Cleaning Out Your Closet: Tips for Getting It Done

Today we are going to talk about getting your closet in tip top shape. If you missed it, I published a post last week about starting a capsule wardrobe. Getting your closet cleaned out will be the first step in creating the capsule of your dreams. But even if you aren’t planning a capsule cleaning out your closet and getting it into tip top shape is something we all need to do regularly.

I am going to say this. We hold on to too much. Don’t hate me yet. It’s true. You don’t need the jeans from high school or your prom dress and even your wedding dress could probably go. We hang on to too many things and we need to free up the space for a few reasons.

First, it makes it easier to shop your own closet. Your clothes have space to breathe, and they get worn more. Happy clothes make a happy owner. Second, if you haven’t worn it, you probably aren’t going to. If you liked it that much you would have already worn it. Third, you are holding money in your closet that could be in your pocket. I know we all like to think about Carrie Bradshaw, “I like my money where I can see it, hanging in my closet.” But let’s all be real. I would rather the money be in my purse.

Where To Start?

Before we do anything we are going to plan…

Choose to start on a section of your closet (workout gear, dresses, jeans, etc…) or start in a location (dresser, drawers, bins or hanging racks). This is going to help you sort this into manageable sections. Work on that area until it is complete. Working on one task at a time is always better than switching back and forth.

The next thing you need to do is create four containers for your purge:

• Keep: These will be all the items that you intend to keep in your closet. It may seem pointless to pull it out if you are going to keep it but there is a method to this. You want to completely clear out the space before returning items into it. Trust me.
• Sell: These are going to be your current and in excellent condition items. Current means that they are within the last three seasons (no more than 18 months old). You want to make sure there are no stains, misshapen items, pilling, fading and more than normal wear and tear. I am telling you this, so you don’t waste your time. There is nothing worse than spending the time to list items or bring them to a reseller only to be given everything back. Be critical. Is it just something that you value, or does it have real value? ***Note*** you are at best going to get 25% to 30% of the original value of your items. The higher you list pieces the longer they will sit so take that into consideration.
• Donate: These are your items that are in good condition but maybe aren’t in excellent shape to sell or are also a little out of date. I love to donate to the local women’s shelter or a foster care resource center. Please think before you donate to Goodwill.
• Trash: These are your items that have holes, stains, out of shape. Remember that donations should be in good condition too. Trash items can usually be turned into rags for your home too. We take them and cut things into squares to limit how much we waste.

When is it time for a clean out?

This is going to vary a lot for different people. Some are going to find it helpful to purge a few times a year and others will want to do it more consistently. This year I instituted a new rule for myself. Each week I try to get rid of at least three items. I either list them on Poshmark or I start a box to bring to Style Encore.

These are a few rules you could use…

• At the end of each season {September for summer, December for fall, March for winter and June for Spring}
• When my closet feels crammed.  If I have an issue finding room on the rack for a hanger, then I make myself take 5 to 10 things out of the closet. I also don’t buy hangers. I have the perfect amount for my closet. When they are full, I need to get rid of something.
• When all my shoe cubbies are full.  This also keeps me accountable to only keep shoes that I have an organized space for.

How do I know what I should keep?

Now that we have a plan for cleaning out and we know where we are starting let’s talk about what we should keep. If you are working on a capsule this would be a good time to refer back to the capsule wardrobe post. Remember we want to purge but we also want to be left with items in our closet so only get rid of what you know needs to be gone. These are some questions to ask yourself.

• Do I love it? Sequins are something I love, and I keep almost all of my sequin pieces. This is something I am ok making room for, and it makes me happy, so they stay. There are also other items that I just love. Certain dresses and sweaters. I know before I even start to purge that those items are going to stay no matter what.
• Matching equation. If you are on the fence about an item picture how you would wear it or style it. Do you need something to go with it? Does it work in your existing wardrobe? If the item works with a lot of your closet, then keep it. If it needs something to make it work maybe it is time to go.
• Set a number. Are you someone who collects plaid button downs or cardigans? What about jeans? The truth is, depending on your lifestyle, you are only going to need so many of these items. So set a number. I will keep 5 shirts, 7 cardigans or 3 pairs of jeans. Again, assessing your lifestyle (work, social, etc..)
• In style or out of style? So, this one can be a little harder depending on your personal style. I don’t worry much about what it in or out even though I do love a trend. Remember trends don’t die, they just hibernate. I personally love things from other decades like boot socks, lapel pins, hats or 70’s fashion. No matter what is in or out I am going to keep a lot of those items. However, if you are someone who likes to wear things that are more in fashion you need to audit each item with this, was this style in a store within the last four seasons? If the answer is no, then maybe it is time to move on. NOTE: There are items that people consider “timeless” like shift dresses and jeans styles. I will say that while these do some in and out of trend, they usually are slightly different each time they return. Take time to think of what you may want to do when the trend comes back around. Chances are you are going to want to invest in something new.
• How does it make you feel? To me this may be the most important one. How you feel in something is paramount. Does it make you feel sexy or fierce? Does it make you feel powerful? If it pinches, throw it out. If you feel frumpy, trash it! Do not keep things that do not feel good on you.
• Does it fit? This one is probably going to get the most pushback. Get rid of your “skinny jeans” You know what I am talking about. The size 6 jeans that sit in your closet until you get back into that perfect size. I am going to give you two reasons you need to get rid of them. First, they are mocking you. No one needs that kind of motivation to go to the gym or lose weight or whatever it is you are trying to accomplish. Shaming yourself into a “perfect” size isn’t helping you. Get rid of those shady jeans and be free. Second, if you do achieve your goal, you deserve NEW JEANS! You heard me! Do not settle for the old jeans if you hit a big milestone like that. TREAT YOURSELF TO BETTER JEANS!

What do I do once I purged the closet?

So now that I have purged everything what do I do with it? I am going to give you a breakdown of some of the reselling services I use from the easiest to the most labor intensive.

Style Encore

To me using Style Encore is the easiest thing for me. I can bring in my containers and they go through them that day and pay me cash for my items. This is probably the lowest return on getting my money back on items, but it is simple and my favorite way of getting rid of a lot of things at once.

When I am planning a Style Encore trip, I make sure all my items are laundered and folded. I separate them by style to make it easier for the shop to look though my things.

Thread up

Thread up is a little more simple but not as quick of a return. You need to order a bag and have it delivered to your home. Then you fill the bag and return it to the post office. When you request your bag, they will give you a series of questions about what you want to do with the items they don’t want and also how you would like to be paid. It takes a few weeks to get everything back and get paid but I do find they pay out a little more than Style Encore.

Poshmark

This is where you are going to make the most money. Poshmark is going to give you a bigger market to sell your clothes. You set the prices so you can ask for whatever you want for the items that you have. This is a more time-consuming process. You will have to provide a photograph of each item plus you will need to fill out a listing for each item you want to sell. I usually try to do a little research on the items I want to sell too making sure that they will be priced to sell. The second complicated item about Poshmark is you will have to bring your items to the post office once you package them. Overall, this is usually worth my time because I am making more on each sale.

I want to leave you with a few thoughts. The first is that this does not have to be done in a day. Things like purging can become very overwhelming and then you just want to stop doing it altogether. If you take it slow and work section by section, you will be happier and feel lighter in your closet.

XO,

Tiffany