Letting go of things

As I'm currently packing and trying my hardest to throw away things that I'm not using, I've obviously come across clothing that I bought many moons ago and have kept. Some I've kept because I've genuinely like it, while others I believe are simply sitting in my closet for sentimental reasons. With this move and a fresh start, I plan to rid myself of that baggage (literally and figuratively) and embrace the fact that I'm a different person than I was in college and even than I was 3 years ago. 

I thought I'd post some articles of clothing that I've kept all this time and will be giving away. It's time.

This jacket dates back to my London days when I studied abroad during my 4th year in college. That was definitely a great experience. My friend, Calla, and I would head down to this area known as Deptford Market. It would be open every Wednesday and Saturday. This was all outdoor vendors selling everything from bags to fruit to batteries - you name it. There was one area that was equivalent to an outdoor thrift store that we would always hit up any time we ventured there. Within this vendor's area there was a rummage pile (similar to the 'Dollar a Pound' area at the Garment District.) It was great and I found this jacket for a pound. After I bought it, I wore it EVERYWHERE.

This cute little top I believe I purchased somewhere in America. It was probably Wet Seal or Forever21. I'd wear this on a Saturday night when I'd go out. It's sheer and if you wear a pink tank underneath it really does make for a cute outfit.

This hoodie was purchased at H&M, back when I wanted pretty much everything in the store. These days I enter and find a handful of things that are still appropriate for me to wear. This one, however, was one of my favorite hoodies to wear. I've always loved lots of color, so this was right up my alley.

I loved these shoes! I wanted them since freshman year in high school! (I think I bought them senior year, MAYBE freshman year in college.) They were always super expensive (over $100) for a plain pair and I could never quite swing that, nor could I justify it. (Boy, have things changed!) I never did wear them regularly, but I got them on sale for $40. I'd say I got my money's worth!

I got these shoes in London while I was studying abroad. I just thought these were so cute. I never did get past my love for polka dots, but I probably will not be purchasing more shoes like this in the future. Regardless, they made some of my ensembles that much cuter. I'm glad I had them and romped around London in them.

This is probably the oldest article of clothing I have/had. I got this shirt when I was in TENTH GRADE. Holy crap. I remember because I'd wear this shirt while I was dating a boy named Adam. This probably brings me back the most of all things, because I dressed very different than I do now. I've always dressed FUN, but I wore the wide leg jeans that would hide your sneakers, lots of necklaces (studded, candy, etc.) and basically had a lot of fun with my style. It was really good to let go of this.

My main point is that our clothing says a lot about us. Sometimes we hold onto it because we love it, while other times we just want to hold onto it because we can't actually hold onto the time and place that it was present from our life. 

Holding on to these things may actually cause us to feel stuck more than we realize. Throwing out clothing from another time in our lives can be liberating, and help us to move ourselves forward into the future, as uncomfortable and unfamiliar as it may be.