If there's anything that tests my inner hoarder, it's my closet. Seeing an overstuffed closet feels safe, if only because it means I can put off doing laundry one more day. I like knowing that I have endless outfit possibilities and can clothe myself for any situation that may arise. Ball gown? Yep, I have one. Guess how many balls I've been to or am likely to attend (zero?).
But I've come to realize that I don't want endless options — I want the right options. I want my closet to reflect who I am, and that no longer includes t-shirts from Girl Scout camp. I've put myself on a strict review schedule — every few months I do a closet overhaul with an increasingly narrower vision of what works in my life, and I've become more and more ruthless about making tough cuts. It's taken a while, but I've managed to whittle down my mess of a closet into an edited collection that ultimately feels much more satisfying.
Here's what I do:
1) Choose one category at a time.
It's less overwhelming if you focus on, say, sweaters. It also prevents the scenario where you've emptied your entire closet onto the bed but suddenly it's midnight and you're exhausted but you're only halfway done and you're very sorry you started the damn project in the first place. (Clearly that has NEVER happened to me...like, last week.)
2) Make three piles: keep, consign and donate.
I find a big obstacle to letting clothing go is the fact that you paid a lot of money for it; it feels wasteful to just give it away. But try to think about it this way: if you keep it, you're paying again with wasted space in your closet and by wearing something that doesn't flatter you. Give it to a friend who will love it or try a consignment or resale shop where you can recoup some of the cash. The rest can go straight to Goodwill.
3) In order to keep an article of clothing, it must pass this test:
•Do I like/am I flattered by the cut AND the fabric AND the color?
•Am I comfortable in it?
•Does it fit me right this minute (not when I lose 10 lbs)?
•Can any damage (stains or holes) be fixed?
•Can I think of more than one place I can wear it?
•Does it go with other things in my wardrobe?
•Have I worn it in the past year?
You must be ruthless. These are just clothes, not memories. You get to keep your memories even after the thing is gone; that's how memories work. Of course, certain important items are exempt from purging, i.e. wedding dress, letterman's jacket or baby clothes. It may take a couple of passes to get into the swing of paring down, but the sweet reward is a wardrobe that makes you look great and a streamlined closet that makes getting dressed much, much more fun.
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I seriously need to do this but I'm finding it hard to even think of getting rid of half my clothes (even though I currently don't fit a lot of items - problem with my thyroid).
But my closet is a bit ridiculous and my partner has to have his closet in another room (which sort of works out since he has to get up 2 hours earlier than I do)
If you're going to donate your clothes, try starting out with a list of organizations that will accept your clothing so when it comes time to pare down you know these clothes are going somewhere worthwhile and you won't be tempted to shove them back into the closet.
This is also helpful so you know that these organizations will definitely take your clothes and you won't go home with clothing you're tempted to shove back into the closet.
There are numerous organizations that give work appropriate clothing to people who can't afford it. Of course, Goodwill is a good place for any general casual clothing too. If you have old prom or bridesmaids dresses or even a wedding dress, there are lots of organizations that take formal wear and give it to underserved teens or women getting married who can't afford a wedding dress. I mean, wedding dresses obviously don't have to be expensive but even $300 is a tough cost for a lot of women.
This is something I've been meaning to do now that spring is here. Any winter clothes that I managed to not wear all winter should get the boot. I say should, but it's hard. I'm pretty good about clutter except when it comes to clothing. My trick is between putting things in a donate or consignment box and actually giving them away, I put the box in an out of the way place, like my car trunk. If I go a few weeks without noticing that any of those items are gone, I feel more comfortable giving them away. And I never notice they're gone.
Great tips. I am in the midst of doing this for an upcoming move (to a place with less closet space!). I donated three large boxes of clothing and I feel so much lighter!
The worst closet in my house belongs to my 14 year old. I have set her to the task of pulling out clothes that no longer fit and she has started a donation bag. Some of these smaller clothes still have the tags on them (all jeans). In her case, i think i am going to donate them to her middle school nurse, they keep a clothes closet at the school for emergencies and may find a kid there in need. As far as me, well i have access to three closets, two in my bedroom. I keep up with clearing out, but am guilty of having some smaller pieces that are too smalll that i am hopeful of getting into. My biggest organizational problem and overload is shoes. They all fit, but too many could donate some.
