As I tossed t-shirts, pants, sweaters, and coats into a bag (which I will be dropping off at the local Salvation Army in the morning) I started to really feel good about what I was doing. I had never known how many clothes I actually owned. There were some things that I haven't worn in years. Why were those garments still taking up space in my life? 

I can now proudly say that I only own 32 garments (not including socks and underwear, that'll be next weeks adventure). Even as I write this, I feel that I could actually give away a few more. That feels really really good. My closet is much more spacious and I can actually close my dresser drawers. Who would have thought? 

So now I challenge myself to rethink my wardrobe. I challenge myself to count my clothes. I challenge myself to not be so concerned about keeping up with the latest trends and to work with what I have. I have the perfect outfit for any occasion, and I can mix and match to come up with any look that I need. Did I mention that my dresser drawers close all the way? 

In his book "Walden", Henry David Thoreau talks about clothing as a necessity for humans. He says that clothing is solely for the purpose of keeping in the vital heat that humans create. As a fashion-driven culture, we have give so many meanings to clothing other than that of bare necessity. I won't lie and say that I am not a fashion junkie, but I think that a lot of the importance given to what people wear has gotten down-right crazy. Dare we worry less about the pieces of fabric wrapped around our naked bodies, but instead focus on the words and actions that emanate from ourselves? I know that I will certainly try. 

Happy new years. May all good and wonderful things come your way!

a more minimal me,

Jordan