My walk-in closet may look crampy but I have everything hung and organized by type and color. I find that if I put things in the drawers, I'd forget about them (exception being socks and underwear). I need to see them to wear them.

Above being stated, I know it's about time to shed items. I have plenty of items I haven't worn, not in one year but more than 3 years!

You are right, of course. Guilty as charged...

I'm trying, I'm trying. Still have too much stuff but less than what I had this time last year.

I am a major organizer and I rid myself of items on a continuing basis. But there are items you should never throw away.

Jeans - There is pretty much no reason to discard jeans. Keep them all. No exceptions.

Sweaters - Keep all cashmere, 100% wool, and 100% cotton sweaters.

I'd like to see what other people won't discard.

I read a great tip years ago - pick a memorable date (like 1 January, or your birthday) and hang all your hangers so that the open part of the hook faces towards you. Then every time you wear something turn it's hanger the other way. At the end of a year it will be clear what you haven't worn, and you can get rid of it with a clear conscience. It really works.

i read a method for reducing your wardrobe that works if you're not in hurry... basically wear what you love/want for a week. don't wear the same thing more than once. wash your clothes, but don't put them away - leave them on a drying rack in another room.
week two - wear what you want, but don't take anything from your drying rack. repeat.
after three or four weeks you should be able to see that what's left in your closet are the things you don't really like to wear anyway and you know you already have several weeks worth of outfits on hand.
(obviously seasonal items should be taken in to account.)

@J4 If I kept all of my jeans, I'd have 30 pairs but I'd still only wear 3. Sometimes it's ok to admit that a certain jean style/color/what-have-you has gone out of style. Something that looked good six years ago does not necessarily look good now. Plus, I can guarantee I wasn't wearing bright red skinny jeans back then... but today they're my fave!

I'm going to try on ALL my clothes, then create my outbox pile! Already added two items this week while getting dressed. Slow, but it's a start! http://katskull.com/tag/the-january-cure/

No reason to discard jeans? I see a lot of reasons to discard jeans- 2 pairs are sitting in my outbox right now. One is a great pair of flared jeans, another pair has been too big on my for 3 years (and was accidentally tailored too short in the first place). Why would I keep those? Wait for flared jeans to come back? Wait to gain back those 7 kilos? Both of those thoughts are depressing.

I did it! 3 Garbage bags FULL of clothes to donate and 1 bag for throw away...I can actually close my closet. :) I think I could go shopping...

molly h, thanks for the great idea.

My jeans get holes in them or get saggy in the bum or just have the wrong legs shape. And bodies change! Don't keep jeans if you don't wear them!

I like to pretend I'm going on a fabulous 2-week vacation. What would I pack? If I'm not going to take that frumpy sweater to Paris, why should I make myself frumpy in my everyday life?

My husband has 3x as many clothes as me, wears only a few of them, yet won't even let me take any of them out of the closet. I've taken to stealthily removing items that have spent too long on the hanger and putting them in boxes. If he doesn't ask for them in a year, the box gets donated.

Any better methods?

What I find works best for me is getting rid of stuff every month or two. I'm really like stores like Buffalo Exchange and Crossroads, where you can trade your clothes for gently used new-to-you clothes. Since I have a super tiny closet, I try to adhere to a one in, one out policy. When I want to go shopping (and most of my shopping is done at resale shops like those), I remove any items that I haven't worn in a while. If the store doesn't want to buy the items, I just donate them to Goodwill.

I'm wary of any article that says to downsize my wardrobe only to allow myself to go shopping again or anyone who says never to get rid of something (and prevent someone else from making better use of it).

When I see I have way too many, 'oh this is good to throw on around the house or 'quick errand' sweaters/tops....I grab a few/close my eyes and throw in the trash..done! No more things with little holes and bleach spots on them hogging my drawers...

My new years resolution for 2013 is to buy no new clothes. I don't have any more than most people, but I'm going to declutter them some more (have done a lot in 2012) and at the end of the year I am going to have more space in my wardrobe, a better value wardrobe (lower cost per wear) and will have helped the environment.

If anything actually does wear out during the year that must be replaced I will get it from an op shop/secondhand.

The things I generally keep that violate the "one year" rule are high quality items that may reflect a particular style that cycles in and out of favor. Shoes and boots, for example-- pointy toes, round toes, stilettos, wedges... I buy good quality footwear and that's a way to keep a look current without cycling through new and expensive purge/purchase cycles. And different cuts/proportions of good jackets. This only works, of course, if you have room and an inventory system to help you remember what you have that might be stored away for a season.

