How to clean out your closet | What to ditch

How to clean out your closet

If, like me, you have a fairly large closet, it can be difficult to know which items you should keep, and which to let go of. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been getting rid of…

01. The Poor Fit

It should go without saying that clothing that doesn’t fit properly shouldn’t be given closet-space, but for years I’ve kept hold of items that are a little too big, a little too small, or just a plain old bad fit. My logic here, flawed though it may be, is that while it may not fit me now, it might fit me SOME day. What if I gain weight, for instance? That saggy sweater that’s far too big for me now might fit PERFECTLY then, and if it does, I’ll be really glad I kept it, won’t I? Similarly, those jeans that are just a touch too tight: if I lost a couple of pounds, they’d be perfect – better keep them just in case!

This logic isn’t TOTALLY flawed, and if your weight tends to fluctuate on a regular basis, it might be a good idea to keep hold a few things that suit different sizes, but when you have a lot of those items, it’s time to say goodbye to them. During my closet clear-outs, I try on each item I’m not sure about and consider the fit: if I really love it, and think it could be altered, I’ll put it aside; if not, it goes: simple. There’s no point keeping items which don’t fit: if my weight DOES change, I’ll buy new clothes, which fit that NEW shape, rather than clinging onto old ones which might never work.

02. The Just-in-Case

We all have those items, don’t we? The ones we never wear, but keep around “just in case” we need them one day. Unless there’s a very real chance that “one day” is just around the corner, I’ve been getting rid of these items, too: chances are that “one day” will never come…

03. The ‘Looks Good on the Hanger’

This category, is the one I find most difficult to get rid of. It consists of items which fit well, and which I love the look of… but only on the hanger (or on someone else). As soon as I try to actually WEAR them, I always end up changing into something else, because as much as I love the garment in theory, in practice it just doesn’t work for me. Often there’s no obvious reason for this: the item will be a style I love, a colour I wear, a good fit… but it doesn’t make me feel good when I wear it, which tells me I should pass it on to someone who WILL feel great in it.

How to clean out your closet

04. The Old Faithful

Last week I finally binned two pairs of gold flats that were long past their best. They were literally starting to fall apart, and had long-since been relegated to “around the house” wear, but to be completely honest, they weren’t even fit for that, really, so out they went. Ditto the worn-out old sports clothes, the sweaters that have been worn and washed one too many times, and so on and so forth. Because I have a bit of a sentimental streak, I find it quite hard to get rid of things I’ve had for a long time, and have really loved – especially if I’ve yet to find something to replace them with. Wearing old, worn-out clothes, however, makes me feel shabby and frumpy, so I’ve been forcing myself to let them go: at least I have all those outfit photos to remember them by!

05. The ‘Good Enough’

Because I work from home, I constantly fight the impulse not to keep things “for best”. It always feels like a bit of a waste to wear a nice outfit on a day when I’ll just be sitting at my desk at home, or heading out to walk the dog or run a few errands, so I’ll frequently end up wearing outfits which are just “good enough”, as opposed to ones which actually make me FEEL good. Again, there’s some logic to this, and I wouldn’t want to wear out my best clothes by sitting at home in a prom dress and stilettos every day, but there IS a middle ground: clothes don’t have to be dressy or expensive to be flattering, so I’ve been ditching all of the “wear at home” clothes which make me feel like a slob (like those gold flats from point 4), with the aim of replacing them with well-fitting basics which will look a whole lot better.

Most of the items I’ve gotten rid of have fallen into one of these categories, which brings me to the next question…