5 Tips For Cleaning Out Your Closet
5 Tips For
Cleaning Out Your Closet
At the beginning of the summer, I started to feel frustrated by my wardrobe and a little bit of a fashion rut. Turning 30 for me is right around the corner, and I realized I’ve been dressing/styling myself the same way as I was when I was a teenager. Not that any of it was bad, I just want to feel like a more elevated version of myself as I enter this new decade.
Enter Candace Read, we’ve been friends for a couple of years, and I’ve always admired her approach to and expertise with style. She so kindly offered to come to visit me and help me clean out my wardrobe and newly renovated closet. Fast forward to last weekend, and we did just that! While I had several months to prepare, I learned and was surprised by a lot through the process with her and wanted to share my learnings. In case you’re planning to clean out your closet, you MUST read these five tips.
A well deserved belly rub break, LWH did a great job supervising
SO many extra hangers!
TIP NUMBER ONE
identify your goals
Before beginning the process, identify your “why.” Is it because you want less clothing? Do you want to compartmentalize your wardrobe into different categories, such as workwear, weekend wear, etc.? Understanding why you want to clean out your wardrobe and what you’d like your end result will guide your future decision-making.
For me, I wanted less clothing and to let go of items that no longer fit and/or made me feel good. I wanted to create a safe space within my closet that I enjoyed going into rather than being overwhelmed every time I went in.
tip number two
mentally prepare yourself
While I knew the process would be tiring and draining, I was not expecting how emotional it would be. I knew and wanted to get rid of things, but I wasn’t prepared for the flood of memories and sentiments I’d have about certain things. I’ve also started to accept that my body has changed, and while I know I am worthy and deserving of wearing clothes that fit today’s body, it was hard to let go of some of the most loved items that don’t fit me the same way that they used to. I’d recommend doing whatever you can to get in the right headspace to make effective decisions. For me, that was putting on some feel-good music and having the presence of Candace and my sister there to support and encourage me throughout the process, taking breaks as needed.
Several pieces don’t necessarily have a place in my functional wardrobe (looking at you, wedding dress), so I have a Rubbermaid bin of stuff in my basement of sentimental things, and I’m not ready to let go of them but is taking up precious space. Occasionally, if there’s something that I’m unsure about, I’ll put it in a “maybe” pile and reassess at the end or let it live a little bit longer in my closet and reassess at the end of a given timeframe.
tip number three
have a game plan for CLOTHING
It’s important to have an action plan for what you’re doing when filing clothing back into your wardrobe and exiting. We used a free-standing rolling rack and pulled out each category simultaneously. We started with all my pants and bottoms, putting every single one on the rolling rack, trying them on, and deciding whether or not it was a keep, give to a friend or donate. We continued this process for jackets, tees, sweaters, and dresses. I highly recommend starting with pants/jeans because it was THE WORST, and the rest seemed to fly by. Let me reiterate how helpful it was to have Candace there to hand me stuff and help decide and my sister to organize what was coming and going.
I purchased a box of heavy-duty contractor bags and created categories of what was going where with post-it notes. Things pile up and can get easily overwhelming, so having a labeled system of where things were going was key to keeping things under control. I received many questions about selling my items from this clean-out, but I decided to donate to a women’s shelter for those in need locally. I will consider closet sales in the future, though!
When filing clothing back into your wardrobe, it’s important to create a system that feels good for you. For me, I like to color coordinate items and also by fabric and sleeve length, but I encourage you to find a system that feels right for your space. I also had all of my swimsuits taking up precious real estate in my drawers but decided to move them into a bin in our basement during the colder months to make room for sweatshirts that didn’t need to be hung. It’s helpful to think outside of the box a little bit and make sure you’re utilizing your space most effectively. Another reason why it’s helpful to have a second set of eyes and perspective with you while doing it!
tip number four
make a shopping list
As you are purging and exiting items from your wardrobe, try to identify gaps and create a list of what you’ll need post-clean out. For me, it’s been years since I’ve purchased basics. All of mine were worn and ready for retirement, so that is something I will need to shop for soon - I will keep you posted on my findings!
Included in this list of items you may need, I also needed a bunch of functional and organizational things to maximize the space. A few of my recent finds include these purse dividers, over-the-door hangers, and adhesive hooks. I also purchased this two-sided laundry bin for donations to be handled monthly (a new goal I’ve set for myself). In my line of work, it’s so important to stay on top of it, as things are arriving at my home every single week, and it builds up fast. I also purchased this mini clothing rack which fits beautifully in the space. I strategically chose this size so that it didn’t get too overloaded and overwhelming, and I could place incoming items or things that I wanted to wear or photograph that week. I also purchased this vertical necklace organizer, which is a winner! You may find that you have different functional needs in your space. Feel free to leave any of your favorite solutions below and keep scrolling for more of my closet organizational finds.
tip number five
be consistent, thoughtful, and considerate moving forward
While you may be excited to fill in the gaps and shop, don’t forget all the hard work you just completed! When moving forward with new purchases, consider how that item fits into your wardrobe. It may be helpful to create a mental checklist before buying. Can you instantly think of three to five ways to wear it? Does this piece work for my shape and silhouette? Am I having an emotional moment? Is this a thoughtful purchase? These are all questions I will be asking myself from now on.
A couple of weeks post-clean out, I feel much more productive, excited, and comfortable with my closet and getting dressed. I know every single piece that exists in the space, and things are hanging comfortably, not stuffed to the max. I plan to do another large clean out in the spring, but now that I’ve created more of a system, I’m hoping it won’t be such a heavy lift.
I’d like to sincerely thank Candace for helping me with this process and blog post. I learned SO much from this process, I hope you did too. Feel free to leave any other questions I may have missed below. Happy to answer! Thank you so much for reading. xx CMK