I do this a couple times a year. Such a weight is lifted when you get a couple bags of clothes ready to donate, and I can't think of one item I miss. However, it's amazing how fast things start adding up again... in any area of the home, not just the clothes closet!
I've only kept ONE shirt and pair of jeans for "memories" because it was the outfit I was wearing when my husband proposed. I just can't bring myself to get rid of it. :) It is packed away, of course.
I love the statement, "these are clothes, not memories." So true, and applicable to other kinds of clutter, too.
Regarding clothing donation: don't forget that many organizations, such as the Salvation Army, also accept clothing or other fabric that can't be re-used or sold in a thrift shop because they sell bulk fabric to companies that recycle it. No need to throw anything out!
Great post! I do this all the time...but I'm never very good at it. I think having the "test" will be a good thing to follow. I try to do the 1 year thing, but there have been many MANY times where I talk myself out of those few pieces and swear one day I will wear it. My fiancé will love this...like @STREAM13 he also has his clothes in the guest bedroom. Oops :)
I used to keep clothes because i might fit in to them again one day- but then i realized that if i did finally lose that 10 lbs, then if want NEW clothing, not my old stuff!! now I only keep what fits :)
After hearing horror stories from a friend of mine who has been helping her compulsive-shopper mom move to a new apartment (example: dozens of turtlenecks in cream), here's one more question for the test:
Do I own items similar to this one and, if so, is this the one out of all them that I should keep?
I'm in the process of moving to Seattle, and one of my biggest tasks is clearing out my closet. I have 4 months to reminisce about the coats I bought specifically so they could be tailored to fit me...except I bought them 3 years ago!
These tips are great. I'm printing out the 7 question test and posting it on my closet door as I type!
Ballgown - if you only have one and you would wear it if you had an invitation this month - I'd seriously consider keeping it. It's not like jeans where you have 15 pairs and only wear 5 of them regularly.
I had lots of clothes that I paid a fair bit of money for and it was really hard to get rid of them (I saw the dollar signs whenever I looked at them). But, I did force myself to take them all to a local Value Village.
The consignment store route actually does not work because the consignment store here in town has ridiculous system.
First, you have to book an appointment to bring your clothes in and they will carefully pick what they accept and what they don't. Those appointments were available only at specific days/times, and they were booked full for months ahead.
Second, they accept only dry-cleaned clothes with the dry cleaning tags still attached to them.
Third, they keep 60% of the price they sell the item for and I get only 40% (I am not remember the numbers exactly but it was something like this).
It was easy to do the math and come to the conclusion that it is far less hussle to simply drop the stuff off at VV because I would not make any money on this.
I'm terrified to get rid of my clothes. I have no problems flinging anything else - but over the years I've collected so many beautiful vintage and antique pieces that I never wear. I don't want to get rid of them but where am I going to wear a new look dress or a 1910's day dress except to a costume party? My closet is 95% unwearable "collectors" pieces and 5% wearable things and it's discombobulating to look at that every morning.
But memories stick to clothes!! I'm having a VERY hard time downsizing the sentimental pieces from my clothes. I want to keep the wildfire medical team t-shirt that's falling apart, and the super comfy purple sweater dress that I bought for myself for surviving a surgery, and the shirt I wore when my mom died (I can't wear it, but I can't part with it either)...
My brother came up with an idea that I'll be implementing: Cut up the clothing, and use it as art. The wildfire medical logo will be cut out and framed. The purple knit fabric will be a blanket for a teddy bear who will hang out in a shadow box. The shirt I wore when my mom died will be used as matting for a photo of her.
These tips are great for getting rid of redundant clothing (which black t-shirt/flowy cardigan/pair of skinny jeans is the BEST?) and deciding whether to buy, though.
I try on every item in front of a full length mirror. That motivates me to release unsuitable clothes quickly and without regret! A three-way fitting room mirror would be even more helpfully merciless. It's kinder than asking my husband that no-win question, "Does this make me look fat?"
