CLOSET EDIT - Part 1

It is important to go through your closet periodically (about once a year) and edit its content. Doing this will keep your closet more organized and up-to-date. Keeping your closet clutter-free will also shorten your decision process each morning and keep you from staring at your closet and thinking “I have nothing to wear!”. Let me just warn you before we get started, that editing your closet can take a full day, so be sure to set aside time to do so.

Since this is also a lengthy process in terms of description, I have made this a several part series, so be sure to check back again tomorrow for the continuation of this discussion.

Step 1 in Editing: Categorize!

Working from left to right in your closet, pull out one item at a time and put it into one of 4 piles designated, “yes”, “no”, “maybe”, and “storage”.

You should only put something in the “yes” pile if it answers these 3 questions:

Is it flattering?

Do I love it?

Is it in style?

If it doesn’t answer all 3 questions, then put it in your “no” pile. If it isn’t flattering, then toss it unless it’s something that can be tailored to make it more flattering. If the style in general doesn’t flatter your body type (we’ll get into dressing for your body type another day), then you need to get rid of it! Only use the “maybe” pile as a last resort if you can’t decide what to do with it. Come back to it at the end, or try it on and get someone else’s opinion. Everything in your “no” pile should be bagged and donated to a place like Good Will. Organizations such as American Veterans and Purple Heart will come and pick up your unwanted goods. Another way to know if something belongs in the “no” pile is if you haven’t worn it in over a year.

As for your “storage” pile: this is for something that has sentimental value that you would never wear again, and yet you can’t seem to part with it. Examples would be an old prom dress, the shirt you wore when your husband proposed, or an old cheerleading/band/or varsity jacket. These are also things you could hold on to for your kids to wear as dress up one day. You will never wear these things again, but it’s ok to keep them. Just don’t have it taking up valuable space in your everyday closet. Box them and put them in a storage closet or attic.

Lastly, if you have something in your “yes” pile, but it is no longer current or fresh, you can demote it to be used as your lounging wardrobe, or something you wear to bed or to the gym. I like to use my old sorority t-shirts as nightwear or to work out in. They’re still perfectly nice t-shirts, but it’s not something I’d wear out and about anymore, like I did in college. So, just use them for a different purpose!

Tomorrow, I’ll talk about organizing your closet, now that you’ve weeded out the unusable items. Stay tuned!