Friday, March 11, 2011

Spring Cleaning: Purging My Closet

Every since moving to NY, I've continually amassed up a stockpile of clothes - from sample sales to Barney's warehouse and to Uniqlo. Earlier this week I went to get a bunch of stuff altered - and when it all came back I had trouble fitting everything into my closet/dresser which meant one thing - time to purge.
This is the third round I've done since moving to NY...I know I have issues...

As much as I love clothing - which I really do - I'm not particularly attached to anything (I have committment issues). Forget about how much you love something on the hanger, who made it, how much you dished out to get it or whether you will wear it in the future. Bottom line - if you don't use it, someone else can benefit from what you hoard.
Ahhh...order has been restored!

In general I try to stick with the 1 year rule - if I havn't worn it in a year - its out....no ifs ands or buts. Even if you think a particular trend will come back in - most of us end up wanting to grab something new and current as opposed to recycling. (Note: this doesn't apply to everyone - i.e. Erin who actually wears everything and is therefore beyond help)

I keep editing what I have until everything actually fits into my closet/dresser

Here's some things to consider in addition to the above if you decide to purge your own closet:
  • If you have clothes that you intend to alter but haven't done so in a while - i.e. a year - you probably will never get around to doing it
  • If you're attached to your clothing - you will never be able to part with it
  • Keep the things that are flattering to your body type now - not what you're aiming to become 6 months down the line
  • Cleaning your closet out is one of the most therapeutic things you can do. I've never met anyone who ever regretted donating anything. Plus - it makes room for new stuff =]
If you can't bear to donate what you have, you can opt for clothing swaps, giving things away to friends or selling things at second hand stores (IMO, I don't know if this is worth it since you barely get anything back) or eBay (I would only go this route if you knew you could turn some coin since it's a hassle to take pics, post an ad, ship, and fork out ebay and paypal fees).

Happy cleaning!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tips! I always dread cleaning out my closet so hopefully this helps!

laura m. said...

I agree, anything not worn in a year (or better yet, a season) get's donated; yearly for shoes and coats. shirts, tops, pants, dresses, etc. I donate end of summer and winter if it wasn't worn during that season. Closets can get crammed fast if you miss just one season. I'm now in process of purging winter stuff.

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