THE SUPER SIMPLE GUIDE TO PURGING YOUR CLOSET
Your closet is overflowing yet you have nothing to wear. Every day, you open those doors and are frustrated with the selection (or lack of selection) and grumpily throw on that same dress that you feel like is the only thing that looks good on you. Here is a super simple guide to purging your closet.
I wanted to share this with you because I don't like that you feel that way. I want to help you walk confidently out of your house every single day, comfortable and happy in your outfit. You are beautiful and I want you to look at yourself and feel it every day. Please do not misunderstand your clothing does not define your beauty. The clothes we wear can affect how we feel. Especially knowing that people judge us based on appearance.
Having more in your closet does not mean you will find getting dressed easy it is actually quite the opposite. An overstuffed closet can cause you a great deal of stress and an inefficient way of getting dressed in the morning. Your living environment can cause some serious strain on you emotionally. Last week, I gave you all the reasons you needed to purge your closet now I'm giving you an effective way of purging your closet.
Just to make sure you don't forget any of the steps, I've added a free downloadable at the end of the post!
1. EMPTY YOUR CLOSET
When I say empty it, I mean EMPTY IT. Everything from closets, drawers, storage, your car – everywhere. Once you see all the clothes you own in a giant pile, you will want to reduce the mess. It isn't as evident when you do not have it all in one very visible place. Seeing it all will be shocking to you, but it will motivate you to light a fire (figuratively...don't go burning your wardrobe!) Place the clothes where it will be in your way like your bed or the middle of your bedroom floor.
THE BENEFITS OF EMPTYING YOUR ENTIRE WARDROBE
- You can see exactly how much junk you have.
- And you'll be forced to evaluate it.
- You will have to clean it in order to use your space again
You won't be able to rest until it is clear. You are now ready for the first phase of your purge!
READ: 7 REASONS YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR
2. SEPARATE YOUR ITEMS
Categorize your items by type (skirts, dresses, jeans). This will help you determine how many of each item you need to keep. For example, if you realize you have five black skirts, you know three or four of them can go!
You will want to begin thinking about the items you actually need at this point, but don't put anything back into your closet just yet! We will make a wardrobe guide a little later so make sure to come back!
3. CREATE PILES
Organizing your clothing into different piles will help you have a clear view of what you need and don't need and make purging your closet that much simpler. Create piles in the following categories:
KEEP
These are the clothes that are perfect for you. You love them, you wear them all the time and they fit you well. Check out 7 Reasons You Have Nothing To Wear for help with what to keep!
TRASH
These are items that are stained, torn or worn in a way that cannot be repaired. Consider turning them into something useful like cleaning rags, but other than that, you probably will end up pitching most of these items
REPAIR
These are items that need a hem fixed or a button sewn back on. I will say that if you know you will never make this happen, go ahead and add it to the next category.
DONATE
These are items that you can no longer use, but probably won't sell at a consignment shop
SELL
You may have items that you barely or never wore that can be turned into cash! Make sure to find out what your local consignment shop is purchasing. A quick phone call will give you an idea of what to bring to them.
4. EDIT
Going through one category at a time, you should identify which of the five piles these items belong in. Once you do this, take a look at your "keeps" and re-access. Every time I purge I find that the first way through, I'm more lenient on my pieces. Doing this twice will help you maximize the amount that goes away. Here are few questions to ask while purging your closet.
- I really love this item, but when is the last time I wore it?
- Is this piece versatile enough to wear more than one way?
- Does the color of this item flatter my skin?
- Does the silhouette of this item flatter my shape?
- Can I picture myself wearing this at least once a week?
While you're at it, go to your underwear drawer and throw out those that have holes and stretched elastic. You just don't need that in your life.
5. TAKE ACTION
This is the most important part of purging your closet. You now have all your piles ready, now they need to IMMEDIATELY be taken to their prospective places. Drop things off at the thrift store, get the repairs done. Otherwise, these items will find themselves back in your closet cluttering your life again.
First, you will want to add your keep items back into the closet. If you take another look at something and feel it could be a sell or donate, leave it out and reevaluate. Remember the idea is to remove as much as possible.
Next, I would suggest putting your donate and sell items directly into your car. If they are in your house for too long, I guarantee they will find their way out of the box. Next, it should not stay in your car too long either. One day, you will spill coffee on your outfit, remember the box of clothes in your trunk, pull out a shirt and say "hey! why am I getting rid of this?" Again, it will be back in your closet.
Last, once you have these items in a box, refrain from opening that box. Treat that box like a plague coming to destroy you. Treat as a foul being that you want as far away from you as possible. If you don't these things will end up back in your closet
So we've said a lot here! Go ahead and click the link below to download the super condensed version so you can get to work on those overflowing closets! Oh, and if you have any questions along the way, email me hello@tiffanyima.com and I would be more than happy to help!