5 downsides to decluttering your wardrobe
2. EMOTIONS ARE NOT (ALWAYS) RELIABLE.
3. SOMEONE ELSE HAS TO DEAL WITH YOUR STUFF (AND THEY DON'T ALWAYS NEED IT).
4. MINIMIZING IS TRENDY.
5. FASHION IS CYCLICAL.
I'm not disregarding or mocking the positive aspects of simplifying your life, I too am in a constant process of liberating myself from owning too much stuff, and I'm trying to strive for a feeling of contentment with what I own. Basically, I'm trying to work against the consumerist forces that exist in the modern world, the companies that get rich when I feel the "need" to consume.
But as with nearly every phenomenon, there is a balance and nuance that needs to be pointed out. There are some problems with the purging/decluttering/culling craze that need to be addressed, especially if you fall into the trap of giving away and then replacing donated objects with a similar item later on.
1. Your taste changes, therefore something you happen to not like at the moment might change, for example seasonal or trendy pieces of clothing that you can rediscover instead of buying new versions come a couple of years. This relates to point 5. Important disclaimer! If you have to sacrifice a lot of time, money and effort in storing things, decluttering and living with less is definitely the better option.
2. Emotions are not reliable. Clearing out your stuff can provide you with an endorphin kick. I suggest putting away stuff rather than throwing out everything in a frenzy. Downsizing can be addictive, and can actually be about some other issues. A lot of people give stuff away to deal with emotional problems or to clean up mental mess, so to speak. If you are in a cycle of donating -> buying new -> donating, this is definitely not sustainable consumption.
3. Someone else has to deal with your stuff. Maybe the most important objection to decluttering. Giving stuff away to charity is not entirely positive. Maybe the more responsible thing could be to keep things you have accumulated, swap, lend or give the stuff you want to get rid of to a specific someone you know will have some use for it. Charities are swamped with used frocks that can't be sold in a Western market, and dump the textile masses in poor countries, leading to loss of local production, jobs and local craftsmanship.
4. Minimizing is a trend. And I have definitely jumped on the bandwagon! I do think it is a positive trend to take better care of your stuff, to be happy with less and not buying into every fad, etc. But the trend of decluttering and streamlining every area of your house, can also get extremist and obsessive. Especially if the donating in the end leads to more consumption, because you replace everything you just gave away with a more perfect version of something that was fine.
5. Fashion is cyclical. This not only relates to fashion as in clothing, but also kitchen appliances, furniture, home decor. Everything that can be consumed is trend driven, and will eventually come back and be in again. Think boho maxis, teak furniture, the toast machine? If your stuff feels dated, don't worry, make easy adjustments. Don't buy anything new just because profit oriented corporations tell you to.
Disclaimer: I'm not trying to suggest you keep stuff that is broken, that you haven't used in years, that has holes or doesn't fit. My wish is to argument against the "throw away everything you own and you'll be happy"-tone that I get from some blogs/minimalists, and to defend the aspect of taking responsibility for what you've already bought.
On a less moralistic note: Have a swap party, it's fun! I'll give you my best tips for throwing a successful swap party in the coming days.
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