It has been quite a hectic October, with school midterms and Halloween and now we have moved into November. I cannot believe how fast time has flown by, I feel like summer lasted all of three days haha and now I am only six months away from graduating university!!! I have been in a cleaning mood today so I thought it appropriate to share my thoughts on how to declutter your wardrobe.
Put away seasonal clothes.
We are officially done with warm days and I now wake up to heavy frost on my car. It is time to put away all of your Spring/Summer clothes and to switch them out for Fall/Winter clothes. That means that all your thin blouses, shorts, summer skirts and dresses will be interchanged for knitwear, jackets and warm accessories. This also includes bags and shoes; so swap out those colourful sandals for booties! There are some really beautiful and easy storage solutions available; my favourite are the floral cardboard boxes from Michaels Craft Store (as seen above).
Give away any clothes that no longer fit.
We all have those clothes that are too small but we keep as “motivation” to loose weight; been there, done that. Reality is, it only takes up space in the closet and never gets worn. Same goes to say for clothes that we have grown out of or have shrunk in the wash. They will never be worn and can have a better home with someone else.
Throw away any clothes that are ripped beyond repair, discoloured or permanently stained.
All these types of clothing only make your wardrobe look cheap and avoid making you look put together with quality clothing. I am all for getting the full wear from my clothing as money is tight, but these are circumstances in which they just must be gone.
If you have not worn it in three years, you probably never will.
I swear by this rule when I clean out my closet. Within three years, there are numerous seasons and special occasions that give you ample opportunities to wear all types of clothing. I find I always end up reaching for the same garments time and time again. Every year I take a mental inventory of all my clothing; if there is a piece that I did not wear, I must ask myself, why? If you did not wear it because it is unflattering to your body shape, get rid of it. If it is way too small of way too large and is kept for sentimental value, get rid of it. If you forgot you had it, reevaluate it based on the tips mentioned above and decide whether or not to keep it. I know that if I did not wear a particular item in that entire time period, I am never going to reach for it. It only takes up closet space and keeps things cluttered. Find it a new home. The exception to this rule would be for very high-end designer pieces, such as Chanel, Hermes, Versace, Gucci and Dior, that gain increasing value over the years and decades and are kept as investment pieces for resale.
Organize your clothes by type and colour.
I find that by organizing all my clothing by type, for example all my jeans together, all of my sweaters together, etc…I can truly see how many of each item I have. I have noticed that people usually have a favourite colour or favourite type of clothing and end up buying it on repeat numerous times without realizing that they have an almost exact piece already in their closet. What is the point of having five black long sleeved shirts or 10 beige knit sweaters?
Lily Belf 