A few weeks ago, I was standing in front of mounds of clothes in my closet, with that classic thought on my mind, “I have nothing to wear.” I was shoving my clean clothes onto my bulging shelves and I was running out of hangers. There was just one thing for me to do: I had to purge my closet. After an exhausting day, a good bit of humility and a lot of patience, my closet is now a lot friendlier to me in the morning and much more accommodating to my clean clothes. Want to know how I did it? Here are a few tips…
1. Set the stage
I took a day off of work for this one. It’s a lot easier to pile clothes and focus on the task at hand if you have minimal interruptions. I put on my favorite dance music and had a good breakfast so I wouldn’t want to snack. I also put on my everyday makeup and chose my commonly-worn undergarments. I wanted to feel comfortable and look the way I would on any given day. If an outfit looked good when I was in normal hair and makeup, it stands to reason that it would probably look even better if I was all dolled up. I also read up on my body shape and thought about recommendations about what made my shape look its best.
2. Let photographs give you an honest opinion (and capture great outfits for later)
I set up my camera on a tripod and used a remote to trigger the shutter. It’s funny how honest photographs can be. I could look at myself in a mirror and say, ” This isn’t too bad” but when I looked at the photograph, I got a view of what others see. Very telling. The other benefit of photographs is that if you put together a great outfit, you have an image of it that you can print out and save for those days when you need a quick idea of what to wear. It can also point out faulty choices in undergarments. Here’s an example of a photo that reminded me that I need to purchase a nude camisole:
3. Be ruthless
Yes, it was practically free/totally hip/given to you by someone special but if it doesn’t look great, it needs to go. The only things you should have in your closet are things that make you feel and look great. It’s a tricky time for me to purge right now because I’m still nursing so my body will undoubtedly change eventually but I can most certainly get rid of the maternity clothes that are too big and the pre-pregnancy clothes that I know will never quite fit again. If it looked frumpy, tight or just weird or if it was made of a high-maintanence fabric or felt itchy or pokey, onto the pile it went.
I loved this sheer plaid shirt from Banana Republic. I got it for a terrific price and it used to look so cute on me before I got pregnant. However, no matter what I put it with, it just didn’t look great anymore. Although it made me sad, it went in the giveaway pile. It would make me sadder to keep it as a reminder of my previous body type.
4. Use opaque garbage bags for your giveaways
Simply put, it keeps you from seeing something that makes you want to rescue something that does not belong back in your closet.
5. When you’re wearing something, ask yourself a few questions
Do I have to stand in a certain way to make this look good or does it look good no matter how I stand? Does anything about this make me fidget? Would I want to unexpectedly bump into my ex while wearing this outfit?
6. Pit similar items against each other and choose the winner
I had at least seven black cardigans in my closet and several black button up shirts. I put them on one-by-one and compared them. Here’s an example:
Although they look almost identical, the one on the bottom fit a lot better and it was made of a fabric that was much easier to care for, so it got to go back in the closet. When comparing two items, I would also think about which item I would reach for over another.
7. Try different ways of wearing a garment before you pitch it
I love this pink cardigan but when I saw this photo, I was ready to send it away:
But when I unbuttoned it, it looked a bit better:
Then, I paired it with a delicate lace cami and thought it looked great, so I kept it. Now, I know what to reach for when I want to wear the cardigan.
8. Consider accessories
One of the tips for my body type was to use necklaces and scarves to draw attention to the top of me and away from my bottom half. It sure did work, in the case of this gray shirt. This looks pretty unflattering:
But when I simply threw a burgundy scarf over it, it changed the whole look:
Also, I was ready to pitch my beloved black cashmere long cardigan because it always looked frumpy but when I paired it with black pants, a strong necklace and an interesting heel, it worked a lot better:
The most important thing about a closet purge is learning how avoid what got you there in the first place. Make it a learning experience. If you ended up getting rid of all your itchy clothes, the next time you’re shopping, pay close attention to texture of clothing and don’t bring any itchy things to the dressing room, no matter what they cost or how cute they are. I found out that although I love the idea of them, pullover sweaters in general are not very flattering on me, so I stopped buying them. Remember also that just because something looks good on someone else, does not automatically mean it works for your body type and coloring. Don’t keep things just because they still have tags on them. Use the painful experience of money wasted as a motivation to be more thoughtful when shopping in the future.
If you’re interested in a closet purge, I hope these tips might help you out. If you don’t have time for a whole closet, do sections at a time. If you have other tips for purging your closet, please do share them in the comments section.
Good luck, scrappers! :)
bekah says
These are great tips. My closet has been bulging for years! I’ve completed small purges, but not at the level that is needed. And I would have NEVER thought about photographing outfits to see what they really looked like on me!
Thanks.
Lili says
Excellents conseils ! Je vais les suivre. Merci