Your Closet: How 2 Determine What Stays and What Goes

An organized closet – where do you start?

For most people, this is an overwhelming task, and while it might not be your favorite thing to do with a bit of free time,an organized closet makes it easier to get dressed in the morning, pack for a trip, or mix ‘n match newly purchased items. Here are a few tips on how to get started.

A good rule of thumb is if you haven’t worn it in a year, it goes. While you may have some special occasion items that you didn’t get a chance to wear, the rest of the things didn’t get worn for a reason – either you’re over them, they don’t fit correctly, they were a gift, but not really something you would wear and so on. It’s no surprise that we like to wear the new things that we get and tend to forget about the old. There’s nothing wrong with that! (If you need help determining what you wear, as soon as you use something, turn the hanger around. At the end of the year, you can easily see what got worn and what didn’t.)
If you haven’t worn a shirt because the neckline is a bit too low, have a tailor put in a snap or sew a piece of fabric across the front or maybe the dry cleaners shrunk it. Whatever the reason, either decide to have it tailored or get rid of it. Life if too short to have things that are just okay or things that you only kind of like. Work on getting pieces that make you feel fabulous – even if it’s just a simple, but well-cut tee. In other words, don’t fill your closet with junk!
An item should go if it just isn’t you. If you like cardigans over button down shirts and love preppy combinations like pink and green, then it’s time to say goodbye to that boho top or that edgier skirt. Your sense of style will change a bit over the years, but you’re not going to morph into someone totally different.
When you’re going through your closet, also think about color. Color on the bottom half of the body is fine, but color up by your face is a different story. As a general rule, very few women look good in tan or camel (by the face). It’s a very hard color to pull off and usually does nothing for your complexion. Also be careful of anything that’s muted colors – it may be washing you out! Jewels tones are great, as well as teal, blue or purple. Blondes can wear gold and brunettes can wear silver. It’s not so good the other way around. Again, if it does nothing for you, get rid of it! Now is the time!

I know this may seem overwhelming, and if it is, you can call in a professional like myself. But after 7 years of going through closets, everyone tells me the same thing, “This is so liberating!” Nobody calls me to ask if they can have the red blouse back or the clunky pair of black shoes. They are ready to start shopping with a purpose and buying things that they love! There are a ton of charities willing to take your old items. For some ideas, click here. For more ideas on how to get rid of things, what dates you, and what you should have in your closet, check out my previous newsletters here.