Cleaning out your closet

[mrsjamesdean]

Purged out my closet around this time last year and still haven't rebuilt it, and my wardrobe is still empty with only 15 items or so added through out the year. However I still have the urge to edit, has I feel many of my clothing is unflattering in terms of fit or not right.

 

[Blodeuwedd]

I've slowly been editing my closet and I'm glad that I have. I've had pieces I've kept for sentimental value but haven't worn in ages. Years! Shoes are next. I need to convince myself that I can let go of things in order to buy newer, better fitting more wearable pieces. Less is more. But it's a hard transition. I find that it's easier for me when I got a new Ikea closet storage piece - when clothes weren't fitting I knew I had to get rid of the old in order to keep what was worth it.

 

[Style Realist]

How to Be Your Own Editor

Cleaning out your closet is all about removing emotion and taking a look at your wardrobe rationally.

I recently purged my closet and found so many pieces that were ill-fitting or just not flattering that I had held on to for so many years because (a) they were too expensive to toss out; or (b) they were too beautiful to toss out (even though I never wore it because it didn't work with my body type).

But once you clean out your closet, even if there are big gapping holes in your wardrobe, you start to focus on the pieces that work well and fit you well and make you feel great. And then you can invest in the staples to help fill in those holes!

*Mod edit*

 

[ShoestringTravel]

Here's a great blog with some articles about getting rid of excess clothes and how to function with what you have left:

http://www.everydayminimalist.com/

 

[T_C.]

In the process of doing this... it's a hard road. You really have to be ruthless or you get nowhere quick.
The best part of it is selling the culled items on ebay in order to save up for the items you have been lusting after... it makes it all worth while when you realise that 8 dresses that you have not worn in a year or two just earned you enough money to buy a new blazer that you love and will wear day in day out ... lots of effort required though, but I think it's worth it

 

[softgrey]

good for you...
i keep saying i'm going to put stuff on ebay...
but i never actually do...

.........

 

[Fewormany]

I'm going to move in two weeks, so while paching my clothes a lot won't make it to the new home I'm afraid..

 

[Petit Lucille]

My pointers would be: take your time to check out everything in your closet, and set aside those pieces which you can't avoid looking. If you haven't worn them enough, then before you start tossing things aside, search for ways of altering it through styling or layering so that it gets wearable for you.
Another good way of deciding what to get rid of is to separate everything by cathegories of type, colour, etc. That should rat out any similar things.
And when you have separated all you think is useless, double check if what you kept is functional without any of the other things. I gave away a lot of basics because they weren't appealing to me, and then it got really hard to dress.

 

[two months off]

I...I FINALLY did it! I took out a lot - believe me, a lot - of stuff, and I could still take out more. I moved from a house to an apartment and naturally don't have the same amount of space for clothes/bags/shoes. Also, I was super-honest and was cutthroat about pieces I just wasn't wearing enough, or at all. I also don't have that urge to go out and get something. I just think long and hard when I want to add to my wardrobe. And the fact that I learned how to make clothes weights a lot now. I'm not going to pay for something that I know isn't worth it. I'd rather just make something special for myself.

My attitude in general towards my closet's contents as a whole has changed so fast, and for the better : )

 

[luluposh]

I've been cleaning out my closets for the past two weekends. Finally sorted it: made a huge pile to re-sell, threw out all the pieces I could not donate and have a black bin-liner ready for the charity shop. I have also bought garment covers to house the pieces I am keeping for my "archive"; pieces I know I will not get the chance to wear/rarely wear them, so I would like to store them away from light/dust.

Also finally cleaned out all my papers/sorted through journals/magazines. It feels so nice to finally get rid of things that have been gathering dust.

I now have a clearer idea of the gaping holes in my wardrobe and what I can keep a look-out for.

 

[missbluejean]

Love reading everyone's posts

I haven't done much shopping since I cleared my closet and it feels so good to have almost everything of my important clothes fit in a single suitcase. I plan to keep it that way since
1) I'm tired of going through so much hassle from packing to carrying & claiming my luggage in airports to clearing my schedule to make time for unpacking every time I travel...just to realize I have no need for some of the clothes I brought and have been punishing myself the whole time.
I was in a surfing trip very recently and led a backpacker's life, how convenient that was!
2) I'm moving (again) to another apartment sometime this year and cannot be bothered with the excess stuff, I may have to purge again.


This may belong to another thread but posting it anyway since it's kind of related - I thought of joining the clutterfree challenge a few weeks ago but chickened out before I could click the register link

 

[carolinab]

I'm doing my "post holidays" and "pre school" cleaning of my closet and I found sooooo many stuff. A lot of it it's almost new so I think I'm going to try selling it to some friends and the things that are old are going to be donated.
Luckily now I'm more conscious of what I buy and the fact that I have a "style" now it's a way to stop buying clothes that I'm not going to use.

 

[Srdjan]

I should really need to clean my closet, I think I will throw away more than 50% of the stuff. And the idea of cleaning that mess frightens me!

 

[Mocha_Love]

My wardrobe consists of so many beautiful items that I love looking at, but will never wear...should I keep them or should I toss them?

 

[lucy92]

i cleaned out my closet again this weekend. i ended up with another maybe 4 hefty bags of stuff i need to donate. unfortunately the bar that holds all my hangers has partially collapsed. i will need to take everything out again when i replace it. and i better replace it soon as it could pull out some plaster.

 

[allegra]

My wardrobe consists of so many beautiful items that I love looking at, but will never wear...should I keep them or should I toss them?

Once or twice a year I have a clothing swap with some friends. We pick a Sunday afternoon and have some wine and snacks, and we all bring the items that we don't wear but are having a hard time tossing. It's a lot easier to let those things go when you see how good they look on someone else.

If you do this, I'd advise a suggested limit on the number of pieces and explain that the purpose is to get rid of the pieces that are a little harder to let go. Otherwise you end up with one or two people who bring the giant garbage bags full of everything they have hoarded for the past 20 years, and it gets difficult to sort through everything.

I recently made a clothing purgatory box. That's where I put things I probably want to get rid of, but am not sure I'm quite ready. If it sits in there for a while and I don't miss it, it's in the next clothing swap.

 

[ShoestringTravel]

I recently made a clothing purgatory box. That's where I put things I probably want to get rid of, but am not sure I'm quite ready. If it sits in there for a while and I don't miss it, it's in the next clothing swap.

I do this, too. It really eases the "transition," so to speak. Not using it for a couple of months and realizing you didn't even miss it usually is a sign that you can live without it. Love the "purgatory" name!

 

[ThisIsAYes]

I do it once a year and there's no questions, if I see I didn't wear something in a very long time I donate it all.

 

[softgrey]

in the process of editing...
it's going slowly and it's not so easy...
but it feels good when I know I've made the right decision...

some things I'm just not going to get rid of — ever...
and that's ok...

 

[ChrissyM]

^^I'm doing the same at the moment...
kind of forced into it because I'm in the process of moving
Am having a very hard time letting a lot of stuff go! And as a result I'm keeping most of it

I'm having an easy time getting rid of some of my old gym clothes though
Much less attached to that stuff

Still, it's nice to rediscover a lot of the great stuff I have, and as a result I haven't been tempted AT ALL to go shopping.
I certainly don't need anything.