Cleaning Out Your Closet

Fashion mags, Tim Gunn, and an embarrassingly girly girl section of my home library have convinced me that when it comes to your closet, less is more.

In NYC, closet space is especially hard to come by, so cluttering your closet with things that don't fit right or that you may or may not wear once in your lifetime is not a bright idea. Instead, it's ideal to have a streamlined space containing just a few perfect pieces that look nothing short of exquisite each time you put them on.

Does this ideal describe my cramped closet? Not quite. But I'm doing my best to purge and upgrade! Unfortunately, I was laid off in November, so while the purging part is still quite possible, all upgrades are currently on hold.

My current closet, in all its smashed up, unmanageable glory

My husband doesn't understand my need to clean out my closet. "What a waste!" he exclaims, each time I set aside a piece to donate. Well, I say it's not a waste if you're never going to wear it! And some garments, while they may have seemed fabulous upon purchase, are simply not meant to be worn.

I do a major closet overhaul about once a year, and I think it may be time for another. Rehanging any item is always a game of push and shove at this point, and I even have a sad section of space reserved for pieces I know, deep down, have seen their final days.

So how does one clean out their closet? Well, here's my practiced routine:

1. Get everything out. Toss it all on the bed. Even remove the hangers and lavender pouch thingy that was supposed to keep things smelling sweet.
2. Evaluate each piece, one by one, asking yourself: Does it fit? Do I wear it? Do I love it? If you don't answer "yes" to all three questions, get it off the bed. It has been downgraded to the floor.
3. Rehang the remaining items, keeping the above three questions in mind. Sometimes an iffy number or two will try to stay in the game. Don't let them. Really, it's not worth it.

Now, some people choose to store those items that aren't in season. Because we have no storage space, almost everything stays in my closet year-round. I usually order my items like so:

1. Coats, from bulky to lightweight
2. Pants
   
3. Dresses, from winter to summer, work to play
4. Skirts, ordered like the dresses
5. Jackets
6. Sweaters, with cardigans at the end
7. Work tops
8. Fun tops
9. Casual tops other than T-shirts

Jeans, T-shirts, and anything that can get mussed up a bit either gets placed on a shelf or in a drawer.

Discarded items get donated, although I must admit I tend to procrastinate in this area. Currently, I have a big bag of items stored away for this purpose. Must. add. to. to-do list.

That's really all there is to it. I used to do the whole color-combo arranging act, but have since convinced myself that not only is this a total waste of time, it makes my closet look as if the circus has come to town.

So, the plan is I'll be doing another purge ...and you'll be coming along for the ride.