Madam P, I like your approach!

One thing I do occasionally is to take anything out that needs mending, tailoring or specialized cleaning, and take care of it. No sense keeping a wonderful dress with a broken zipper in there indefinitely.

My resolution is to not get depressed about my closet when I look at pictures of 'closets' that are clearly clothes stores.

Or highly styled 'OMG, the AT photographer is coming! ARRANGE THINGS!' no-one-lives-like-this closets.

I'm sticking to my story.

For me the hardest thing to manage in the closet is all the clothes I wear to garden, paint, cook, play with the dog and DIY. Deciding when my 'good' jeans become 'chore' jeans. And keeping them separated so I don't accidentally wear the paint stained pants to a meeting.

@AKAwhiteknuckles I actually do hang my clothes by type and colour and on wooden hangars. BUT I am and always have been basically v messy this is my way of puttingthings away!

I have SO done this. I regularly buy the same brand of jeans so they have a tendency to get mixed up. Once I wore jeans that were covered in dark blue paint and grass stains out with friends because I got dressed in the dark.

My new method has to put "house" clothes in the dresser and hang "out" clothes in the closet.

I invited my most fashion savvy friend over to help me decide what to lose and what to keep. The trick to this is, of course, having good sense about which of your friends really do have a great sense of style and who will be honest about your body and your clothes. A bonus is a friend who can even help you discover new outfits you would have never thought of. The payoff is a nice meal, bottle of wine, and her pick of the cast-offs.

I rotate my clothes seasonally. Wool pants and skirts are out now, and summer weight voile and linen clothes are put away. Same with sandals vs boots, etc.

I group my clothes by type, and I hang them arranged by color. This way it's easy to say, grab a teal green skirt, hold it up to the blouse/tops section, and pluck the coral, or purple, or yellow top that I'm in the mood for that day, then carry the combo over to my sweater drawer or jacket section and pick a topper that pulls it all together. Then finish with accessories -- belt, scarf, or bangle, and dont forget shoes. Sometimes I even start with shoes and work backwards.

And yes, I'm even one of those who hangs out two or three or even four days of outfits on Sunday night just to make the next 6:30 mornings that much more automated. Don't make me think before sunrise and coffee, please!

And all that advice that applies to home dec? It applies to clothing, too. Mix textures, contrast colors, always have a little sparkle somewhere. Matcha matcha is just as bad in a living room as it is on your body!

Last but perhaps the most important thing you can do for yourself and your closet: shop and dress for the body you have, not the one you wish you had. Make the most of whatever you've got going on, and rock it. Curvy? Get a great bra, get your pants tailored, and don't hide under a Mumu. No butt? Play up your waist and long legs. Short? Wear heels and tuck in your shirt to lengthen your legs. Fit goes a lot farther than what's currently trendy. Skinny jeans do not look good on everyone, button down shirts are challenging for busty women, and sorry, but muffin top looks like crap on everyone!!!

One thing that's helped me purge beautiful, favorite items that no longer fit or have some damage is to take a creative look at them ... as though I was in a fabric store. Could those item be re-purposed into a pillow, fabric napkin, shoe bag, scarf, tote bag, etc. ... could that wool sweater be felted & sewn into a pillow ... could that leather skirt be a laptop or iPad sleeve?

Not throw away jeans or sweaters ever? That is insane in my book. I live where it is rarely cold enough for sweaters so why would I have kept all of the sweaters from my colder climate days? Sweaters take up a ton of room. I have two cotton sweaters that I store under my bed. And sometimes I am tempted to donate those as well.

Looking in my closet does almost make me cry because my side is almost empty. I hate to shop for clothes for myself. My husband's side is completely packed with clothes!

Jeans...I dont' care what weightwatchers says. I keep at least 3 sizes. Jeans are such a weird fit that they REALLY have to fit. And just a pound or two in either direction can make them either fall down or not zip up.

I did a major closet purge in 2010. To inspire me not to give up mid-way through, I treated myself to hangers all in one matching style. I bought the skinny velvety-covered ones and it was shocking what a difference that made. First of all, they DO save space in the closet, a claim I had doubted. Also, the uniformity is pleasing to the eye.

I organized my clothes by type first (all shirts together, pants, jackets, etc.), then by color (all shades of blue shirts together, all black pants in a row, etc.) It's now SO easy to find something. It's like a Dewey decimal system for clothes. For my shoes I bought three of these:
http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10005137&N=&Ns=p_sort_default|0&Ntt=hanging+canvas+shoe+storage
Three in a row takes up 18-inches of rod space and holds 30+ pairs with room below to stack boxes with my boots in them.

