I had the pleasure of experiencing my first hoarder. My client, who I will call Ana, was so sweet. She had weight fluctuation throughout her life and had kept clothes in almost every size for the past 15 years. The last 6 months she had maintained her desired weight and was finally ready to part with “years of baggage”. With a positive outlook on her fashionable future, we got rid of over 20 bags of clothes. She felt so good and I was so honored to be part of this process!
Unlike the TV show, she was willing to discard anything that was unflattering and in my opinion…pointless to hang on to. I told her to celebrate her current weight and start fresh! I showed her what colors, cuts, and styles worked, what didn’t, and why. We had so much fun. She took the picture of me sitting on 8 feet of clothes and was laughing the whole time!
3 mild signs of hoarding are:
1.You have a lot of clutter with no organization.
2.You may hold on to items for a long time that have no value or current use.
3.You may have multiple duplicate items stored.
More severe symptoms are lots of pets, dirty, overstocked and unkempt house, refusal to discard anything, and mental illness.
When cleaning out your closet, keep in mind that it’s time to donate an item if:
1.You have not worn it in a year.
2.The garment has any pilling, stains, and/or degraded fabric.
3.It doesn’t fit. Whether it’s too tight or small your body will look and feel it’s best when dressed in a “perfectly fit for you” wardrobe. Don’t dress for the size you will or used to be. Dress for the way you are now…beautiful!
Who knew I would enjoy closet cleaning so much?
