My Walk-In Closet Paints an Ugly Picture of Overconsumption

How to begin a slow spend year

Photo by Sarah Brown on Unsplash

I’ve been hiding from my closet. It’s not hard to do. It was built as an extension to my house, so I can just avoid going in there. Unless I need clothes. Or it’s time to do the laundry, which also shares that space.

I finally approach the massive chaos that is the room with great trepidation. I sit down and start sorting, knowing that it’s a chore I can’t avoid forever. With every item I sort, I’m facing a prime example of ridiculous overconsumption.

I’ve been reading books lately about the environment, so I’m all too aware of how clothes end up in landfills. I assess my collection and wonder why I thought I needed all that is stuffed into this small space. I’m one person. This is far more than I need.

Consumer Culture Offspring

But I have been raised by consumer culture. Accumulation culture. Style-as-status culture. Even as I try to unwind and decolonize my mind, there’s still that impulse to buy now. Even the term conveys urgency.

So, when my favorite boutique pops up with a deal on yet another cute wardrobe piece I really don’t need, what do I do? From the evidence in my closet, it’s clear I often succumb to the impulse. I’m not sure how many…