Change of Seasons - It's Time to Review Your Closet

Warning!  You are about to experience DETAILED tips about how to edit your closet.  If you do not want to have a more functional closet, STOP READING NOW!

via GIPHY

You're still here!  Congratulations because that is the first step to simplifying your daily "getting dressed journey".  I am going to be honest with you:  this process is not going to be easy and you are going to have to be ready to let go of things that aren't serving you.  The major upside is that when you do this, you are going to be so much clearer when you come out on the other side. 

What do I mean by "clearer"?  When you truly take the time to go through every item in your closet to assess if it's serving YOU and the person you are NOW, getting dressed each morning will become a much easier task.  Putting on the clothes you have hanging in your closet will be much more joyful.  The truth of the matter is, every day you will be putting on clothes that make YOU happy, which is the most important thing. 

First things first:  you MUST set aside enough time for this.  You will need 3-4 hours to go through this process. I know, I know, it's a lot of time, but it will be 100% worth it.  For the most success during this 3-4 hours,  I recommend that you:

• Reduce Distractions - you have to choose the time that is best for you to do this.  Will it be a weekend?  Is there a time when your kids or family are out of the house?  Do you need to take a half day off of work to make this happen?  Whatever it is that will allow you to focus solely on this closet clean out, do it!
• Play Fun Music - As I have mentioned, this is definitely a task.  Try and make the best of it by playing music that is upbeat, fun, and makes you happy.  It will make the time go by faster and it will make the process much more enjoyable!
• Fuel Yourself - Make sure you are caffeinated and have eaten something hearty before you begin (not high carb or you will crash).  Protein, friend!  As I have mentioned, this process is not super speedy and you need energy and brain power, so make sure you are set.  Also, keep water and some quick (non-messy) snacks at the ready if you feel like you need a boost.

THE PROCESS

As you go through your closet, you are going to look at EVERYTHING for the current season, including shoes and accessories.  

You are going to want to have 4 piles:  one to donate, one for trash, one for tailoring, and one for trying on.  You can either use bins or hefty garbage bags for the first 3 piles.  For try on, either hang those items on a rolling rack if you have one, or place them on the bed.  Here's the idea:  you are going to have the items ready to go out the door for donation or the trash and you are NOT going to wear anything in the Tailoring bin until you have had it repaired or corrected. For anything that you just aren't sure about, you will Try-On at the END.  DO NOT STOP your process to try on.  It needs to happen after you have gone through everything.

It's important to Set Your Intention!  The reason you are going through this process is to clean your closet and to get rid of pieces that don't fit your body and/or no longer fit your style.  

Go through every item and ask yourself these questions (keep in mind that if you are unsure, they will go in the Try-On pile):

• Does it serve you and speak to the image you want the world to see?  If not, donate it.
• Does it make you feel amazing?  If it does not, donate it.
• Does it fit well?  Are there visible signs of wear?  If not, ask if it is something that a tailor can fix?  If yes, are you willing to spend the money to have it altered?  If yes, then put it in the tailoring pile.  If not, donate the item if it's in good condition or trash it if it is too worn to donate.
• How often do you pull the item out and not wear it?  Why is that and is there anything you can change to make it feel better?  Determine from here what you want to do (you will likely want to try it on at the end).  If you are willing to try and find a way to wear it, keep it, otherwise, donate it.
• Was it gifted to you and you have never worn it?  If you think you may wear it at some point, put it in your Try-On pile.  If it is completely not your style, donate it.
• Are there still tags on it?  Why haven't you worn it?  Put it in the Try-On pile and either find a way to make it something you love OR if it just doesn't feel like the right vibe, donate it.

KEY TIPS FROM YOUR STYLIST

• As you are going through your closet and you run across special occasion items or costumes that you want to keep, put them either in another closet, inside of a storage bin, OR in a section of your closet that is less accessible that doesn't occupy a prime location in your closet.  
• I recommend that you have a memory box for pieces that you just can't get rid of that don't serve a purpose for you to wear.  This could be something like an old jacket of your Dad's or a sweater of your Mom's, or even a first date outfit or whatever "memory" type of things you will never wear again, but do not want to get rid of.
• DO NOT keep things because you feel guilty.  This may be because they are "new" and have never been worn or were gifts.  If they are not something that you will wear: 
• they are just taking up valuable space, and 
• they only serve to make you feel even worse every time you see them hanging in your closet.
• DO NOT just keep something because you are worried you will have nothing left to wear.  If it doesn't fit you or your style, it is not serving you and you need to let it go!  It's dragging you down!
• As you go through your closet, have a piece of paper handy to make a list of items you need to shop for.  If something you LOVE that still fits your style is threadbare and completely worn out, you can add it to the list and try and find a similar replacement.  Same idea goes for something that no longer fits.  Add it to the shopping list.
• After your edit is complete, you may wish to turn your hangers as you wear an item.  This will help you keep track of what you actually wear and what you have not for the NEXT time you edit your closet.

You did it!  Congratulations!  Reward yourself with something because you truly deserve it!

Keep in mind that many women will complete a closet edit twice per year as they turn over their closet.  Not everyone has space for two closets and that's okay.  Once you make a closet edit part of a routine, it will be much easier to complete the edit each time.  I recommend doing this on either a specific holiday or a specific date.  Like changing your smoke detector batteries on the Autumnal or Spring Equinox, it helps you to remember to do it!

While this can be a stressful process and a time-consuming process, at the end it is extremely satisfying and you will have an enormous sense of accomplishment!

If you need help with this, I offer a partial closet edit inside of my 3-month Next-Level You Package where I also work with you to define your true-to-you style, help you shop for new pieces that go with that style, and provide looks to take the guesswork out of getting dressed.  In addition, you have me to create looks as needed through the duration of the package.  I love helping women in a capacity that allows them to really dive in, update and uplevel their style and their life!

Stylishly Yours,

PS - Come back next week where I will be sharing some tips for organizing your closet!