I vowed that evermore when I bought something new, I would force myself to remove something old and, so far, I've kept to it. And it's a snap to put away the laundry. The closet looks so pretty, I bought it a new, nicer light fixture.

I have been keeping a handmade Irish wool sweater that I had knit decades ago on the theory that I put all that work into it, and no way would I throw it out. It has taken up space in every closet from New York, Dallas, New Orleans and DC. It is finally out of my closet. My sister lost 75 lbs. and is now this petite thing who is always cold. She is now enjoying all that cabled, popcorned and honey-combed wool. The rest of closet is much easier to purge.

Does anyone else develop mysterious little holes front waist of T shirts and tank tops? First I thought it was the cat, now I suspect jeans zippers of chewing them, even in quite new ones. Makes it easier to throw things away past their prime.

Oh no - are you really going to throw the clothes away? You could give them away on Craigslist or on Freecycle. Or you could even cart them to a thrift store, if they accept donations. Inside the ground is not the best place to leave our clothes.

I find it quite helpful to imagine dear sainted Tim Gunn standing at my elbow and ask myself WWTGD? -- he just does not tolerate stains and holes and things that make you look dumpy. But of course, does so in the very most kindest way possible. (Oh, how I miss his "Guide to Style" show!)

@TriciaRoseRoughLinen, most of those mystery holes in tees and tanks (at least in my case) come from the quick grab-and-twist maneuver using the shirt for extra gripping power on a certain long-neck bottle. Of course, nowadays it's all pretend-beer.

Something I've tried but works: Literally file through your closet and dresser instinctively. Do it quickly. You'll know right away at first what you want to keep. The peices that are questionable should be shoved to one part of the closet. The ones you're pretty sure you want to get rid of, put them in a box or trash bag... leave it for a week and see how you feel. Also if you haven't touched them or even had the desire to wear them for over a year, it's a good sign to let go. If they sit in the bag/box for a week and you don't have the urge even then... then definitely donate them and free up some closet space. Now the stuff that is the maybe section of your closet...I would test yourself and see if you find the urgency to wear it sometime in the next few weeks. If not... time to let go.

Goojobgrandma...soooo true!! haha..'memory lane' of ruined tank tops..we just wore them under other tops then....It does feel so good to have only two 'painting or chore shirts/jeans or leggings..' make that a point..two each only...frees up entire drawer in my case when i did that..

I love this system: After I clean out my closet, I hang all of my clothes up backwards. (Hook facing out.) When I wear something, I hang it back up the right way. When I'm ready to purge my closet again, I know at a glance which clothes I haven't worn at all, and I can probably get rid of those.

That happens to me all the time! I thought it was because the shirts were cheap. Sadly, my theory was proven wrong on a couple of expensive t-shirts. What's the cause? And, more importantly, what's the solution? It's an epidemic in my wardrobe.

Enough about the clothes. Please tell us about the bike!

That is a great idea!

#firstworldproblems? But really, I've got a question. I live In Ireland, where its not standard to have closets in a bedroom, and instead have two sections of a wall-to-wall wardrobe. My fiancé has the section with drawers, so I'm forced to store tights, underwear, bras, and socks in plastic bins on a shelf. I try very hard to keep it all organised (Underwear folded into little squares and stacked in bin based on style /cut) but the tights are a MESS. How do you ladies keep tights/pantyhose organised so you can get at them in a hurry and know what's there? It's so hard to tell patterns, etc when they're tangled in a box :(

I wear what fits me and what I like. Personally, I don't care what's trendy. If it looks good on me and it fits properly, why shouldn't I wear i? I look a hell of a lot better and feel better than trying to keep up with ridiculous fashion rules.
Anything that doesn't fit this criteria (and I'm hard to fit, as I'm over 6' and have huge feet, obviously) gets donated if I can manage it.

Wear "it," not "i."

And brittanybreslin, would keeping your tights in one of those scarf hanger things with the holes help you?

I agree with Borage on throwing them away... Please donate them to the needy. There are Goodwill and Salvation Army drop offs everywhere. Another idea that will save tons of space so you might not need to get rid of anything is to change out the hangers to slim hangers that take way less space. I used these in my closet and it made a big difference.

