Closet Cleaning Tips

Lord knows that I have many areas where minimizing is difficult, but fortunately for me, clothing is not one of those areas. Every season, when I'm switching out my cold-weather clothes for warm-weather ones, or vice versa, I like to purge my entire wardrobe of all the unneeded stuff. It's so therapeutic. As corny as it sounds, I feel like I'm a beautiful autumn tree shedding its leaves with the changing of the season.

Clothing leaves, that is.
(source)

To help determine what to keep and what to toss, I ask the following questions:

Did I use it last year? If you went through an entire cold-weather season without wearing that sweater, it's highly unlikely that you'll wear it this cold season, either. Let it go.

Does it fit? If those shoes still give you blisters after you gave them an entire season to "break in", it's time to let them go. If the item in question is uncomfortable to wear, or way too baggy, or so tight that it's not classy to wear, then let it go. Set those items free and give them the chance to live with someone with just the right shape for them.

Is it in good condition? Believe it or not, this is the one I have the hardest time with. I think, "Oh, it's just a little stain," or, "That hole is barely noticeable." But the truth of the matter is, I am then choosing to wear stained and holey clothing. Why do that when there are so many other perfectly good clothing items in the world to wear? And even if they truly are unnoticeable to other people, YOU know it's there, which ties into the next question...

Does it make me feel good when I wear it? If it makes you feel like a slob... if it makes you feel immodest... if it makes you feel fat... if it brings up unpleasant memories... Get rid of it! Don't be afraid of ending up with only a few pieces of clothing. It is better to have one drawer of clothes that make you feel confident and beautiful than a whole closetful of clothing that make you feel like garbage.


And now you know the secret to how my wardrobe only takes up three dresser drawers and two feet of closet hanger space-- but it is all filled with clothes I love.