Tips: Closet Clean Out

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have you ever stared into a completely full closet and found yourself with a
bsolutely nothing to wear? this was the exhausting battle i faced daily, until i ultimately decided to completely overhaul my entire wardrobe. last october, on a particularly dull weekend, i pulled every single item out of my closet, dresser, and the kitchen cabinets in which i housed off season garments, and sprawled them out on the floor of my living room. then i began by asking four questions about each article;

1. is it my personal style? 

the biggest quest in my journey was to streamline my personal style. so often i found myself sifting through items that just didn't feel like me. wearing clothes that weren't my esthetic made me feel inauthentic and awkward. 

2. do i feel good when i wear it? 

does it fit properly? is it a flattering style for me or do i just like it on the hanger, or other people?

3. is it in good condition? 

does it need to be hemmed, altered, dry cleaned? is it stained or faded? 

4. when was the last time i actually wore it? 

if i hadn't worn it within the past year, it had to go. 

items that were then discarded in the "no" pile were then subject to another line of questioning to be 
categorized into four separate piles

1. sell. several items no longer expressed my personal style, but had tags on them or were expensive 
so those were sent to a consignment shop.

2. donate. anything in good condition that i didn't want to sell was donated.

3. save. i sent a separate bag to my parents of sentimental items that i wanted to keeps for one reason or another, old sorority t-shirts or dresses i'd worn frequently but wanted to keep for the future.

4. trash. some things were beyond repair; old workout tanks or that one lone sock, went right to the garbage chute.

ultimately i was able to donate or sell five trash bags full of clothing and haven't missed a single item i got rid of. now when i look into my closet, it is full of items that i know i feel good in and that i 
truly love. similarly, i only add items i know are long term investments. i ask myself the three above questions whenever i'm about to wear something and substitute "will i love this for seasons to come?" for the fourth. it eliminates so much angst and frustration and i absolutely recommend you embark on your own closet clean out.

once the clutter was removed, i began organizing. 

space

since space is limited in new york apartments, i can only keep seasonal clothing in my closet. i 
purchased these three space saver boxes to house, and consolidated off season clothing.

hangers

in an effort to also maximize space, i use these velvet hangers. they are not slip and give a wonderful, uniform quality to the space. don't forget the clips for pants and skirts 

order

i first separate my clothing by type; dresses, skirts/pants, shirts, jackets. they are then color 
 within their category.   

shelves

on the sleeves above the garment bar, are folded sweaters and sweatshirts. never hang sweaters!   

care

within my closet, i have a basket full of  products to care for my garments. i'm addicted to anything the laundress so i have their stain solution, non bleach alternative, stain removal brush, scented 
vinegar, detergents, and a wrinkle release. i also keep a small container full of spare buttons that are
often excluded with sweaters or coats.