Need to declutter, but not sure how to clean out your closet or when to let things go? Here are a few things I like to consider when cleaning out my closet.
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When it comes to cleaning out my closet, I am often hesitant. For years, closet cleanout advice has encouraged people to let go of an abundance of items at once because they don’t “spark joy.” This concept, while perfect in an idealist world, has flaws because not every item in your wardrobe is going to spark joy at all times, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value in your closet. Plus, getting rid of a ton of items at once often leads to purchasing numerous new items, spiraling down a continuous cycle of treating clothes as disposable. In an attempt to defy this, I have found myself avoiding getting rid of items, forcing myself to make things work, not to face the guilt of having made a bad purchase to begin with.
I try to be very thoughtful when it comes to decluttering my wardrobe. I want to have a closet I love and feel my best in, but I don’t want to make rash decisions that lead to regret or repurchasing something due to sellers-remorse. Getting rid of a lot of clothing at once is difficult for me because I know that 92 million tonnes of textile waste end up in the landfill each year, and I hate contributing to that. For years, I have held on to items I don’t end up wearing or don’t love when I do wear them in the name of sustainability. But what is truly sustainable is having a closet composed of thoughtfully purchased clothing you love and rewear year after year.
I am at a point where I feel like a lot of the clothing in my closet does not resonate with me. My body has changed since I purchased many of these items years ago during college or post-grad. I’ve found myself so busy with life that I haven’t had the energy to make sure my outfits are aligning with who I am and who I want to be.
I want to start dressing for the body I have, the person I am and the person I want to become. So this is the beginning of a style journey. I am starting with an initial closet clean out, but I plan to also try on every item in my closet to understand how it fits on my body and what styles I look and feel my best in, have my colors analyzed and learn more “styling tools” to see how these can help me feel my best in my outfits. I can’t shop my way to looking my best. I’ve got to spend the time to understand my style better. And since seeing things on camera is one of the most eye-opening experiences for me when it comes to styling, I hope to document it all.
As I’ve analyzed my closet, I’ve come up with a few questions and thoughts to consider that send a light bulb off in my head that it is time to let go of an item.
How To Clean Out Your Closet and Let Go:
Step One: The Piles
When cleaning out my closet, I don’t pull everything out. I like to leave items I know I am not getting rid of in the closet to help keep myself from being overwhelmed. Instead, I pull out items I haven’t worn recently but still like, and items I am considering getting rid of. Those items get added to the style pile.
The Style Pile
The “Style Pile” is a section of my closet where I store the items I need to style before deciding if I am keeping them. You can approach this pile in numerous ways, whether you dedicate a day to styling each piece or pull from it over the next few weeks or months when putting your outfits together. Often, months will go by without me even wanting to attempt to style most of the items in my style pile, which is one of the biggest signs that it is time to let it go.
The “Needs Repairs or Alterations” Pile
If it has a hole, needs the soles repaired or needs to be hemmed or taken in – it belongs in the Needs Repairs or Alterations Pile.
The “I want to keep this, but I will not be wearing it anytime soon” Pile
This pile may consist of sentimental items you never see yourself letting go of, or items that don’t fit you or your lifestyle right now, but may in the future (and you would want to wear them if they did). For example, if you have maternity wear or office wear that you are not utilizing now, but may utilize in the future. If you have the storage space, you may also want to make a seasonal pile of things you love and fit you/your lifestyle currently, but just are not currently in season.
You will want to put these items in a separate section of your closet or store them away outside of your wardrobe so they are not cluttering your mind and closet on a day-to-day basis.
The Resell, Donate and Recycle Piles
Take the items you’ve decided you definitely don’t want anymore and put them either in a Resell, Donate or Recycle pile. I try to extend the life of my clothing items as much as I can when letting them go, so I often start by attempting to resell the items that are in good condition. Whether that be by listing them on a resell site like Poshmark or eBay, or taking them to a consignment or buy/sell/trade store like Plato’s Closet or Clothes Mentor. Whatever’s in good condition and doesn’t sell goes to the donate pile.
For the items that are unlikely to be utilized by others, like T-Shirts you have gotten from 5Ks and volunteering or washed underwear, I try to find a responsible way to dispose of them. I have used the Trashie Take Back bag as a recycling solution, but I am still looking for the best option. Check out their website for a breakdown on what they accept, and their Instagram for some clarification on what they don’t accept. They also accept perfect items and, according to their website, “70% are re-used globally, while over 20% are recycled into new fibers and for uses like pet bedding and building materials.”
Things to Consider When Debating Letting It Go
1. Why did you buy the item in the first place?
If you bought it because it was heavily sought after and you were excited to find it, and then you never wore it, you probably just bought it for the thrill. I find that this happens a lot when thrifting. You are shocked to find a brand or highly-sought-after item at the thrift store and purchase it even though it isn’t your style, and then you don’t end up wearing it. This is the kind of item I would let go.
If you bought the item because you truly loved the style or the fit of it, put it in your style pile and try giving it a go.
2. Try to style most items before letting them go
I have found that it sometimes takes wearing an item a few times for it to integrate into your wardrobe.
For example, I have this vintage dark gray wool overcoat that I bought because I loved the fit of it on me. At the time, I wished it were navy, and I was working from home full time – both of which I feel subconsciously prevented me from wearing the item for nearly two years. It was in my Poshmark pile waiting to be listed, but something (possibly the inconvenience of photographing a long coat) prevented me from listing it. When winter rolled around this year, now that I work in the office a few days a week, I pulled it out again, and it has become one of my favorite and most worn items in my closet.
3. Is there a lifestyle change that will cause you to wear the item?
If you fully work from home now, but there’s a chance you work in the office in the future, that’s a lifestyle change that you might want to keep in mind, and you may not want to get rid of the item just yet.
How You Know It’s Time to Let It Go
1. It’s been in your closet for months or years, you don’t wear it now, and you never did: It’s not a lifestyle change issue – it’s just something that you never liked and never wore.
2. You’ve already attempted and failed at styling it: You’ve put in that work, and that didn’t solve the problem.
3. You have no desire to style the item
4. You have no desire to add it to your digital closet: If you use a digital styling platform like Indyx and find that there are certain pieces you don’t even want to add to the app, that is a sign to let it go.
5. The item has never felt like “you”
6. The item does not align with who you want to be
7. You hate the item in photos or videos: Seeing an outfit on camera is the most eye-opening, enlightening experience. My theory is that this ties in with understanding your body and what shapes you prefer on yourself. I love my mirror, but it gives me a warped view of how things look on me, and seeing it on camera is so impactful.
8. Irreparable damage/issue: For example, the pants are too short and there isn’t enough hem for a tailor to let them out to be the correct length.
9. You physically do not have the space: If you are fighting to get things in and out of your closet, it’s time to be a little more ruthless with letting things go.
10. The item is too high-maintenance: I have these sweater sets that I love and wear frequently, but every time I wash and hang them to dry, they end up with these odd dye-run streaks that are impossible to correct. I finally had to let one of them go.