The start of a new year is a good a time as any to start cleaning out your wardrobe. After the past almost two years of not going out as much and working from home, I know my wardrobe could definitely use a refresh. I try to go through my closet once every few months, but the new year is always a great reminder go do a big clean out. That way you can help set the tone for the rest of the year!
After you go through your closet, it’s easier to see what items you gravitate to more often, and where you have gaps in your wardrobe. This is super helpful to buy only what you need!
Below is my list of things I go through when cleaning out my closet
- DON’T do everything at once!!!
Cleaning out your closet can easily be overwhelming, and you’re less likely to give up if you go in sections! I break out my closet into categories (jeans, tops, sweaters, etc), and go through each category at a time. I usually take a quick break between categories to not get too bored, and see how many I can get through and stay motivated! Even if it’s only doing 30min a day, that’s better than nothing.
- Try on everything
I know it seems unnecessary, but trying on everything is the best way to clear out your closet. When you try each item on, you can mentally go through a list
- Does it still fit?
- Do I still love it?
- Will I wear this?
If the answer to any of these questions are “no”, then is it worth keeping? I also check how is the condition of the item. Is it past its time? For white shirts is it still white, are the sweaters pilling, etc.
If it’s a sentimental item, does it need to take up room in your closet, or can it be kept safely somewhere else? I keep a plastic storage bin in my basement of sentimental clothing items that I won’t wear, but want to keep. That way I still have it, but it won’t take up valuable closet space!
- Sort into separate piles
To make it easier on myself to organize, I break out my closet into a few different piles. I make one pile to keep, one pile for donations, and one pile to sell. Some higher priced items I will sell (I like using Poshmark personally), and use the money to go back into my wardrobe. It is time consuming so I only use it to sell items of higher value that I have! For most of my items, I do donate, or let family and friends take anything they’d like.
- Organize
Once I’ve sorted my clothes into what I’m keeping, I’ll them organize by color and item type to really see what I have together. When you line up all you white t-shirts next to each other, do you really need all of them? Did you know you have as many as you did? Organizing like items is the easiest and fastest way of knowing what you have at a quick glance.
Having a place for everything will also help you keep organized, since you know where everything has to go! Maintaining a clean closet isn’t always easy, but once you have system down it helps create a routine.
After I really clean and organize my closet thoroughly, I only need to do quick clean outs throughout the year to keep everything nice and neat. This year I am also trying to invest in more quality pieces that will last me years rather than trendy items that only last a few months. While I may not have as many clothing purchases, I will only have pieces I absolutely love, and will wear for years to come!
Shades and Stripes 
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