I shift shirts and pants not good enough to donate to a separate drawer just for yard work clothes. My husband does the same, so I wear his old shirts with the sleeves rolled up when I garden, too. With a yard work wardrobe, we're less likely to ruin our nice clothes. I discard yard work clothes after they develop unpresentable plant sap stains.
I have been both purging AND (carefully) buying a lot lately because the styles at the moment are more flattering on me than they have been in almost 15 years (thank you straight leg and skinny jeans that are not ridiculously low rise, and shirts that don't end above my bellybutton!) I have a lot of nice clothes I bought when I had an office job 10 years ago, and the "value" of them has been what's made me hold onto them (even though they are not of enough value or current style to sell.) But I don't wear most of them because I am not comfortable in them. I'm not much of a clothes horse in general, so buying new things is tough for me, but I'm old enough to know you have to strike while the fashion iron is hot - and is appropriate for your body type! And I feel better about purging a couple bags worth of clothes when I have a few choice items replacing them.
My mom is addicted to shopping, and whenever I visit her, I come home with some of her clothing that, sure, fits me, but isn't my style at all. Purses, too. It usually takes a few months to donate those things, but I eventually get rid of anything I really don't wear. It's harder to do with coats, because those could always come in handy when my current coats get worn out. Except then I end up dragging huge, unworn coats from apartment to apartment, waiting for them to become useful.
Right now, in my dressing room/den, I have 3 suitcases open on my floor. I can't handle the idea of so much unused clothing hanging around, even if it's out of sight, so I'm donating a lot of it. I sometimes go overboard, because I want to get rid of EVERYTHING. Including clothing that fits, just is out of season.
my bad habit is that if i am obsessed about something, for example, a certain color or style, i'd buy similar items.
upon realizing it, i now try to limit one style and/or one color (or two colors, if the style is particularily flattering). i'd do impulse buying but always evaluate during the 30-day return period. if i do decide to keep an item, i'll purge an older/similar item to make room for the new purchase.
i also keep items organized in style and color so that in a quick glance i can tell if i already own something similar or am ready to replace the older item with my new purchase (other than underwear, socks, and casual ts' and tops, i don't put anything in the drawers for easy viewing).
this strategy works for clothing, shoes, and accessories (handbags, jewelry, belts, and hosiery). my closet is orderly, not overstuffed or spilling. since i started this method, i find myself not buying on impulse too often or buying too much, knowing what i already own at home. if i am not ready to replace an older item, i'd rather not buy a new one. if i do, it must mean that i don't like that older item too much, which means easy purging.
in the grand scheme of things, my ultimate goal is to have a lean and mean closet, only keeping and using what i really love and what really flatter my current body, taste, and age. slow going for now but it'll get there.
I have three shelves and one small rod of hanging clothes, including undies, pajamas, sporty stuff, everything. My daughter has one shelf. DH has half of the closet and he needs more space because he is less organized, he had more bulky stuff, and he may have more items as well.. But all in all the 3 of us fit our clothes in a single bedroom closet and it's not crammed.
I only buy what I absolutely love and that I can see becoming a favorite (and I only want to have favorites) and generally do not buy unless it is to replace something worn out.
Getting dressed is so easy, I never have to do anything but reach my hand and grab something..
Donate your nice works clothes to Dress for Success - this really helped me pare down my business wardrobe without feeling so bad about myself.
I just made a t-shirt quilt for a friend whose brother died last year. We selected 20 of the HUNDREDS of t-shirts he had kept, the ones that his family felt were most meaningful to him.
It is possible to repurpose clothing and textiles in useful ways. But I think what the author of this piece said, "these are clothes, not memories" is genius.
I'd add something: don't keep items only because they fit and are in a good shape. I've done it for years, and you end up wearing items you don't like anymore, and don't buy new, more flattering ones because you already have that shirt in that color. I'm all for avoiding unnecessary purchases, but after 10 years, I really should buy a few new t-shirts without a guilty conscience...
Next January, after my child's birth and a few months of diet, I'll bring down the content of my closet and really get rid of those items. The local Salvation Army is about to get a LOAD of old but perfectly cared-for clothes. And baby clothes too.
