Closet Questions

Unless you have limitless closet space or never get new clothes, weeding out your closet is a fact of life. It helps make room for new purchases, keeps your wardrobe current and helps prevent closet chaos. But it can be so hard to part with clothes, even those you don’t wear. If you find that you have trouble letting go of clothes and are always justifying why it makes sense to keep them, here are some questions to help you decide to let go…

1. Do I need it, do I wear it, do I love it? Ideally, you’d answer ‘yes’ to all three for everything in your closet, but you should be able to answer ‘yes’ to at least one for every item you decide to keep.
2. Do I have more than I need? Just because you choose to keep some t-shirts, for example, doesn’t mean you need to keep them all. Do you really need 4 bathing suits when you only go to the beach and handful of times each year? Probably not. Keep the best and ditch the rest!
3. Have I worn it in the past year? If you’ve made it through all of your seasons and activities and haven’t worn something once in the past year, that’s a good indication that you’re not going to…ever!
4. Do I have something better or could I get something better? If you have 3 pairs of black pants, chances are you always gravitate toward the best pair. If you feel you must keep more than one, just choose one back-up and get rid of the rest. And if you feel forced to wear something you really don’t like, make it a point to replace it ASAP.
5. Does it have a hole or stain? Wear and tear happens, but there’s no sense in keeping items that you don’t wear because they’re not in good shape anymore. Many donation places will recycle textiles that can’t be sold, so you don’t have to throw them out either. Also don’t fall victim to keeping tons of past-their-prime clothes for messy projects and yard work at home. Keep a few options for this type of work and say ‘sayonara’ to the rest!
6. Does it fit me now? Items you keep should fit you well and fit you now. Pregnancy or a recent baby are perhaps the only reasons to keep things that don’t quite fit you now. Keeping several sizes in your wardrobe for weight loss and weight gain does not work well for most people as a weight management or closet management strategy.
7. Could I do something positive with it? Many people have a hard time letting go of clothes they spent good money on and/or clothes that are still perfectly useful. But if you aren’t wearing them, they’re not doing anybody any good, right? So sell them on-line or through a consignment shop or donate them and take a tax deduction. At least someone else will be making use of them!

As you review your clothes, make sure you get consignment and donation items out ASAP. Nothing is more deflating than working really hard to clear out and clean up a space than facing a huge pile of donations day after day. Likewise, nothing is more rewarding and inspiring than getting everything out the door and seeing the space you’ve re-claimed. Bottom line – don’t let them sit – get them out the door!

Want to learn more about closet organizing? Check out Closet Hang Ups: Making the Most of Your Closet Space available on our Learn to Organize e-Courses page.