What to purge and what to keep

Have you procrastinated or completed your spring cleaning? If you're at all like me, you both love and hate this task. I love the idea of cleaning out my closet, my home and my life. I also dread the task of actually cleaning things out. But when it come to your closet, it's a good idea to clear out the items you don't/won't use about twice a year. A great time to attack this task is when you switch your closet from one season to the next. Putting away winter sweaters for the summer? Only put away the ones you actually wore. Pulling out summer dresses? Only put away those that you will actually use this summer. We all have trouble trying to decide what to keep and what to let go of. This is how we end up with items in our closet that we never wear. For those time when you need a little extra help determining how to proceed with your spring cleaning, I have outlined a few tips below that I hope will help!

Determining Factors in whether or not to purge an item from your closet:

• Fit: This is everything. Don't hold on to clothes just because you think you'll gain or lose weight (with the exception of pregnancy). If something doesn't fit right, can it be tailored to fit you? If the answer is no, do not keep it.
• Style: Is the item still in line with your style goals? Does it fit the criteria of what you would look for in a new article of clothing you might be purchasing for your current wardrobe (not your college wardrobe)? If the item is no longer your style, do not keep it.
• Quality/Condition: Is the item still in good condition? What is the quality of the item? Is it worn? Does it have stains or rips? If the item is not in great condition, I recommend not keeping it. You want to fill your closet with clothes that look good, not clothes that look old and worn.
• The Confidence Factor: How do you feel when you try it on? If you feel good when you put it on you're more likely to wear it. If you put it on and start thinking about how to make it look better, you probably will never wear it. Be sure to take this into consideration. Only keep clothes that you honestly feel you will use. There is no point in a closet full of clothes you don't want to wear.

If you're still having trouble filtering through your wardrobe and would like a little extra help, a closet cleanout is one of the services I can provide! (Read more in the services section of my website.)

Photography by Carlee Kettell

Spring Cleaning in February

Can you believe this gorgeous weather we're having? Just in time for February vacation when families head out for vacations to either get away from the cold or enjoy it. However, even if you haven't gone away this week, you're still in for a treat with warmer weather that makes you believe spring just might not be too far away.

This warm weather will get you thinking about your spring wardrobe. And if you have gone way to a warm weather location, you've actually had to pull out your spring/summer wardrobe. That makes this a great time to start spring cleaning your closet. Before you even pull out the clothing that has been stashed away all winter, clear out the winter items that are taking up space. If you haven't worn it all season, what are you waiting for? It might be time to let those items go.

As you start to filter through the warm weather items that you stashed away last fall, be critical. If any of those items have stains or rips or holes where they are not supposed to, get rid of them. Try things on if you're not sure how they will fit. If there's an item that you haven't worn in the last year, ask yourself why you're holding on to it. Be critical of your wardrobe and only keep the items that you will wear and that will flatter you. Don't be afraid of having a small wardrobe. You might think it's better to have more choices but that's not necessarily true. They have to be good choices for you.

I just got back from a quick trip to Peru. I filtered through my summer wardrobe quick and only pulled the items that I really liked and felt would be the most versatile and flattering. This ended up being mostly dresses, which are great for a warm weather location as they don't require a lot of coordinating and can go from day to night with ease. But it also made me realize that I probably need to go back and check my inventory on pants and skirts. I know I have a few tops that I love for spring/summer but had trouble pulling bottoms that I thought would easily pair. I didn't have time before my trip to be critical of these items but I know that this is something I need to look at as the weather gets warmer. If the pants I have aren't working for me, it's time to let go of the ones that I have and keep an eye out for something new. I also realized that even though I didn't have time to be critical of my whole warm weather wardrobe before I left for my trip, my quick judgement in picking the items that I thought would work best, told me something about the rest of my wardrobe in my initial reaction to it. Sometimes you don't need to spend a lot of time reviewing what you have. Your first instinct can tell you a lot.

So it's time to start cleaning that wardrobe out! As you filter out what you no longer need or use, you'll be making room for the new trends and arrivals that will complete your spring/summer wardrobe this year!

Spring Cleaning!

It’s March 1st! And the temps are warm enough for us to start thinking about Spring.

So while we might not be ready to put away all our winter gear since I’m sure there are still a few cold temperatures in our future, we can start to think about how to thin out our winter wardrobe. Transitioning our closets from one season to the next provides a great opportunity to be selective about the clothing that we chose to pack away and keep and the clothing that we decide to put in our closet.

While you still have your winter wardrobe in your closet, start pulling items out that you’re ready to retire. If an article of clothing has been sitting in your closet all winter and you haven’t’ worn it once, it might be a really good indication that it’s time to let it go. Be critical of what you have in your closet. Sometimes, we are afraid to let go of things. We might need someone to push us to really scrub out our belongings. Don’t be afraid to ask a friend to come over and help you be selective.

It’s not just the items that we never wear that might need to be purged. Also, consider the items you wear all the time. Are they worn? Do they have holes where they shouldn’t? Are they faded or frayed? You want to keep things that are in condition and can last for another season.

A great example of an item that you might consider removing from your closet due to wear is a pair of shoes. If you commute to work you might find that you wear through your shoes fast. The soles get thin, the leather can stretch, and zipper can break. In this case, it’s absolutely worthwhile to move on and prepare to buy a new pair when you need them the next time around.

Another example of a worn article of clothing can be a coat. I have coats that I’ve had for years. A good coat can be built to last a long time. But they don’t last forever. It’s a good time to be critical of those coats you’ve been wearing all season. Is the lining torn? Do you spot any stains? Is the zipper working properly? Any of these problems can be remedied with a trip to the tailor which would be totally worth it for your favorite coat. But only you know if that coat is worth salvaging.

Another category that you might not think to spring clean would be your accessories! Bags, gloves, hats, scarves, even socks can get worn and it may be time to remove them from your wardrobe. These can be small items but they take up space. Be selective about the accessories you want to keep. I know that sometimes we can feel obligated to keep an accessory that was given to us as a gift – even if it’s not our style and the likelihood of us wearing it is very low. I’ve been the victim of this as well. Maybe keep it for a season or two (doing your best to incorporate it into a few outfits) and then like the other items, let it go!

Remember to be just as selective about the items that you take out of storage and place back into your closet! Pay attention to items that may have faded, stained or developed holes. Also do your best to try things on! Your body can change over time and things don’t always fit the same as they did before. The best way to figure that out is to try it on! Think about putting outfits together while you do this. This can save you a lot of time in the future. If you think of your wardrobe in outfits, you will not only be able to get dressed faster, but you will also be able to know what you really need when you go shopping. If you invest a little time in putting your closet together it will save you money, time and energy next season!