At 27, I moved to the US from Venezuela with my whole life in 2 suitcases.

It was very hard. But I was also SO excited to start a new life in a new country. (this is a very simple version of this story LOL)

And the hardest part? My shoes. I had over 100 pairs (nice ones too 😅), and I couldn't bring them all.

But want to know something crazy?

I don't even remember which shoes I kept. And I surely haven't thought about the ones I left behind.

7 years later in 2021, I did it again.

This time, we sold everything we owned to travel the world. (I had about 15 winter coats back then LOL)

I was terrified. But after we got rid of almost everything, I truly felt like a new person.

So if you're scared to let go of something in your closet right now, I get it. I've been there (twice!).

📬 Missed an email? Here's what each one does

This week's edit uses everything from the last 3 Thursdays:

• ​Set a 5 minute timer and try THIS with your closet: you pick 3 bottoms and 3 tops for the trip you take most, and find your non-negotiables (the things every piece has to be for you). It solves: not knowing what to keep and why.
• ​Same 8 pieces. 3X the outfits.: why tops that go with all your bottoms give you more outfits from fewer pieces. It solves: buying new pants just to wear one top.
• ​Your colors, explained (the simple version): how to find the colors that make you look tired, with ChatGPT and a mirror. It solves: tops you loved on the hanger that never make it into your suitcase.

💛 Why letting go feels SO hard

I've learned that letting go is never about the clothes. It's about the feelings attached to them.

Every piece in your closet comes with a little story. The top you fell in love with at the store. The pants that fit 2 sizes ago. The dress that cost way too much. The jacket you're keeping "just in case."

When I read your replies, the same 4 feelings come up again and again: love, hope, guilt and fear.

Once you can name the feeling, it gets so much easier to decide what to do with the piece. So let's name them.

💕 Love

This is the piece you fell in love with. The color was perfect. The stripes were so cute. It looked amazing on the hanger.

But it just sits there, and you never reach for it.

Maybe you've caught yourself thinking:

"But I love it!"

Loving a piece on the hanger is not the same as loving it on you. You can love a piece and still let it go.

👉 What to do: Try it on with 3 things you're keeping and ask yourself: "Does this still feel like me?" If something about it bugs you (the neckline, the fabric, the fit), it doesn't pass your non-negotiables.

*and take note of what you don't like, so you don't make the same mistake again.

🤞 Hope

This is the piece that used to fit. You keep it because you hope it will fit again one day. And when it does, you'll feel confident in it again.

Maybe you've caught yourself thinking:

"It'll fit again soon."

Here's the hard part about hope. Every time you open your closet, those pieces remind you of what doesn't fit, instead of showing you what does. And they make you feel a little guilty every time you see them.

So please, have grace with yourself. It's ok! I get rid of clothes that stop fitting ALL THE TIME! You're not supposed to fit your clothes, your clothes are supposed to fit YOU!

👉 What to do: If it buttons and you truly think you'll wear it soon, keep it (but no more than 3 pieces like that). If it hasn't fit in a while (12 months), it's time to part ways. Your closet should celebrate who you are today, not who you were yesterday.

💸 Guilt

This is the piece that cost too much. Maybe you bought a designer dress only because it was 80% off. Maybe you treated yourself to something you don't even like anymore.

Letting it go feels like admitting you wasted the money. So it stays.

Maybe you've caught yourself thinking:

"I paid too much to let it go."

But the money is already spent. Keeping the piece won't bring it back. It just keeps the guilt hanging in your closet.

Just because you spent a lot on it doesn't mean it deserves a spot in your closet.

👉 What to do: If you don't love it, don't wear it, and feel guilty every time you see it... you know what to do. Take it out so someone else can love it.

😟 Fear

This is the sneakiest one.

Maybe you've caught yourself thinking:

"What if I need it one day? What if I get invited somewhere? What if I regret it?"

Our brains are wired to avoid loss, not chase simplicity. That's why we keep things "just in case." But most of the time, that "just in case" never happens.

Remember my 100 pairs of shoes? Leaving them behind was the hardest part of that move.

And today, I don't even remember which ones I kept 😅

The only way to show your brain that it will be ok is by doing it.

👉 What to do: Keep one outfit for a funeral and one for a wedding. That's it. Everything else has to earn its spot like any other piece.

Love, hope, guilt and fear.

Every one of these feelings is normal. You're not doing anything wrong by feeling them. And you're certainly not alone.

But here's the truth: the pieces you're scared to let go of are usually the ones you haven't worn in a long time. You're already living without them.

They're just physically there. Doing nothing.

So this week, you're not giving anything away. You're just putting things in a bag.

✅ Here's exactly what to do this week:

You don't need a whole weekend for this. You'll be amazed at how much you can do in 30 minutes.

