It's January, Are You Cleaning Out Your Closet?
For many, January means;
New, fresh, blank slate, resolutions, clean outs, reorganizations...
We take on projects in that strange time warp that falls between Christmas and New Year’s eve, that we may or may not finish, (me raising my hand over here). Whether you’re a “resolution person” or not, January just does something to us. I would bet money that you, or someone you know, is taking on that ultimate project this January:
The closet clean out.
Marie Kondo gave us a shared language about items in our homes bringing us joy, and also how to fold the most perfect and efficient way. BUT, something she didn’t quite address, understandably, is the nitty gritty of cleaning out our closets and why we would, or would not keep an item beyond it bringing us joy. In addition, knowing what to do with your no longer wanted items is a huge issue as well. Long story short; our clothes REALLY need to to stay out of landfills.
As a wardrobe stylist, I have my own system for helping my clients clean and sort through their closets. Below I have listed out my method, so if you’re in need of some guidance with your closet sort this January, read on.
Step One: Identify Your Personal Style
Before you can start making piles of “Keep” and ‘Bye”, you really need to understand your IDEAL PERSONAL STYLE. Developing this is an exercise I complete with clients prior to starting any styling service and I would advise you to do the same before starting on your closet.
A simplified way to do this is hit up Pinterest, or magazines if you like tangible, and start pinning and pasting anything you are attracted to. Don’t try to figure out if it would be “flattering”, if you can afford it, or know where to even shop for it. Just have fun and get excited about your personal style. Once you have your Vision Board created, examine it thoroughly. Look for tendencies, nuances, patterns. You will probably notice that you are attracted to certain styles and shapes. Let this sink in and ask yourself…
“Am I filling my closet with items similar to what I have Pinned?”
“Am I purchasing things that are very far off from what I actually like, and if so, WHY?”
Don’t let this exercise scare you, this could the beginning of a new era of style for you, embrace it.
This is a very abbreviated version of identifying your personal style and if this is something you would like to explore more, contact me, we can work together on this.
Step Two: Start the Sort, One by One
The next step is partially what you would expect to happen when you clean out your closet, but with an added bonus. Enter your closet, start on whatever side, row, section, you want and grab the first piece. Ask the following three questions about the first item and EVERY item after:
When was the last time I wore this?
Does this fit into my Ideal Personal Style?
If the answer to #2 is “No”, then is there potential for this item to weave it’s way back in to my style based on season, trend, self evolution?
There are definitely more questions to ask for particular items, but start with these as a baseline. If you are on the fence about an item and uncertain what to do, turn the hanger backwards on the rod, write a specific day on the calendar that you will check to see if the hanger has turned frontwards; meaning you actually wore it and found it useful.
Cleaning out your closet in a SUSTAINABLE way is a balance of being honest about whether or not you will really ever wear something again, as well as thinking through the potential to reinvent it in your closet. You may just need some help styling it as opposed to giving up completely on it. Another opportunity for me, your wardrobe stylist, to help you work through this and potentially show you how to revitalize certain pieces.
This process may be more involved mentally than you expected, but it is worth the time investment to ensure the real estate in our closet is not being taken up with items that are not true to you now, or ever. All clothing will have a second life somewhere, whether that is a revitalized life in your wardrobe, or with someone else…which brings us to our next step.
Step Three: Determine Your Garment’s Next Home
It is so important that we are intentional about this step and, (I’m about to call you out), NOT merely fill a plastic garbage bag with our discards, let them sit in our car trunk for 6 months, and finally just dump that at Goodwill because we need the storage space in our vehicle back. Ya, I know you’re cringing. We have ALL been there, so no shame, let’s just discuss a better way.
When you’ve decided an item no longer need to live it’s life with you, examine it and determine which of the following is the best route for it:
Selling; Great condition, you would purchase it based on quality, it is a style that you think others would be interested in
Donating; In good condition (no huge stains, tears, holes, busted soles), that you think someone else could wear. More on this later…
Recycling; It really isn’t in wearable condition, has huge stains, holes, wear.
Keep in mind when you are donating garments to any place, real humans will potentially buy or receive this item. Would you buy or receive items with holes or huge stains that are not easily mended? Probably not. Be kind and considerate in your donations. If it is not in good enough condition, it will most likely end up in a landfill where it will not decompose for hundreds of years. Not what we are going for here.
Recycling is the best option when you have items you don’t think someone else would ever wear, or like to receive. Textile recyclers exist all around you. Do a quick google search and you will find an organization you can drop off or ship to. They will most likely specify that they will take anything and that they know what to do with your gnarly socks or beat up boots.
Be intentional about this step, even though it may take more time.
There you have it my friends. A very abbreviated version of a Closet Clean Out. This is a proven, and great way to get started on a cleaner, truer, closet. If this process felt overwhelming even to read, no worries, I literally do all of what we discussed as my job and I love it. Reach out, I would love to join you on your journey to a more stylish, sustainable, and true you.
All the love,
xx,
M.F.F.
Images in Post Courtesy of Feather & Twine Photography