What do you guys do with clothes that have holes in them? My favorite jeans got a hole in an unfortunate place, and I have 2 sweaters with holes that are nowhere near seams and I'm pretty sure they're unfixable.

I'm fully on board with donating clothes that are in good condition but that I just don't wear any more (due to changing size, styles, etc). My problem is with the slightly damaged clothes that I don't want to wear anymore myself, but I don't think anyone else will want to wear them either. They usually end up shoved in a bag in the corner of the closet until I figure out what to do. Will Goodwill or Salvation Army take these for textile recycling? Is there somewhere else I can bring them instead of throwing them in the trash?

Bragging that you can get three times as much in a closet with those skinny velvetized hangers seems to be working at cross purposes here. Someone gave me 100 of those hangers for a gift - I put them in the charity bag after two weeks. They work only if you are hanging a lot of things like t shirts and sweats. They ruin the hang of a jacket and made lines in the shoulders of anything else - even a t shirt. And they were that "name brand" from TV shopping.

I use padded hangers for good sweaters and dresses, thick plastic hangers for t shirts and shaped wooden hangers for constructed jackets and coats. Sure you can jam those thin hangers in, but in what kind of shape are your clothes when you tug them out? I have notches in my hanging rod to allow space between items. I have a permanent shopping bag in a deep drawer where all my charity giveaways go and I make that trip every six weeks or so, trying to do it within the season of the clothes being given. I used to take things to a consignment shop but frankly it's too much hassle and they "lost" some of my better things. We all have too much Stuff, and I'm finding it's a full time job thinking about how to pare down and simplify. I go on shopping fasts occasionally: I buy nothing for 30 days except food, gas, and necessary prescriptions. Sometimes we only buy things because we're wandering in a store and see it - didn't know we wanted it until there it was! Gotta have it!

Question: what do I do with all of the worn out pajamas, ripped and stained items, low quality jeans that are worn to bits, and items that are more than gently worn. The thrift stores won't want them but I cannot in good conscience send them o the landfill. I know there was a program that recycled old denim into housing insulation but it seems that they are no longer hosting donation drives. Does anyone have any recommendations for places that DO recycle textiles? Thanks!

@brittanybreslin, I use one of those fabric not metal over the door shoe storage thingies. The mesh pockets help me to see what's in them. Also, since I have sliding closet doors, I've hung the pockets on a wooden hanger at one end of my closet rod along with my clothes. As for my undies, I don't fold them. The extra work is unnecessary, and the stack won't fall over if I simply lay them on top of each other. Have you thought about purchasing 2-3 plastic stacking drawers. They fit inside my closet for the little things. Hope this helps a little.

I re-purposed dollarstore hair ties to tether my socks in pairs for laundering & storage. For the wash I twist the tie a couple of times around the cuffs or insteps (the least soiled & thinnest spot ) & in they go. They make it through washer & dryer very nicely. When dry, pull off the tie, lay them together lengthwise, fold in half & roll from either end into a smooth little bundle keep some of the detail showing for identification.Then I just loop the hair tie back around them & toss them in the drawer with the other bundled pairs. It takes less time than you'd think & saves lots of drawer space. I store tights, underware, bras, etc the same way.. When worn just, leave the tie in the drawer! Works for me!

I love to re-purpose anything I can. A few years back when packing up my mothers house I ran out of boxing materials. Rather than drive 50 miles at 3 AM I used some of her stored clothing, fabrics, towels, sheets/pillowcases, gift-wrapping etc as packing. For china or things needing special storage& handling , I wrapped items separately in tissue paper first to protect the finish but used the other materials to fill the box & prevent shifting. I have since used baby clothes & blankets I couldn't part with for storing larger baby items that I wanted to pass on. ( One day when the boxes get unpacked, I expect my grandkids will get a kick out of seeing things their daddy once wore. Then we'll dress a teddy bear in a vintage baby outfit! )

Thank you for this:

"The thrift stores won't want them but I cannot in good conscience send them o the landfill."

If I were you, I would research startup sewing classes in your area. Sewing is the latest craze, so I've heard, and there are probably some young people who are getting into it by teaching it or opening a weekend-only shop. Two, cut up the clothes and sell them at a yard sale. They will sell. Three, give them away on Freecycle. They will be gone in no time, well - depending upon where you live.

All I know is that PEOPLE WANT FABRIC. Sewing classes, quilting classes, and so forth - try those.

