The Best Way to Clean-Out your Closet in 2018
New Year, New You. We all know the phrase because it's literally everywhere right now. Whether it's eating healthier or kicking old habits, the New Year is a great time to get motivated. I believe, however, there is an absolutely crucial task that must be done to make our lives stress-free for 2018, and it's the closet clean out. Some people may hear these words and would be happier to start the Whole 30 diet sooner than stepping into their wardrobes for a detox. While yes, it seems like a frightening task, the scarier truth is that overstuffed closets are one of the biggest wastes of time, sanity, and energy. Surprisingly enough, a closet with an abundance of clothes is the reason why we never seem to have anything to wear. You'd think it would be the opposite right? The truth is that too many clothes in a closet blocks vision and confuses our brains, so much that the owner would sooner buy more clothing than have to deal with it. If this is you, believe me, you are not alone. I help people everyday in their wardrobes and today I'm going to share with you the absolute best and most efficient tips to cleanse your wardrobe for 2018.
1. Start with Shoes First
I say this because many closets have a large build up of footwear accumulating on the floor. The ground should be free of all clutter before purging any clothing (As well as for day to day life!). Get rid of any uncomfortable or worn shoes and keep only what you love. Put the rest on the shelving already in your closet or on shoe racks. Toss the hanging canvas/cloth shoe holders!! These take up precious closet space and are evil!
2. Take EVERYTHING OUT
It's easier to put pieces back in a wardrobe than it is to take them out. Remove all clothing and lay it on your bed. Also, **if possible** take out all things that are not clothes, accessories, shoes, etc. and store them somewhere else. Now take a moment to go back and look at your closet. Spend a good minute or two to behold the glorious and magnificent amount of space. Don't skip this part--it's important. Now every piece of clothing has to earn their right to enter back into your wardrobe and be worthy of their spot in the closet kingdom. Long live the Queen of Fashion.
3. The Magic Questions
You'll now sort through what is on the bed and make a yes, no, and maybe pile for all your pieces. To determine what category each goes in, ask yourself these questions:
- Does it fit?
- Is it in good condition?
- Is it comfortable?
- Can I wear it multiple ways?
- Does it fit my current lifestyle?
- Do I love it?
BEFORE
After
**The pictures above are a client's closet I did this week!**
4. The Three Piles
The "YES" Pile
If the answer is a solid "yes" to all 5 questions above, take the clothing piece off of your wire or plastic hanger and put it on a velvet one and start your "YES" pile. Velvet hangers are no slip, improve visibility, and best of all save space.
Once your "YES" pile has reached 10 pieces of clothing, go put it back in the closet. Observing that spacious closet disappear will make you pickier in your decisions of what stays and what goes. Make sure to place things back in your closet first by sleeve length, style, then color -- sleeve length is most crucial as it will keep clothes from getting lost in your wardrobe.
The "Maybe" pile
Not sure? Don't dwell on it too long. Spending too much time debating on one piece of clothing makes this process a lot longer and more draining than it should be. Any bit of doubt and put it in the "MAYBE" pile. When you do get back to it at the end, I stress that you try it on. Sometimes we have just forgotten how much we like a piece or how much we hate it. I can't tell you how many clients were about to throw away a piece until I urged them to try it on one more time!
The "No" pile
The most obvious pieces that go in the "NO" pile are ones that don't fit, are too worn, uncomfortable, or you just plain don't like it anymore. Tastes change and that's ok. Be real with yourself and go with your gut. Fluctuate weight like me? Take all the clothes that don't fit (that realistically may fit again one day) and put them in a box. Don't leave them with your clothes that fit now as it will drain your time in the morning as you debate what fits and what doesn't. Put the rest in bags and donate to the charity of your choice!
5. Don't be afraid to ask for help!
There are two things that people get stuck on with Closet Clean Out. The first is the question, "Can I wear it multiple ways?" A lot of times we will really like a piece but don't know more than one way to wear it, if any ways at all. They either hang on to it and never wear it, making it apart of the closet chaos. Or they toss it, which is also a waste. The second thing that trips people up is their "MAYBE" pile, either questioning fit or being afraid to toss something that could be used. Wardrobe Stylists can be extremely useful in making this process a whole lot easier! Not to mention help you style all the great pieces you kept so that you look amazingly fashionable for the New Year!!
Until Next Time,
Wear it Out!