Has it hit you yet that it’s 2015? A brand new spankin’ year?! Time for a fresh start with enhancing your life whether that be health, fitness, beauty, career, travel, relationship or style. Many people via social media are posting about how they started some type of cleanse. That got me thinking about why not a Closet Cleanse? Can you believe that women only wear between 20-30% of their wardrobe? I know, crazy and a waste of closet real estate.
Below is my Top Ten List of savvy tips for clearing out last year’s excess clutter starting with your closet. Make room for the new year and build a better wardrobe while even making a few extra dollars.
- Buy two large plastic bins for Donate and Sell piles. This will force you to start decluttering your closet.
- Schedule time. This task can be daunting and overwhelming so enlist a good friend or personal stylist to help and lock it in your calendar. Set aside at least two hours.
- Organize like items. Put all your jeans together, all white t-shirts, black pants, printed tops, etc. and then set aside the one’s you wear MOST often.
- Try it on. For the pieces you DON’T wear often, see if they still fit or just need a bit of tailoring. Keep if yes to both. Donate or sell if they don’t.
- Keep asking yourself. When going through your closet and trying things on, ask yourself, “Would I BUY this item today?” If not, donate or sell.
- Don’t forget your Accessories. Get rid of worn out shoes, costume jewelry that’s chipped or discolored, cheap handbags that are fraying around the edges, hats you never wear, etc.
- Donate to a local charity, there are so many that could use merchandise to help raise funds for their organization aside from The Goodwill and Salvation Army.
- Sell it. When selling clothing and accessories do your homework. It only takes a few minutes to Google the item you’re trying to sell and see if it’s worth selling. Another alternative is to visit a locale resale/consignment store to ask their opinion. The rule of thumb for sellable preowned merchandise is to make sure: a) Items are in good condition (no holes or stains, sticky zippers, missing buttons); b) made by a popular brand like J. Crew, DVF, Rag & Bone, Banana Republic, etc.; c) or designer labels like Gucci, Prada, Chanel, etc.
- Merchandise your closet. Create new outfit pairings and hang them together. This will make it easier to dress in the mornings.
- Store it. Pack or store your spring/summer clothes during fall/winter and vice versa. Try flat clear garment boxes with lids that you can store underneath your bed or hang pieces in another closet if you have space.
If you are in Southern California and need help editing your closet, contact me HERE.