Although it may not feel like it, spring is here. And with a new season comes new clothes, but it’s also a good time to clean out your closet to make room for said clothes. A good closet clean out will take an entire day, so plan accordingly. With that, I give you a few simple steps to spring cleaning from one of our favorite twenty-something movies, Clueless.
Chances are you’ve felt like this every morning you get dressed for work.
I know I’m not the only one.
And while I don’t have Cher’s magical matchmaking closet (nor the space for it), I do know which outfits go well together and which don’t, which makes it easier to figure out what to keep and what to toss:
Tip #1: If it hasn’t been used or worn in the last year, toss it (even if it still has the price tag on it)
If you can’t think of five other items it can go with in your closet, it’s time to say goodbye. Only keep the item if you honestly love it, wear it all the time and have space to store it.
Do yourself some good a la Cher and donate your unwanted items to charity
Tip #2: If it has sentimental value, store it in the “maybe” pile and reevaluate after a few months
This list includes college items, including bar crawl t-shirts and sorority sweatshirts . If you use old college t-shirts for working out, toss them and get yourself real workout gear–the more expensive kind that actually lasts longer.
If you think, “maybe my future daughter or son will join my sorority/fraternity”, keep a few just for sentimental value, but don’t wear them outside the house. Also, if you still have bar/bat mitzvah items, just get rid of them. Nobody will remember you “danced your socks off” at Lacey’s Bat Mitzvah more than 10+ years ago.
One of the more iconic outfits in Cher’s closet–I can’t imagine she would ever get rid of it
Tip #3: Be mindful of trends
During a closet clean out a few years ago, I found Junk Food T-shirts (the ones that have the vintage-looking pop labels and band names) and Michael Stars tanks (like the ones from high school) and got rid of them, along with a few headbands.
Lo and behold, vintage band t-shirts and headbands were back in style the following year. Keep a few “trendy” items in the “maybe” pile if you’re on the fence, and reevaluate in a few months.
Ironically, grunge ’90s fashion was a huge Spring 2014 runway trend,
so don’t throw away that plaid juuuuust yet….
Tip #4: If it doesn’t fit, toss it
You may think holding on to a top that is two sizes too small or jeans that fit a year ago will fit again if you lose weight. While fitting into skinny jeans is good motivation, think about what a relief it will be when you do lose weight and toss all the items that will be too “big”–and you’ll have room in your closet for a new wardrobe to show off your hot new bod! If it doesn’t fit now, it won’t fit tomorrow. No matter how many “Buns of Steel” exercises you do.
Tip #5: Organize
You need to tackle your closet. A good rule of thumb I’ve found is to organize your closet by color and then by article of clothing, depending on how much room you have in your closet. That way, you can tell that you don’t need six of the same black blouse or realize you own one too many pairs of khaki pants. This will allow you to put together outfits quickly, especially if you are short on time. Use cloth hangers (not the ones that come from the dry cleaners) to help retain the garment’s shape and to keep it from sliding or stretching.
Tip #6: Consider consigning your clothes
So you spent $150 on a new blouse but only wore it once, and now you don’t want it. Instead of donating it, create an account at coutoureusa.com or with the Twice app and sell your gently used items. Depending on the brand and the quality of the item, you could get cash for your clothes–which can obviously go toward your new wardrobe!
What are some of your tips for spring cleaning?
