Closet Detox
We meet again. Hopefully you’ve been keeping up with me, your “closet correspondent” and have visited me yet again with an open mind and open closet, looking for more tricks and styling tips. If you haven’t and this is our first time meeting, then welcome, you came at the perfect time because today I want to touch on a topic I’ve been asked about quite frequently: cutting down your closet. Obviously, I don’t mean cutting down in a literal way but rather deciding what to throw out or donate and what to keep. Ironically, this is something that I used to be terrible at, but have now mastered through tried and true effort and I want to share with you some pointers to make this process as painless as possible. Because let’s be honest, our clothes are kind of like our babies, they hold sentimental value and memories within their fibers and it can be an arduous task deciding what to keep and what to give away. Keeping that in mind, let’s dive in.
There are so many factors that come into play when deciding what to keep or what to donate but a good place to start is to have designated piles. Keep it simple with “keep” and “don’t keep.” I begin my cleansing process by doing a general sweep where I haphazardly go through my closet and dresser and get rid of the obvious pieces I know I for sure do not want. I call this “round one.” Once round one is completed we can begin the next stage of cleansing which is removing those pieces that need to be professionally cleaned or tailored. Maybe you have a pair of pants that are too long and need to be altered or a coffee stain on your favorite blazer that needs to be dry cleaned, once you create a separate pile for these types of pieces you can graduate to the next phase of sorting, the phase that is probably the most difficult.
After your first two initial rounds of closet purging you should be at the stage where deciding what stays and what has to go isn’t so clear. You’re torn between your current aesthetic and that thought that goes, what if I have an outfit that requires this sweater? Or, maybe acid wash denim will come back in style one day...I understand the turmoil, after all our wardrobe is an expression of who we are and we don’t take that lightly. So, what do we do? I’ve rounded up a few questions that I always ask myself when I’m at this specific phase of the closet detox process.
If I was shopping and I saw this garment in the store, would I purchase it today?
Why haven’t I worn this garment in so long and has that reason changed?
Do I own three or four different versions of the same garment and do I need all of them?
Does this garment hold sentimental value? Perhaps an old college t-shirt can be
repurposed as a pillow case, quilting square or tote bag instead of taking up precious closet space.
Is your sole reason for keeping a garment because you spent a lot of money on it? Let go of that guilt and let go of that garment.
5.Is your sole reason for keeping a garment because you spent a lot of money on it? Let go of that guilt and let go of that garment.
6.Are some of your garments “trend specific?” If the trend is gone, the garment should be as well.
7.Am I a different weight/size now and does this garment reflect that?
8.Is this item a“what if”or“just in case”garment?All of your closet should be a“for sure” not a “what if.”
9.Does something else in my closet go with this garment?
10.Am only holding on to this because someone bought it for me?
After answering these questions, I have one more for you. Did approaching this process with the prescribed guidelines help you the way they have helped me? I have curated these guidelines over the years and using this formula has helped me tremendously whenever I need to do a closet detox. Whether you’re doing a seasonal closet cleanup or making room for new items or if you’re preparing to move and need to purge, these questions will always be relevant to the process. Remember that your closet is personal, it's a reflection and extension of you and I want you to feel confident in what your wardrobe beholds. Deciding what to keep and what not to keep can be difficult, there’s no denying that but it can be less daunting with a little guidance. On that note, happy cleansing!
Sincerely,
The Closet Correspondent
