How to Tackle an Overflowing Closet

My Closet Story

I’ve had to drastically overhaul my closet twice in my life. I lived through it and am here to tell you how it helped me help my clients edit and organize their closets, too.

About 25 years ago, I bought a condo that wasn’t move-in ready. I put the majority of my belongings in storage and moved to a temporary rental. During that time, I had to commute to an office job, attend a tradeshow, and go on a camping trip. Trying to select what to wear was extremely stressful! That said, I found I didn’t miss all the clothes I’d put in storage. Then I moved into my new space which had room for everything, old and new. Problem solved, right? Well, fast forward four years and I moved again. But this time, my new closet space was just a quarter of what I’d had before. That’s when I really started to reflect back to that time when a lot of my clothes were in storage and how I didn’t really miss them at all. So I started to really think about which clothes I wore on a regular basis and which I could live without.

What I Learned

After heavily editing down my own closet, I found that I don’t miss the clothes, shoes, and accessories I donated. At all. And when I need to buy a new piece of clothing or accessory, I immediately make myself remove two items. If I can’t remove two items, I can’t add one. I try to keep it in the same category so I’m reviewing like for like. For example, I recently had to buy new walking shoes. I donated an old pair plus some that I haven’t worn in over a year. I also bought a new top, so I removed an old top and a pair of pants I hadn’t worn in over a year (I didn’t want to get rid of any more tops). I still kept to the rule of “one in, two out”.

Now, I’m going to share the process I used to reduce my wardrobe and live with less. I hope these steps can help you not only when buying new clothes but also when it comes time to edit down what you have.

The Process

Start by going through your closet and removing items you haven’t worn in a year, things that no longer fit, are worn out, you don’t like or feel good in, and anything that’s woefully out of fashion — even if it was expensive. Put all of those clothes in a donate pile.

Remove all remaining clothing in your closet and pile it on your bed. Start taking each piece and ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I still wear this?
• Do I feel good in this?
• Do I like this?
• Is this trendy and if not, is it a classic/timeless piece I can wear regardless?

If the answer to these questions is no, immediately place the item in the donate pile. If you don’t feel good about it, don’t keep it. If you say yes, put it in your keep pile.

Once you’ve gone through everything and have a keep pile and a donate pile, take a break and then come back and do the last review. But before your break, put all the clothes you’re donating into bags and place them in your car. Okay. Now you’ve come back refreshed and ready for the final edit. YAY! Time to quickly go through the keep pile again, piece by piece, asking the same questions. This time, you’ll create and add a third pile for seasonal items. If the item is not something you wear year-round, put it in seasonal. I usually put my sweaters and sundresses here. I don’t wear sundresses in the winter, nor do I wear sweaters in the summer.

Now you’ve got three piles:

1. Year-round keepers
2. Seasonal keepers
3. Donate

Hang your year-round keepers back in your closet. Now separate your seasonal keepers into two piles for current and off-season. I usually divide items into two groups: spring/summer and fall/winter. You can keep the current season in your daily closet or elsewhere — whatever’s available and works best for you. Keep the off-season clothes in a separate closet or storage bin, then swap them out every six months.

A good wardrobe review cadence is every six months as you’re already swapping seasonal items out every six months anyway. This will get you in the habit of quickly looking in your closet and pulling items to donate.

And that’s it! You’re done!

Well, almost. Let’s go through a few key points to keep in mind:

• Make decisions quickly
• Don’t wait or talk yourself into keeping anything
• Your first thought is usually the correct one — go with it!
• Keep trendy clothes to a minimum, as the fashion industry creates trends to continue commerce, not for you to keep forever

Ways to Donate

Oh, and a quick note on what to do with your donate pile!

• Donate to local charities or shelters.
• Call and ask what they are taking before heading over.
• Pet Shelters often take old towels and bedding for their animals.
• Some companies take old clothes that are worn and rework them into new designs and clothing, giving them a second life. This is fantastic as it keeps old clothes out of landfills. An internet search will help you find these companies closest to you.

Are you ready to transform your space and mindset? Contact Sage Home Harmony today, and let us help you start your journey to a more organized, fulfilling life.