The one vital question

As a Pinterest and decluttering addict, it really is amazing how much information you can find out there in the blogosphere.  In particular there are endless lists of questions which are designed to guide the organiser through the decision making process of what to keep and what to save.

One recent blog I was reading had an article with 36 (yes – really – 36!) ways to cull your closet.  I’m not going to post the link here after being ever so slightly derogatory about it (sorry!), but having read through it, I really felt that if I’d answered every question, I’d have talked myself out of getting rid of the item.  Especially when some of the questions relate to absolute value/cost of the item, rather than its intrinsic worth to you.

Such questions would have led to me keeping a number of very expensive designer items from what I always think of as ‘my former life’ that neither fit me or suit me and that there is no way I would have worn again.

Ultimately, the one vital question for me is always – would I buy it again today?

Don’t consider whether you could afford to buy it again today – if I did that then all my lovely expensive dresses would be gone!  No.  This is quite simply another way of putting ‘do I love it’ – and ‘was it worth it’ combined into one simple question. 

It is truly and amazingly effective.  This last 2 weeks I’ve got rid of a couple of skirts that are ‘nice’ – but not wow.  A pair of trousers that I’d been keeping just in case (in case of what I have no idea).  And a pink jacket that is absolutely lovely – but that is absolutely not me.  These were all things that had stuck in my wardrobe from initial declutterings, and even the kick-start clearout from the 33 item wardrobe. 

 Try it and let me know the results.  I think you might be amazed!