5 Tips for Cleaning Out Your Closet

With us entering the season of giving, maybe a little cleaning out of the old is in order to welcome the new. We all have New Year resolutions but maybe instead of waiting till 2016, we get a head start and clean out our closets now so we are all ready to ring in the new and promising year! Here are 5 tips for you to consider when you decide to clean out that cluttered closet of yours. 

Be Prepared

Don’t expect this to be a quick project. By limiting your time you’ll end up rushing through weeding out, causing you to keep more items than you should. If you tend to hold on to things this may feel a bit painful, but this should end up being a cathartic experience for you, resulting in an organized and easy-to-navigate wardrobe. To be best prepared, have three containers of some kind: one for keep, one for donate, one for throw away. This will help you from getting confused with what you’re keeping and seeing the items clearly go into a bin will give you satisfaction as you make progress. No more wire hangers. Purchase either nice plastic hangers so they all match or if you’re feeling like splurging, wooden (shop here). If you’re going for a minimalist closet, the wooden hangers will use the closet space nicely and look beautiful. Shoe hoarder? Once you weed out pairs, there are great ways to display them either in clear boxes for protection or in cubbies. Look at cool options here. 

Party or Private

If you love fashion and enjoy putting together new looks, I would recommend cleaning out your wardrobe alone. This way you can focus on what you really love and think about the last time you wore each outfit and how you felt. If you are a bit style challenged or truly dread this project, make it fun! Invite a friend over that will feel comfortable enough to give you her opinion and knows you enough to help you identify what fits you best and what will make you feel great. 

Be Inspiration Ready

I'm sure one of the motivators for you to clean out your closet is that your current wardrobe is not the "look" you want to have or you don’t know how to make the "look" you want out of what you currently own. Before you clean out your closet, make a Pinterest board of styles that you love. From brands to bloggers, find full outfits or "looks" that you would like to copy. Knowing what you like will help you decide what to keep and what doesn't go with the image you want to portray. 

Consignment or Goodwill

There are many options for what you want to giveaway. If you have items you no longer wear but you feel conflicted about giving it away because you spent a pretty penny on it, then look up the nearest consignment shops. I don’t mean Buffalo Exchange or Plato’s Closet, but a consignment store where they put your items on sale in the shop and when the item sells, you get a check. They all work slightly different and the store price points vary, so you may need to do some research to find the best place for your wardrobe. If you feel that you’d like to give all your unwanted items to Goodwill, a local organization or church, there are millions of people in need that would benefit. 

Find A System

There are multiple systems that can help you organize and keep your closet organized. For easy access, organize your pieces according to what they are (dresses, tops, pants) and then organize by color. Our brain works best with options when they are organized by color so this will make it easier for you to grab what you want. When it comes to heavy sweaters, fold them nicely so they don't lose their shape. If possible hang everything else. This will help you wear everything that you own because it's easily visible. If things are folded and tucked away you are less likely to wear them or keep the stacks organized. 

If you are a creative type, like myself, you can organize your closet by moods. This may seem weird but I've been able to keep it like this for about 6 months. I have a few different styles: minimalist or boy-like, girly, boho, and casual. I organize my closet based on how I feel that day, which makes it fun for me to put my outfits together and for someone that wears a wide variety of styles, it makes it easier for me to make decisions. One day at work I feel like a boss and want to wear something powerful. The next day I might feel more bubbly and grab something from my girly section.

I hope this is helpful information and you will end up feeling confident in your wardrobe and the new system you've implemented! 

Happy Cleaning :)

Hannah