What is the one easy, fool-proof way to clean out the closet?
Yes, finding the time is one way and having the willingness to spend it is another.
But how do we make it a super efficient and painless task? “Detoxing” the wardrobe is never simple, not now and not ever.
Recently I have done my fair share of closet cleaning. I’ve cleaned out, packed and moved and I have unpacked, unpacked some more and re-arranged several times. None of it is the best fun but there are efficient ways to “detox” our wardrobes.
How I start, end and keep going when all I want to do is shove everything back in their drawers and slam the wardrobe shut comes down to one inoffensive little question.
Will I wear it?
Will I wear it is pretty loaded.
It translates as: Do I like it, have I worn it recently and does it even suit me? Would I buy it today?
If the answer to this question, or any of its derivations, has the slightest hesitation then the garment in question is out. It seems ruthless but I know me and I am doing myself the hugest favour. I am saving hours of indecision and confidence crises by restricting my wardrobe to those pieces that I like, love and most importantly that work for me.
Trust me, this is a brilliant strategy if you play by the rules. And here is the best news?
Afterwards, you will feel like not only pretty pleased with yourself but also as if you have had the detox, not the wardrobe.
There are some tricks to it.
This is how I do the major “detox”.
Make sure there is plenty of time and don’t start unless your mood and energy levels are high; this is a job requiring stamina.
Start cupboard by cupboard; don’t make it so overwhelming you have lost before you start.
Create 3 piles for each cupboard, the definite, the definitely not and the maybes. Put the maybes to one side and “sleep” on them.
Out of the definitely not make three more piles, the giveaway, the sale items and the rubbish.
Note: there are very few things we ever regret giving away especially if we donate them to a worthy cause.
Tips once The Piles Are In Place
Don’t save clothing to grow into.
Farewell that which is stained and damaged or in need of major repair; we never get around to it.
Unless you are curating for the Met or live in a house like Southfork, fling the shoulder pads and anything unwieldy from the ’80’s and 90’s. That’s where the daughters come in. Mine seem to be very happy recipients of my old kit and even happier is how they make my “oldies look new again”.
Don’t do the double up. How many old black tee shirts do we really need? Save the most recent and most flattering.
Be realistic about space; give that which you love room to move and pride of place. How often do I look in my wardrobe and miss the best because it’s smothered by the worst?
Be truthful in all things; it makes or breaks this detox.
I am a great one to think – when I lose those extra kilos or this might work if I wear a jacket over the top – I won’t and it won’t. It is the same as waiting for the “right” gala to wear a formal number from 2000. The Millennium has been and gone and so should those party dresses.
Know your current style; not who you were in the past. It is today we want to look our best when we walk out the door. Our wardrobes must reflect what is in our hearts and minds. I may reflect with fondness on my past fashion triumphs and failures, but that is exactly what they are – reflections.
Will I wear it – really wear it? This is my “detox’ motto. xv
Never Ever For The “Detox”
eileen fisher shaped leather jacket || theory lamb leather jacket || belstaff moto jacket || la marque leather jacket
images, gary card
