Closet Talk: Declutter Tips From Kat

black clothing rack against the wall
 

Decluttering doesn’t happen instantly. It is a process that takes time and patience (I’m sure we all know this one!). These tips have really helped me declutter over the years and I use these easy-to-follow methods every time I need to declutter.

Let’s get started.

FIRST, STAND IN FRONT OF YOUR CLOSET AND TAKE EVERYTHING OUT.

 
black clothing rack against the wall
 

Yes, everything. This includes all the clothes that you may have stored away in a bin or have hidden in the back of your closet. Lay out everything in front of you. Your shoes, tops, bottoms, undergarments, socks, jackets, dresses, work clothes, everything.

THEN, SEPARATE YOUR CLOTHING INTO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.

 
minimalist clothes on a rack
 

Visually see everything that you own. Sometimes it's harder to donate or get rid of items when we can't see them because we may forget they even exist. Sorting all our clothes into categories allows us to visually see how much we have in a particular category. I remember when I did this, I noticed I had 15+ different scarves, but only wore 2 of them.

Here are the categories:

  • Shoes (flip-flops, sandals, boots, booties, heels, flats, sneakers, etc.)

  • Sleepwear (PJs, lingerie, etc.)

  • Tops (tees, shirts, blouses, casual, formal, flannels, etc.)

  • Bottoms (pants, jeans, shorts, leggings, skirts, etc.)

  • Dresses (going out, casual, etc.)

  • Activewear

  • Undergarments (socks, bras, underwear, etc.)

  • Accessories (scarfs, hats, etc.)

  • Costumes

  • Other (everything else that doesn't quite fit into the above categories)

NOW, GO THROUGH EACH ITEM ONE BY ONE AND START DECLUTTERING.

 
neutral tops on the bed
 

As you go through each piece of clothing, separate them into three different piles: Absolutely Keep, Not Sure, and Donate/Repurpose. The purpose of this part of the exercise is to reflect on all the pieces in our wardrobe. It's important to understand what we have, why we have it, if we love it, if we kinda like it, if we don't really like it, or why we can't seem to let it go.

As you go through each item, ask yourself these questions:

  1. How do I feel when I wear this?

  2. Have I worn this in the past year?

  3. Will I wear it in the next six months?

  4. Would I buy this again?

  5. Do I LOVE this item or kind of like it?

  6. Will somebody else love it more than I do?

  7. Does it align with the person I want to represent?

And remember...

It’s important to let go of the clothes that:

  • Are brand new but haven’t been worn.. Ever

  • Make us feel uncomfortable

  • We have outgrown (we have kept from when we were younger)

  • We will never wear or haven’t worn in years

  • Are really old or worn out

BONUS TIP: PUT IT AWAY IN A STORAGE CONTAINER.

If you still feel iffy about an item, put it away in a storage container. If you don’t reach for it in the next few months, you probably won’t miss it when it’s gone. This trick works for me every time!

Remember, decluttering is a process and might not be something that can be taken care of in just one day. The beauty of decluttering is that it doesn't happen instantly. It's helpful to revisit our wardrobes every now and then to ensure we only keep what we love.

 
 

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OrganizationKat