Do you ever wonder why Spring is the most popular time of year to do that thing called Spring Cleaning? The reason is because the season of Spring is about growth, renewal, it’s a time to thaw out from the long cold winter, let go of the old and step into a new beginning!
I recently attacked my closet and faced it all:
- The clothes that didn’t fit but I hoped would someday!
- The clothes that I loved on the hanger but rarely wore once I got them home.
- And yes, some clothes even had the price tag still on them!
My goal was simple and it’s something that all of us deserve — I wanted to be able to open my closet on any given day and choose effortlessly. We all should be able to do that, I work from home, I don’t necessarily go to fancy galas, most of my clothes are I guess what I would call user friendly, casual, cute, comfortable and timeless.
Three tips on how to tackle that closet!
First, do the Laundry.
Before you do anything else, do the laundry! By doing your laundry first you will know that you’ve actually gone through every single piece of clothing. I know a part of you is thinking, if it’s in the laundry it’s because I wear it! Still do this because you want to be able to assess the shape of your clothes too- for example, does it have a hole or is it time to retire it?
Create One. Big. Pile.
Now, put all your clothes on your bed in one big pile. I know that sounds like a hassle and a bit messy, but the thinking behind it is once you get everything off the hanger and out of the closet AND it’s all in one place, it’s much easier to be able to recognize what you want to keep. For example, if you are like me you might have 4 black button down shirts, if I have them all together I can make a better choice as to what to keep and what to let go of. Now looking at this pile may initially feel overwhelming but you are going to be shocked at how quickly you can move through this pile; 1-2 hours tops!
Does it actually Spark Joy?
Pick up each item and as Marie Kondo says, “does it spark joy”, meaning does it give you a good feeling? If it sparks joy, then naturally you keep it! Now I have an addendum here, is it functional? For example, the multiple pairs of black leggings I have don’t exactly spark joy, but they’re functional, I feel comfortable and I wear them a lot. If that’s the case, look at these pieces carefully and decide if they need to be freshened up, do you love it so much that they’re a little holes in it or it’s all pilled under the arms? Do they feel fresh or do they feel a little stale? If stale is the answer, let them go and go grab some fresh pieces.
How to handle the moment of indecision!
What’s the expiration date?
I was recently following a fashion stylist, and one thing she said was “clothes have an expiration date”! I never thought about that before! And I’m not referring to like what’s trendy or in style, because that doesn’t really interest me, but an “expiration date”! Who I was five years ago, is very different than who I am now and who I am becoming. It’s a valid thing to think about before you tackle the closet. Maybe dust off your journal and write some words down that coincide with who you are becoming and then imagine what style would support that.
Donating is good for everyone!
And as for those items that you haven’t worn in forever, with the exception of special event items of course, have never worn or doesn’t fit anymore? I would challenge you to donate it. Move that energy out of the closet and make room for some thing else that can bring you more joy, more sexiness, more anything, other than you storing a bunch of clothes that never get to go out and live their best life. Marie Kondo says “storage is where dreams go to die”. So move them out! As far as where to donate? So many places, Thread Up, Silk Roll, Poshmark, those big bins in the parking lots of grocery stores, thrift stores or even Goodwill, Salvation Army, or a homeless shelter or women’s shelter. There’s someone out there that would love to wear that piece I assure you!
Still not sure what to do with it?
And lastly, let’s say there are a couple of items that are not easy to say goodbye to. For example, maybe they still have a tag on it or maybe you just haven’t found the right pants to wear with it? Then make a small section, very small, in the front of the closet where it’s the first thing you see. Now make a promise to yourself, if you haven’t worn it in the next 8 weeks, then it’s goodbye. One more trick, when you go to hang that piece of clothing in the front of your closet, turn the hanger around, if the hanger is still on the other side in 8 weeks, you know you didn’t wear it.
I hope that helps and brings you some inspiration to dive in! Happy sorting!
