Spring Cleaning: Closet Edition

Spring is here and it’s time to shed those winter clothes! This is also a great opportunity to go through your closet and get rid of those clothes you don’t wear (even if you swear you will one day). So here are some tips I have to share so you can do some spring-cleaning in your closet.

Do you actually wear it?  Seems basic, but it’s hard.  A lot of times I have a shirt or dress I wore once then never put on again.  Ask yourself how often you wear it.  If you wear it regularly than keep it.  If you can’t remember the last time you wore it, toss it or donate it. If you haven’t worn it in the last year, you don’t need to hold on to it.  Chances are you won’t wear it.

Are you waiting for it to fit?  Don’t keep shirts that fit you five years ago (or even last year) or that would fit you if you filled out a bit here or slimmed down a bit there.  Buy clothes that fit your body and you can wear now.  Bodies change and that’s okay.  Wardrobes can change too.  Don’t keep clothes that serve as a reminder of what you’re not.  You’re perfect the way you are and you should only own clothes that complement your beautiful body, not someone else’s.

Are you saving it for a very specific occasion? If it’s a nice dress that can actually be worn again, then save it.  But if you are keeping those cheetah print pants or that green tutu for a theoretical costume or party in the unforeseeable future, you don’t need it.

If you were shopping right now, would you buy it? If the answer is no, then get rid of it.  If it’s not in style now, or more importantly, not part of your own personal style, then why keep it?

Are you keeping it because you spent a lot of money on it even though you don’t wear it? If it doesn’t fit right, but it was expensive so you’re holding on to, let it go.  Consider alternative ways of getting rid of expensive clothes- does it fit your sister or friend? Maybe bring it to a consignment store and you can get some money back for it.  Websites such as Threadflip allow you to buy and sell good-condition clothing and accessories for a 20% commission fee.

Does it have a hole or stain? Toss it. Same goes for missing buttons, broken zippers, discoloration, pilling, and general wear and tear.

Does it have sentimental value? This is a tricky one.  A lot of clothes remind you of a special someone or a special time in your life that you don’t want to forget.  If you have the space, keep it.  But if you are trying to downsize and don’t have the room to keep it, consider taking a picture of it and keeping the photo as a memento of that occasion.  It’s not the same, but it’s a heck of a lot smaller and one less thing to take over your closet.

Are you being honest with yourself? I am so good at convincing myself that I wore that sweater just a few months ago. And by a few months I mean years. A good check for yourself can be to ask your friend, roommate, sibling, etc., if they can remember the last time they saw you wear it.  If they can’t, then chances are you don’t really need it.

Everyone deserves to feel confident, comfortable, and beautiful in the clothes they wear, so if you don’t feel like the confident and beautiful woman that you are wearing certain clothes, don’t keep them.  Donate clothes you don’t wear.  The Goodwill and Salvation Army have tons of drop-off locations that will put your donations to good use.  That blouse you never wear can be the top an impoverished mother wears to a job interview. Dress for Success is a global non-profit organization that promotes economic independence and career development for impoverished women.  If you have business clothes that you don’t wear, consider researching non-profits such as this that will put your donations to a specific cause you believe in.  By going through your closet, you are helping yourself by getting rid of unnecessary clutter, and you’re helping someone else less fortunate than you.  And remember, at the end of the day, there are always more clothes that can be bought, so get rid of the ones you don’t wear!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Lauren Nickl

Native-Californian twenty something living in Boston and trying to figure out life. Lover of books, coffee, and traveling and can be found spending any free time reading, binge watching Netflix, and planning adventures.