01.17.08
10 Great Tips for Cleaning Out Your Closet
It’s a new year and it’s time to create a new you. If you’ve been wanting to update your image, but you don’t really know where to start, looking in your closet is a great first step. Once you organize, weed out, and see what you’ve got, figuring out what you’re missing is that much easier.
Getting dressed should not be stressful. But when your closet looks like this, it will be.
Think of how much easier dressing will be when you know where everything is, can see all your clothes, and the ones that are hanging in your closet actually fit.
Here are a few tips to remember when working through your closet:
1) Designate an area in your room for three piles: “keep,” “toss,” and “alterations.”
2) Start with your pants. Sift through your closet and drawers and find every pair of pants you own. Take them out and put them in a pile on your bed. Try each pair on and evaluate how they fit, how they make you feel, if you wear them often, are they over-worn and in need of replacement, are they still working for you, and do they still deserve to take up prime real estate in your closet?
3) Once you’ve answered those questions in your head, add them to either the “keep, ” “toss,” or “alterations” pile.
4) Repeat with your shorts, skirts, dresses, suits, tops, sweaters, jackets, shoes, bags, jewelry, etc.
5) You should now have three big piles in your room. Start by bagging all the “toss” items into large trash bags. Load them into your car right then and there, otherwise they will sit in your garage for months and slowly start working their way back into your closet. Take them to your favorite charity after you’ve finished your closet.
6) Bag your “alteration” items in a different type of bag so that they don’t get mixed in with the toss items. Take these to your tailor the next day so that you don’t delay looking fabulous in your newly discovered clothes that now fit well.
7) Now it’s time to put all your “keep” clothes back into your closet. Start with your sleeveless tops. Arrange them from lightest to darkest. Then move to your short sleeve and long sleeve tops. Again, arranged from lightest to darkest.
Do the same with your sweaters and jackets.
9) Now it’s time to add your skirts, then pants, then dresses, all arranged in descending color order.
10) By this time your closet should be looking much more organized and user friendly. You should now be able to see exactly what you have, where every thing is, and what you are missing. This would be a great time to make a shopping list of items that you would like to add.
Don’t forget, there are image professionals, like myself, that can help you with this whole process. Life is too short to not look and feel your best every day!