What this blogger learned from downsizing her closet for 30 days
For the start of spring, “GMA” is featuring ways to embrace spring cleaning for your wardrobe, your home and in the kitchen.
One mother, who describes herself as an "inspiring minimalist," decided to strip her closet down to just 38 items in what's called a capsule closet. It's an effort to bring peace to a morning ritual that can be overwhelming and time consuming for some.
"Life is really busy. To have a home that is calm and organized is kind of one of the best gifts and retreats I can give to myself," blogger Jessica Rice of New York told ABC News, adding that "being a mom to a toddler" and expecting her second child in April leaves little room for "mental space to spare."
"I wanted to get to a place where I looked at my closet and had a sense of peace and calm about it," she continued.
Rice, 35, created a capsule closet last summer, only leaving 38 items, including tops, bottoms, skirts, dresses and shoes. She tried just wearing these items for 30 days. Originally, her closet boasted approximately 120 items.
"A capsule wardrobe is made up of things that you absolutely love," she explained, noting that she got rid of any items that she was saving for a glamorous event, or those pair of jeans that don't quite fit anymore.
Rice told ABC News what she learned after creating a capsule closet, and how those who are undergoing spring cleaning can simplify their closets.
What is a capsule closet?
"A capsule collection is a set number of items," Rice explained, noting that it could be as little as 10 items.
"But it excludes accessories," she said. "You can still have all the jewelry that you want ... and it doesn’t include outerwear."
How do I even start to cut down my closet?
"My process was to take everything out of my closet and think about ... the things I really love and get a lot of use out of," Rice said.
After her first round of cuts, Rice realized she still had 50-60 items.
"I had to do a second round of cutting back and [I] asked myself, 'What am I really going to use?'" she said. "It was a great challenge to have ... it forced me to wear everything in my closet."
Will I have more laundry?
"We have a rhythm of doing laundry once a week and I was pretty good with sticking to that same schedule," Rice said. "Most of the items in my closet were all machine washable and not requiring dry cleaning."
Still, she noted that she was "more careful" in wearing her outfits, especially when cooking or playing with her son.
"I made sure I wore an apron because I really couldn’t afford to get a grease stain," Rice said with a laugh, "because I’m probably going to need this outfit in the next seven days."
Any other advice?
Rice said creating a capsule closet doesn't mean you have to throw out or give away all of your clothes. Instead, store them somewhere else.
"I picked my items then I packed away the things that I wasn’t going to wear," she explained, "so I was only looking at the things at my disposal."
Rice had one more hint for those willing to try.
"A color scheme can be helpful in terms of mixing and matching things," she said. For her closet, "it kind of developed on its own," she said. "I really learned what colors I’m drawn to when it comes to my clothes, and the range of colors -- such as coral, blue, white, black and gray."