1. Grab one bag and a full length mirror. Pick a day you feel good in your body, because you'll be trying things on.
2. Set a timer for 30 minutes. One category at a time. If you only get through your bottoms today, that's a win!
3. Start with your bottoms. Pick your favorites (10 is a good number to start) and try each one on with your favorite tops. Keep the ones that work with at least 3 different tops.
4. Then move on to your tops, dresses, shoes and layers. Each one has its own test, and I break them down below.
5. Two more things go in the bag: anything that doesn't pass your non-negotiables (like comfort), and any top, dress or layer in one of your NO colors.
6. Close the bag and put it somewhere you can't see it. Don't donate anything yet!

What to check in each category:

👖 Bottoms

Pick your favorites (10 is a good number to start) and try each one on with your favorite tops. Keep the ones that work with at least 3 different tops.

👚 Tops

Try each top with the 10 bottoms you're starting with. Keep the ones that go with at least 3 of them.

👗 Dresses

Dresses work a little differently. They get bonus points for being versatile:

• You can wear them in more than one season
• You can style them more than one way
• They’re easy to layer (a cardigan, a sweater or tights)

👟 Shoes

Put each pair next to the bottoms and dresses you kept. Keep the pairs that go with most of them. Please don't keep shoes that only match one piece.

Then do the comfort test. If you can only wear them when you're planning on sitting down a lot, it's time to let them go.

Keep one dressy neutral pair for weddings and special events.

🧥 Layers (cardigans, blazers, jackets and coats)

A good layer does more than keep you warm. It pulls your outfit together and can completely change the vibe of the same top and bottom.

Try each one on and ask yourself:

• Can I wear it over a sweater? If it's too tight to layer, it goes in the bag.
• Can I wear it on its own too? It should look good with just a tee underneath, not only as part of a 3 layer outfit.
• Does it make me look put together? My trench is my jacket AND the "I look put together" piece. That's the goal.

For coats, keep the ones that do different jobs. I have a wool cocoon coat, a trench and a puffer, and each one has its own job. But 3 black wool coats? Those are doubles.

Stuck on a piece? Ask yourself which feeling is talking: love, hope, guilt or fear. Then do what I shared above for that feeling.

This is a great opportunity to look for doubles. Doubles are pieces that do the same job, like 3 denim jackets or 7 black dresses that all look alike. Keep the one that fits you best and is in the best shape. Keep 2 if it's a piece you wear often (like me and my beloved crop tops).

And the same color doesn't make it a double. Black jeans and black ponte pants do different jobs, so if they both pass the test, keep them both!

🍂 Do this every season (focus on fall/winter right now)

This isn't a one time thing. Do it for the season you're in right now, and again every season. Once you stop shopping for random things, it gets SO much faster. Now I only do it once or twice a year, for like 20 minutes.

Pieces that work in more than one season count each time. And if you live somewhere that's warm all year, this is even easier!

Hold onto that bag... hopefully you were able to put some things away today.

Next week I'm sharing the last piece of the puzzle: your body shape. It might change what you keep, so don't give anything away yet.

Leave the bag closed until then. I can almost guarantee you won't miss a thing. Out of sight, out of mind!

👀 Before you shop again

Letting go is only half of it.

If you shop with the same mindset that filled your closet in the first place, you'll end up right back here: a full closet, nothing to wear, and money spent on things you never reach for.

So make yourself one promise: no more shopping with the old mindset.

Before you buy anything new, play with your edited closet for at least 30 days and see if you actually need anything. You may be surprised!

And when you do shop, every new piece has to pass the same tests: your non-negotiables, your YES colors, and at least 3 things you already own.

You've got this. Just get started with one category, set that timer, and trust yourself.

Hit reply and tell me: How many pieces went in your bag? And which one was the hardest to let go?

Tell me everything: what it is, why you've kept it, and how it felt to put it in the bag. Send me photos if you want! It's pretty satisfying to see how you guys get rid of things that don't serve you anymore.

Plus, your replies truly help me shape future emails.

Next Thursday: your body shape and how it plays a role in how you put outfits together.

Thanks so much for being here! ♥️

XO,

Aimara

>>> PS: Want to see what passes the test in my own closet? These are the pieces I've been wearing on repeat this fall.

They pass ALL my tests:

• ​Cropped ponte pants: they don't wrinkle, they stretch, and they work with every single top I packed. I have them in black, navy, morel grey, brown and green.
• ​Cashmere crewneck: warm, chic, packs very small for a sweater, and I can wear it multiple times without washing.
• ​Silk polka dot midi dress: works for summer, spring and fall!
• ​Black sock booties: they go with my studded jeans, my silk skirt, both of my dresses and the ponte pants.
• ​Short trench coat: my triple duty layer. It's the jacket and the "I look put together" piece. Plus, super popular this time of the year in Europe.
• ​Burgundy cashmere wrap: I use it day and night. It's been a scarf and a wrap. I love it so much! (burgundy is one of my YES colors)