The only thing I can't part with is my wedding dress. I know I'm never ever going to wear it again, it takes a lot of space, but... I just can't. It got partly torn during the evening (dancing !), but I just got it dry-cleaned and didn't touch or repair it. I gave away the what-it's-name that goes under the dress to make it bigger, but the dress is here to stay.
Like @Adorn, I have a collection of things I don' actually wear, mostly Chinese brocade jackets and tourist grade kimono. (I WISH I had the top quality kind!!) I reserve a corner of my closet for this stuff, and ignore it -- they aren't mixed with my wearable wardrobe, and "someday" I will "do something" with them. Honest! ;^)
I do a wardrobe purge twice a year, spring and fall. I make snap decisions about things I finally know I won't wear again, and I try on things I haven't worn to see if there is a reason which I have forgotten (like fit.) I have developed a "style" for myself, based on years of realizing what works for me and what doesn't. I rarely buy things that don't fit the pattern: long and short sleeved knit tees, and sleeveless tank tops, in silk, cotton, or quality synthetics, usually in a solid color; wash and wear slacks, usually in a solid color; vests, jackets and "camp shirts" that are more flashy, often ethnic in pattern or cut, and which help disguise my less-than-optimal figure when worn over a tee. I recently added a few tees in patterns, with some plain color jackets, just for variety. I never get skirts or dresses, no matter how cute -- not my style.
When I do my wardrobe purge, I figure out gaps in my color scheme that might make something more easily worn. (Like a cool jacket that I really need a lemon yellow tee for.) I mainly shop thrift, so when I pinpoint something like that, it's what I watch for on my thrift expeditions.
I've bought some things, notably jackets, that I never wore, even though I really liked them. Sometimes because they turned out to be too warm to wear indoors at work. Those get re-donated to the thrift shops I frequent. Shopping thrift, I have a big wardrobe always in flux, but it's fun and generates many compliments and comments on my shopping savvy, so works for me!
I have a tiny closet , help!
I am looking for a white one max 50" wide, so hard to find .
Like someone said earlier, there are a lot of other places to donate clothes that may be able to get better use out of them. Here in Denver, we have an organization called CWEE (Center for Work Education and Employment). They offer a full range of classes for women to help them get better jobs. When women complete the courses, they get to choose three outfits from CWEE's "Boutique." Having a professional wardrobe is often a stumbling block for many women trying to advance in the workplace. Whenever I do closet purging, I always ask myself if someone at CWEE could get better use out of something that I'm just hanging onto. I find that a lot of clothes I hang onto are things that I might wear once or twice in the future, but simply aren't a part of my everyday wardrobe. Knowing that the clothes I donate may help someone get a job and succeed make it easier to get rid of stuff.
Things like T-shirts and more causal clothes go to Goodwill. And whenever I take a load of stuff there, I always look around the house for other items I no longer need. Purging is always such a great feeling.
The bottom drawer of my dresser is designated for clothes I dont wear but dont want to get rid of or I'm not sure about. If it stays there for one year (or one season depending what it is) I get rid of it guilt free.
This will sound so wrong, but here is my totally wicked solution.
After trying all the different tips on AT and elsewhere, I still couldn't pull this off. That's when it hit me: I hold on to all those clothes because I don't have enough clothes that fit well, are in good shape and can easily be matched with other items (I had too many patterns, not enough solids, too many bright colours, not enough neutrals). So, I've been buying clothes like crazy for the past year.
At first, the clutter worsened, but this was expected and I did not despair. When I started feeling like I have a scarf to match all my jackets and that I had a neutral to match all my patterns (and each of these matched with several pieces, not just one), I did a whirlwind declutter. This merely consisted of picking out ALL items that I love wearing to keep and removing the rest. Then, I went through the stuff I removed and checked if any of those items was needed to complete an item I have kept. In other words, I made sure all the items I kept had sister items to match. I ain't getting fooled into holding onto a great piece without ever wearing it out of lack of something that matches with it!
The result is a clutter-free closet that is easy to browse and care for. The bonus: I now love what I wear and feel great at the prospect of opening the closet rather than dreading it.