For slightly damaged pieces I would look at the quality of the material. I know people who don't buy second hand to wear but to make decorative pillows or purses out of them. Or even wear them differently. I've seen girls wear jean shorts with unfortunate holes over leggings, not a look I'd rock but on the other hand I'm not going to knock anyone's personal taste either. You can also find out if your local animal shelter needs any un-wearables to use as bedding. Or use them yourself as household rags.

Last year I went on a 10 month shopping hiatus and just "shopped" in my closet. Im not a crazy clothes horse and i still had a lot of stuff. It was so freeing not to buy anything. Shockingly easy and it gave me the opportunity to wear through some things which was also pretty great. It really makes you aware of over shopping and purging. I would totally recommend it. It was also nice to save some money.

Right, household rags, that's a great one. Or if you know anyone who works in their garage, on cars. I haven't bought a roll of papertowels in about a year or more. No need with rags around.

Who's = "Who is"; whose = personal possessive. Honestly, where did the editing go?

Sally Ann - I'm inspired and am going to try (there is no try?) to NOT buy more clothes (replacements for worn out items allowed) in 2013 - I have plenty! This one is going to take real will power though and I'm not a clothes horse.

I have a ridiculous bag of tights and panty hose - I only wear either for uber grown up events so I don't need a BAG!

My magic dress- a dress I bought for a wedding 10 years ago. It has a simple, classic style, never ever wrinkles, and slims me down to the point that people ask if I've lost weight! Can be used for weddings or work... oh, I could go on and on!
There are other dresses I keep because I can never find a dress when I am looking for one for a special occasion.
A black skirt and a gray skirt in classic styles.
my favorite jeans, although I am hoping they get too big by next year;)
My roller skates. I used to be a competitive skater and my skates still fit, for when I go to the rink with the children. They were hundreds of dollars back in the day and rental skates don't quite match up.
A favorite "purse" that will last through armageddon.
don't know what else..I am not one to hang on to too many things so this was an interesting exercise:)

Are you married to my husband? LOL... thought I might have written this but saw your signature:)

Brittany: I am planning to put each pair of mine into a small zip-top baggie. Currently, they are in a plastic shoebox within a drawer. While that's an okay solution, it's not the best. I figure with each pair in a baggie, I can see what's there or mark it on the front with a Sharpie and they also won't get tangled.

Okay, last comment (for today anyway) I. WANT. THAT. CLOSET. So much more character than the laminated/plywood/melamine stuff that is mass-marketed nowadays!

this is the BEST idea I have heard of for ages! Something that might actually work for me. .

joco,
although goodwill say they won't take things with holes, they will. I often buy them if all wool to use in my workshop where I will add more holes or to cut up and felt for felted purses or quilts. don't bury them in a land pile!. after no-one buys them at retail Goodwill stores they go to outlets to be sold by the pound and if they still remain they are sold in bulk for textile recycling

to the column administrator
could you place replies next to the comment they refer to? I have to scroll back and forth too much finding what the reply referred to. I really do read it all when time allows!

This is so impractical but I can't bring myself to throw out any item of clothing bought while "channeling Ziggy Stardust." I just can't.

I think every t-shirt or tank top I own has a mysterious little hole in it! And it usually happens when the shirt has been worn only once or twice, and often prior to being washed. WHY??!! If I threw them out right away after they developed said holes, I'd have to buy them in bulk.

Yes! this is what I do as well. It works and I am kind of shocked at the end of a 6 month period at what I really dont ever wear.

SOLUTION FOR TIGHTS
Fold tights in half and, starting at the waistband, roll them tightly around your hand. When completely rolled, tuck the toes around and into the middle where your hand is. Slide your hand out, and you have a perfect, slightly flat roll of tights that can be placed in rows in your drawer.
I read about it on a UK blog and it truly works. It has transformed my drawers!

@TriciaRoseRoughLinen, I feel your pain. I believe there are three causes for those tiny holes:
- the button or the stiff corner of the jeans' waistband near the button can rub holes into tops with thinner material
- current styles such as layering with shirts, tanks, camisoles, not tucking shirts in, jeans with a lower rise (below the waist) so that the button or corner sits further out
- poor quality ... I've noticed that many stores are carrying clothes made with much thinner fabric
This happened to every single one of six thin, long-sleeved, cotton t-shirts that my daughter & I bought for layering with gift cards from O.N. So frustrating ... we settled for those shirts since we couldn't find anything else. In this case, I believe it was poor quality. fabric.

The benefits you feel from de-cluttering and dusting is great. Clears your mind and gives you more room to think and relax. I have applied these practices at my Chanhassen House Cleaning company.