Whether you hate it or love it, we can all agree that it’s a time-consuming and sometimes even an emotional task. I’m talking about cleaning out our closets, dressers, accessory drawers, etc.
I happen to be one who enjoys the task, probably because I do it often enough that it’s not so daunting. Every month I designate a few hours to sort through my closet, purgeing pieces that I’ve A) either worn so much that it’s embarrassing, or B) haven’t worn in months and are thus taking up valuable closet space. I like to style complete outfits including jewelry on a hanger. This way I have a few weeks worth of outfits set and ready to go!
If you’re not one to do this often, I have a few tips that can make this task a little easier and more enjoyable.
#1. Call a trustworthy and stylish friend and make it a date! {You will return the favor for him/her of course.} It’s always good to have a second opinion and it’s an opportunity for that friend to take home some of the items you no longer want. It’s a win-win!
#2. Jump right in, starting with the easiest wardrobe pieces first. Go through your sock and underwear/lingerie drawer, getting rid of anything and everything that has holes, stains, or has lost its shape. Move on to your P.J’s and lounge/fitness clothing. Same rules apply as above. Just because you’re going to work out or lay around the house doesn’t mean you should look frumpy or dumpy. Lord knows there are TONS of adorable lounge/workout wear that are JUST AS COMFORTABLE as your ex-boyfriends XXL destroyed hockey sweatpants. Gross.
My idea of cute lounge wear
My idea of fitness wear. You don’t have to wear a sports bra and booty shorts to the gym. But get rid of the sweat pants and old high school t-shirts. Save those for painting the walls and cleaning the garage. T.J Maxx and Target have some of the CUTEST lounge/fitness apparel at truly affordable prices.
#3. Jeans, pants, shorts and skirts come next. Get rid of anything that you can’t even get your body into. Unless they’re just a little bit too tight- don’t waste your energy thinking that “someday” they will fit. If you loose weight and drop a few sizes great- go out and celebrate by buying some new jeans!
Make four distinct piles:
1. Trash: no one will want it/or buy it from Goodwill.
2. Donate: Items that no longer fit your lifestyle or have gone out of style. Donate to a shelter/Goodwill or give to a friend.
3. Tailor: You still like the item but it needs to be taken in, hemmed, buttons replaced, etc.
4. Keep: Looks fabulous and FITS. It needs to be a 10! When in doubt, store it somewhere else in the house for three months, if you haven’t thought about it or you randomly come across it a year later. GET RID OF IT. Seriously…. do it.
#4. Keep working through your closet piece by piece- trying on everything and getting your friend’s opinion. Finally, after everything you own is sorted into piles, go through your pile of “KEEP” clothes (which should literally be in a pile) and start creating new outfit combinations. I say keep things in a pile because you would be surprised at how many outfit combinations you come up with when you literally see random articles of clothing laying on the floor next to each other. Challenge your friend to style some cute outfits. She/he will likely have some great suggestions that you may not have considered. I suggest keeping a notebook to write down these outfits. Then you’ll be able to pull it out whenever you feel like “I have nothing to wear”. Also write down any items you feel are missing from your wardrobe. Like “This top would look awesome with some of those trendy red jeans!” or “Time to get rid of all these old white cami’s, need some new ones!”. This way you’ll know what you NEED and what purchases to make a priority. As you put together some great outfits, hang them towards the front of your closet so you’ll have a selection of outfits for the next week or more.
#5. Start to put your KEEP clothing back in your closet in an organized manner. I suggest taking the time to iron the wrinkled pieces- since it’s likely that you will avoid wearing something that isn’t ready to just throw on and go. Organize with intention. Personally I like to color coordinate. Some prefer to put similar styles together ex: tanks, short sleeve, long sleeve, dresses, work clothes, etc. A great tip I learned online was when cleaning out and organizing your closet- make sure all of your hangers are facing the same direction. As you wear articles of clothing, put them back in your closet with the hanger facing the opposite direction. After 4-6 months- any articles of clothing that have a hanger in the original position obviously have not been worn and need to be purged! It’s a great tip as long as your remember which direction to hang your clothes. (And obviously this only works for clothing that you hang.)
#6. Last but not least- go through all of your shoes and accessories. Anything broken that cannot be repaired should be thrown away. Items in good condition that you no longer wear should be donated or given away. Valuable items that you do not wear should be kept in a safe place outside of your closet. Items that get use should be cleaned and stored properly. Take the time to wipe down, clean up your scuffed shoes. If your budget allows it, it’s a great idea to store shoes in clear plastic boxes, the original box they came in, or spaced out on shelves. Jewelry should be separated to avoid tangles and damage. I love to display my jewelry throughout my room on my dresser, on shelves, in neat bowls and jewelry displays.
Finally, don’t forget to accessorize the outfits you’ve pre-styled by adding scarves, necklaces, earrings, bracelets to the hanger. {I’ll get a piece of ribbon and tie to the hanger with earrings pierced through.}
7. Congratulations- you’re done! You should feel great! Thank your friend and make sure you agree to return the favor. Make the trip to donate your items in good condition. Get to the tailor right away- if you wait you will never do it and these un-wearable items will just clutter up your closet again. It will be refreshing when you can easily see everything in your closet, knowing that they all look great and are ready to wear. You should also have some new ideas for updated outfit combinations!
Please let me know what you think about these suggestions. Do you have any tips of your own? How often do you clean out your closet? Let me know if I’ve missed anything!
{Neat, clean & Organized!}
Great ideas, thanks for sharing!