We’ve all been there.
You open your closet in the morning and can’t find that specific piece of clothing you just knew you wanted to wear.
When this happens, it’s a sure-fire sign that your closet needs a good decluttering session.
And, trust me, once you’ve decluttered your closet, you’ll feel much better about your wardrobe choices.
An important thing to remember is that decluttering a closet is not a 10-minute job.
I suggest taking a day or two to get this just right.
Spending much-needed time on your closet doing a deep clean will save you time when picking out your ideal outfit and will make you feel loads better about your space.
In cleaning out your closet, you’ll also find that there are clothing items you no longer wear, ones that no longer fit and ones which floated out of fashion many, many years ago.
I like to give my closet a clean-up at least once a year.
I make it a habit and I try my best to stick with it.
Here are a few tried-and-tested tips which I use when clearing out and decluttering my personal closet:
The Questions
Before I start decluttering I prepare myself to ask a few hard questions.
These help me decide what I want to keep in the closet and which items need a new home.
Sometimes, these seem as though they are the hardest questions to answer but they will end with the best results.
So here they are, my essential questions that every clothing item is asked:
• Is it comfortable?
• Will it still fit?
• When last did I wear it?
• Can I live without it?
• Is this how I want people to see me?
• Do I love it?
• Is it damaged or stained?
I often find that the hardest question to get through is whether an item of clothing projects the right image.
Is this how I want people to see me?
We all have those items; the ones for the lazy at home days.
But, they do not need to make up most of your wardrobe.
Always remember that unless you have an entire house for your clothes, your closet space is limited.
You really don’t want to waste the space you have.
Getting Started
If you want to make real work of decluttering your closet, you need to know what you already have.
And, the only way to do this is to take everything out.
Start with an empty closet.
This will be your canvas for decluttering.
Once you have everything out of your closet, give it a good clean.
Wipe down the shelves and replace the shelving liners.
Next, place a box on the floor, to one side.
You can use this box to put everything which no longer meets your closet requirements.
Declutter Away
Now that you have a canvas to work from you need to know what you’re working with.
Pick up every article of clothing.
Look it over and answer the hard questions when did I wear it? Does it still fit? Is it comfortable? Is it stained?
If the clothing item meets all of the requirements it gets to stay.
If it doesn’t, well then it goes to the box.
After the Clean-Up
Once you have finished your decluttering you’ll be left with a closet full of clothes you wear and a box full of ones you don’t wear.
I choose to donate clothing which I no longer wear but you could sell clothing online too.
Alternatively, why not host a switch and swish party with your girlfriends?
Everyone brings a bottle of wine and a box of clothes they no longer wear.
Then all you do is swish some wine and switch some clothes.
Information supplied by Judy. For more from Judy, visit www.empoweredbystyle.co.za or contact her on judy@empoweredbystyle.co.za