GREAT post! I concur. If your have the first world luxury of wearing clothes for purposes beyond staying warm and/or covering your pubic hair.... it's important to be mindful that people have all sorts of reasons for clothing.... then w00t! my favorite topic!!
yes, clothes should fit your body type, which is related in part to your age. Short waisted? don't wear high-waisted pants. Pear-shaped? don't wear empire-waist tops/dresses. Short? Don't wear long skirts with long sweaters and droopy floppy hats.
Color. How does one know which colors suit? Take note of all the compliments, for starters. I HATED wearing blue when I was young because everyone said, "Oh Dearest, you look so fabulous in blue!" So I wanted to wear mustard, of course. Guess what? mustard makes me look sickly. How do you sort it all out? There's a ridiculously simple solution, but I never see it mentioned. (I should write a book and make money on this, really). Don't start with 5 colors and try to figure out "yours." no no no.
Start with one color, in many HUES, and work from there. Blue is a nice place to start. Start with these four: royal. periwinkle. pastel. navy. I look phenomenal in periwinkle, ok in navy (it's my "black"), mediocre in pastel, and downright ill in royal blue.
Then use the HUE to give you a hint about the general palette that will work for you.
If you look great in pastel blue, you are likely to look stunning in most pastels, true white, true red, true black. Your cheeks look pink, you glow.
If you look great in royal blue, you are likely to look stunning in jewel tones. Emerald. Garnet. Magenta.
If you look great in navy... this is difficult because most people look great in navy... test green and yellow. If you look amazing in vivid saffron, then you are going to be hot in pumpkin, safety orange, rust, burgundy, loden, forest, brown. On the other hand, if yellow makes you look ill, you can stay away from loden and forest green. Test emerald, mint, and teal. If emerald, they go with jewl tones, if mint, go with pastels. If teal, then...
... try coral. If you look better in coral than burgundy or christmas red, go with salmon, kelly green, periwinkle blue, verdegris.
Once you figure out the best fit for your shape (oh for cryin' out loud, most people look like idiots in skinny jeans, can we just get real??!!), then work the color.
Once you've got fit and color, work at keeping your best colors near your face, and contrasting with a complimentary hue on the bottom, or a nuetral, or going monochromatic.
The BEST way to make your wardrobe WORK your dollar is to invest in solid colors that fit you great. The break it up with with patterned scarves, ties, shoes, over-blouse, etc.
PS
I threw out 12 pairs of worn out shoes two weeks ago. Some were as much as 8 years old. They were worn out. Scuffed. Soles too thin and pulling apart from the last. Just sad. I replaced them with 5 pairs of fantastic. really great quality shoes, 1/2 price from last summer's inventory! If you buy classic AND quality, you never have to worry about being trendy -- you'll always be stylish. And you can get classic at 1/2 price if you're patient.
But not everyone has that luxury... we have to remember that often we hang on to things in economies of scarcity. If you can polish or repair your shoes, DO IT. Shoe polish is cheap and is such an easy face lift. I try to commit to polishing all my leather shoes with 'clear' polish before I put them away for a season, or at the very least during the seasonal change up.
My Grandmother always said, "you can wear cheap clothes. No one can tell cotton from wool or rayon from silk if you're clean and pressed. But if your shoes and bag look cheap and worn out, it brings everything down." I'm the age she was when she told me this. She was sooooo RIGHT.
If something fits great, buy it in several colors. I have three copped pants for summer, buff, black, and navy. They are replacements for the buff, black, and navy I bought three years ago and just plain wore 'em out.
We tend to notice people who look sloppy, dirty, unkempt, or poorly fitted. Or garish. We also tend to notice AMAZING style and feel envious. But think about those who always look "put together." Not amazing, not crappy. I strive for put together, so that you see ME, not my amazing clothes. So that you have the impression that "she always looks kempt, together, stylish." Occasionally fab. That's nice. Who doesn't want to be fab? This is the real world though, and fab 24/7 is only for people who are PAID to look fab 24/7.
