Do you feel overwhelmed every time you walk into your closet? Does it feel like you have nothing to wear? If the answer is yes; it might be time to purge that closet. For some of us, that’s a hard step to take because as women, we attach a lot of emotional baggage to our clothes like:
Awh, my dad took me camping in that shirt.
Oooh, that’s my first-kiss sweater.
Yep, I rocked those jeans back in high school!
Everyone needs an ugly Christmas sweater, right?
The list goes on and on― and who really knows why we hold onto things the way we do? However, being a pack-rat or showing up on the next episode of “Hoarders,” isn’t the answer either. Plus, if your closet is a burden to your mental health; time to take care of yourself.
If you want to get control of your closet, these simple tips might help. Take a look…
Questions to ask yourself:
- Does it fit?
- Will I ever wear this again?
- Is it damaged in any way? (rips, stains, missing buttons, broken zippers, fading. etc.) Will I FIX it?
- Is it in style, or represents my fashion goals?
- Have I worn this in the last 12 months?
- If I went shopping, would I repurchase this?
- Do I feel confident when I wear this?
As you go through your closet if any of the questions listed above are a firm “NO!” it’s time to figure out what to do with those pesky “NO” items.
What choices do you have when purging?
- Selling your clothes at a consignment store
- Donate
- Swap
- Trash
Selling: If you have nice things that you paid good money for, and it feels like a national tragedy tossing them in the garbage; you can take them to a consignment shop and sell them for cash. I know a lot of women who make good money selling their clothes and you could too. It’s an exciting adventure worth trying.
Donate: Giving your clothes to those in need is always a good thing. Check your area to see if there are any Women Shelters, Cinderella Projects or Sister Organizations who could use your donations. Many nonprofits will even come to your house and pick them up. And don’t forget about the Goodwill or Salvation Army. FOOD FOR THOUGHT: If you keep a lot of T-shirts from sporting events, high school or colleges, donate them back to the school, or find a quilter who can make them into a piece of art for a school fundraiser. It’s a neat idea and can bring in big bucks for the school.
Swap: Sometimes we have things that are too nice to throw out, but we’re sick of looking at them. Remember, your trash could be someone else’s treasure. It’s a good excuse to get out the cheese and crackers, pop-open a bottle of wine, and have a fun girl’s night. Invite all your friends and let them bring over whatever they want out of their closets and see what happens. You’ll get rid of a few things, and you might find a few must-have’s for yourself. Win!
Trash: If you own things that are beyond repairs like old bras, tank tops, underwear and other personal items you can’t donate, swap or sell; throw them in the trash. Good riddance, right?
How to tackle the closet?
- Take everything out of the closet. (If you can, I mean everything!)
- With each item you go through, ask yourself the above questions ^^^^ and then start sorting.
- Make piles for KEEP, SELL, DONATE, SWAP, and TRASH.
- Make a FOLD PILE. Things that shouldn’t be hung on a hanger, like sweaters or other bulky items that will lose their shape.
- If you can afford space saving hangers, now would be the time to purchase them. It will give you more space and make everything look uninformed.
- Hang all the clothes you’re keeping. USING THE “HANGER STRATEGY”―Which is: Hanging all the hooks backward. After you’ve worn something, then put the hook forward. This will show which clothes you wear often, and those you don’t. After 6 months, if those hangers have never been turned around, you should consider tossing those clothes out, because, most likely, you’ll never wear them.
- Use dividers, bins, basket and other closet organizers to keep all your folded clothes in order and easy to see.
- Don’t forget about your floor space or behind the door for scarves and shoe racks. Try to utilize all available space efficiently.
Everyone has their own way of organizing, so make this chore… fun. Get a glass of wine, turn on some tunes and purge away. Once you’ve finished; that overwhelming burden will be gone. PHEW!
