It’s that time of the where the flowers are blooming, pollen coats literally everything and it’s time for a closet clean out! Growing up, I hated decluttering my closet, but now that I’m older, I actually kind of enjoy it. It’s a little therapeutic being able to throw out the items that no longer make you feel good. As you get older, you start to realize how important it is to build a closet of pieces that you love and actually enjoy wearing. Which is why in today’s post, I’m going to be sharing with you my tips and tricks on how to declutter your closet and build one that feels more like you!
Benefits of Decluttering Your Closet
Are you having a hard time getting motivated to start the process of decluttering? Let me share some reasons with you on WHY you should 1000% get started…
- You have the chance to get rid of the clothes that no longer bring you joy.
- After you declutter your closet, your mind will feel free and clear.
- Donating your old clothes will not only bring you joy but to others too.
- You can make money off the items that were previously sitting in your closet.
- You can actually see what you have in your closet, which makes getting dressed in the morning easier.
TIPS TO DECLUTTERING YOUR CLOSET
Tip #1: Clear everything out
To start your closet clear out, I highly recommend that you take everything out of your closet, including shoes, scarfs, jeans, literally everything. Put everything that you have on your bed. If you need to go through your undergarments as well, go ahead and put those on the bed too.
It may seem a little crazy to do this, but I promise it’s a critical part of the closet declutter process. By clearing out your entire closet, it not only allows you to see everything that you have but you can also start an organization technique at the same time.
Tip #2: Create three piles
After I’m doing going through all of my clothes, anything that hasn’t made it back to my closet I organize into three piles: trash, donate, and sell. The goal is to have your closet filled with items that bring you joy and items that you actually wear. At this point if an item doesn’t make it to your closet, it’s time to get rid of it some way or another.
In the donate pile, I include items that are gently used and any items that I’ve tried to sell but haven’t. Then in the sell pile, I include any name-brand items that are gently worn, like new, or new with tags. If I trying to sell items that are out of season, then I will wait to post them to Poshmark until the season before to catch people shopping for the items that I’m selling. For the trash pile, I include items that are very worn down and shouldn’t be reused by others, including items that have pit stains and holes in them.
Tip #3: Ask yourself these questions
When you’re decluttering your closet, ask yourself these questions when you’re deciding whether or not to keep an item.
If I saw this piece in a store right now, would I buy it?
This is the number one question that I ask myself whenever I declutter my closet. Sometimes we hold sentimental value in the items that we own just because you spent money on it or it was a gift from someone we care about. But if you wouldn’t reach for it in the store and buy it today, then it’s time to get rid of it. If you wouldn’t buy it today, chances are there is something about it that’s no longer brings you joy. Maybe it doesn’t fit your new style or you just don’t love it anymore. Whatever it is, it means that it’s time for it go!
Do you have multiples of the same item? i.e 3 striped shirts or 2 grey cardigans
Unless it’s an item that you wear frequently, then you probably don’t need to keep multiples of the same item in your closet. Go through your closet and pull out all of the pieces that are similar to each other and pick 1 to keep. I did this exercise on myself and found that I had multiple basic crop tops in my wardrobe that I literally never wear. I’m not a huge fan of crop tops on me, which is why I never reach for them in any season.
Have you worn the item in the last 2 years?
Anything in your closet that you haven’t worn in 2 years has got to go! If you haven’t reached for it in 2 years, then you’re probably not going to reach for it this year either. The only exception to this rule is if you have a truly high-quality item, a designer piece, or a fancy item that you do reach for on occasion, then you can go ahead and keep it. For an example if you have a fancy dress that you wear for events or a classic trench coat. Everything else is just taking up room in your closet!
Do you feel like your best self in it?
If a piece doesn’t make you feel amazing and like your best self, then it’s time for it to go! Life is too short to be wearing mediocre clothing that makes you feel like meh. If the item highlights your not-to favorite features or clings to you in a weird or anything of the sort, go ahead and toss it! All that piece is doing is clogging up your closet and making it harder for you to see all of the pieces that you do have that make you feel beautiful.
Is the item closing obvious signs of wear?
Let’s be honest here, there are some pieces that are going to show obvious signs of wear and they need to be taken out of your closet right away. Some of the places that I look for wear is in the armpits area for stains (I know gross but its reality), the inner thigh area for chaffing, and any stains that just won’t come out. For the sweaters and cardigans, sometimes you can revive those pieces by using a fabric shaver to get rid of any pilling. If the item can be saved, awesome add it back to the closet, but if it can’t, then it gets thrown into one of the piles I mentioned earlier.
Tip #4: Find an organizational technique that works for you
I don’t personally color-coordinate my closet, but if that works for you definitely go for it! What I like to do is to organize by similar pieces and styles. For an example, my closet is set up with tank tops up front, then off the shoulder tops, then bodysuits, and so forth. This way it makes it super easy for me to find what type of item I’m looking for. But find a system that is practical and works for you!
Tip #5: Use velvet hangers (a total gamechanger!)
Velvet hangers are a total lifesaver when it comes to organizing your closet and maximizing the space that you have. Because of the fabric of the hangers, they actually help keep each item from slipping and misshaping in your closet, which makes them perfect for literally any item. Plus having all the same hangers makes your closet look more put-together and clean. I’ve linked the ones that I use for Titi and I’s closet, which I absolutely adore.
Tip #6: Take inventory of the items you need to purchase
As you start to declutter your closet, you may come to realize that you are missing a few key components in your wardrobe that you need to purchase. Go ahead and write down the items that you need to either repurchase or buy in general to complete your closet. Right now, I really need a cute white bodysuit and some more summer dresses!
Tip #7: Store your clothes that are out of season
If you have a small closet like me (#apartmentlife), then storing away your clothes that are out of season will help you utilize your space. For the spring season, I like to fold up all of my heavy winter sweaters and put them at the top of my closet. It’s one of those out of reach out of mind techniques. This way it leaves a ton of space in my closet now due to the bulkiness of sweaters and I can see of my spring and summer clothes together.
Tip #8: Try on every item in your closet
As you declutter your closet, try everything on before deciding whether or not to keep it! It’s definitely happened to me a few times that I ended up trying on a piece just to realize it no longer fit me. Or I ended up falling in love with an item all over again. Either way, take the extra time to try on every item in your closet before you decide to keep or toss. I promise you’ll find those pieces that have been sitting in your closet for ages that you can finally clear out.
PLACES TO RESELL YOUR ITEMS
Poshmark: Duh, this one is my literal favorite place to sell my items! To sell on item on Poshmark, you have to take post the item (photos and write descriptions), answer questions, and ship it out yourself. Poshmark does take 20%, but it’s a huge platform which makes selling it on very easy. If you want to learn more about Poshmark, I have an entire guide filled with more tips on how I made over $2,000 selling my clothes on there! If you sign up using the code “SNOWBALLIN”, you can earn a free $5 credit to your account.
Social Media: Have you seen some of your favs making an entire new account just to sell their pieces? It’s a good option if you’re looking to resell your items, but take into account that shipping is variable depending on where they live and may cut into your overall gain.
Consignment: If you want to get rid of something quick and easy, then consider using a local consignment shop. Depending on where you go, you can usually make a little bit of money from doing this. I haven’t found that you make a whole lot and they can be pretty picky on what they will or will not take.
ThredUp: I’ve never used ThredUp before, but it’s an online thrift store that you can send them your clothes and they will give you a price for the items that they are willing to resell. Then whatever items they won’t take, ThredUp will either send them back to you for a cost or donate the items.
Are you ready to tackle spring cleaning your closet?