You don't need a lot of $$ or a lot of clothes to be stylish and put together. You just need fit and color. Skip prints -- stick with solids that can mix-match. Example: buff, navy, black pants. Buff, navy, black cardigans. Fabulous neutrals. Then have solid shirts in your best HUES. Say you have a green hue. Green top goes with all three bottoms, all three cardigans. Accessorize with a printed scarf -- they're cheap and bold and fun. Funky necklace. Amazing classic shoes. Ta-da! you're stylish, even fashion forward, just because your clothes fit and you're wearing a good color. Not because you've got the latest jeans or platform shoes or push-up bra.
What's a classic shoe? Black? No. Black is nice, so is pink. It's about silhouette and quality. Pointy or gently rounded toe, or peep-toe for summer. 1/2" platform or LESS. Stacked kitten or cuban heel. Think Jackie. What would Jackie wear? Leather. Satin. No bling on the shoes unless it were a formal event. No lipstick and lace on the shoe. Just clean lines. Clean colors. Quality materials. Once you've got your classic pairs, then mix it up with something wild for fun. We should all have shoes with rhinestones and fringe... after we outfit yourself with basics.
I just tore through my closet, got rid of about half my clothes. Being, well, definitely not wealthy, I've always had a "plan" for my wardrobe. But when I was cleaning, the one thing I really noticed was that I had a lot of "make do" clothes - things I would buy (usually thrifting) that weren't QUITE the thing I was looking for, but would substitute until I found the One Perfect Garment to rule them all. I had seven black jackets! Most of which made me feel pretty dissatisfied when trying to put together an outfit. But then I hung onto those things even after I DID find the One Perfect Garment, because even those imperfect pieces were often hard-won on my budget. I think for this reason alone, the One Thing In, One Thing Out rule is a good one for wardrobes.
I have such a hard time letting go of clothes.
I too, buy too much in search of something that will look amazing... and too much that doesn't go together. I'm always wishing I had more so I could be as pulled together as I want to be.
But that is also the problem with getting rid of things. I can only get rid of something when I'm positive I won't want it back later!!
I have had multiple occasions where I either bring home something new that miraculously goes perfectly with something I've had for 5 years!!! or I bring home something new and realize it would go perfectly with the thing I gave away a few months ago!!! That is so frustrating to me, and therefore I don't let go things easily.
Dear Urbancricket, that was a good read, and helpful and encouraging.
This is a great post, including comments. I just bought a house with my fiance, and will eventually move into it (ha), and can't wait so I can clean out my closet. My mom and I were just talking about 'the wardrobe issue' She's always said I've had too many clothes and everything she says sticks whether I want it to or not - so I'm always TRYING to pick out stuff not to have in my closet and am always TRYING not to buy things... it's hard.
While talking with Mom, I realized, after several recently bought items from one store just formed holes in them for no reason (CRAP) that I need to stop buying so many cheap clothes while on a budget and buy good quality, more expensive clothes while on a budget, so that I have nice items that will wear well and last a long time. Then I will have fewer pieces I will remember I have and will remember to wear - always a problem with me. I also just switched from the student life to the work life - another reason so many things need to go. I desperately want to have that smart closet that is easy to use where I'm not stressing over how to force an outfit just so I can wear that old t-shirt that used to be great for school but just isn't going to fit in my life right now....
One thing to add - when donating, keep track of what you're giving; it's unbelievable when you go through your donations for income tax purposes and see how it starts to add up. I just went through this and couldn't believe how those three bags of clothes turned into $$ for a donation deductible! TurboTax has a free online program, It's Deductible, which makes it super easy.
@Adorn, it sounds like your vintage is a collection, not a wardrobe.
Would you keep 273 porcelain poodles in your closet instead of clothes?
A bevy of beer bottles? Your music collection? Vintage guitars?
Unlikely, if you have any other choice.
Why not move the collection to a separate wardrobe (the furniture piece)?
Or at least use cloth covers over the collection-not-clothes items? ( I'm thinking of hanging bags for multiple suits and can't think of the proper name)
My issue is my 27 printed t shirts. I should get a quilt/ duvet cover made of them, but that would take up the same drawer they live in now, space wise.
I do wear them, just not all the time.
I can't part with these last ones. Especially since one of the musical artists died a couple weeks ago. I have the last shirt from the last music cruise he performed on.
Guess I should start curating the dratted t-shirts.