Closets can be a haven of simplicity at best or a pit of despair at worst.  At times, many of us (including myself) have been in the pit of despair camp.  Maybe your closet makes you feel overwhelmed or guilty or maybe you walk in and can never decide what to wear because you can’t even see what you have.  It’s easier than you think to simplify your closet and I promise that doing so will have a positive impact on your life and give you back time each day.  Minimizing your clothing can be a surprisingly liberating experience, and once it’s done it can not only decrease stress but getting dressed can actually be fun! You can even take your closet to the next level, creating a chic capsule wardrobe. A curated, simplified closet will support your best self and also help you make more intentional choices in the future and decrease the likelihood of impulsive purchases.

There are many techniques out there to simplify your wardrobe (and you have to decide what works best for you) but below are some simple steps to help guide the process.

1. Sort your clothing into categories ( for example, jeans, sweaters, workout clothes). Once you have at least one category compiled, you can then move on to the next step. For an easy challenge start with your sock drawer or workout clothes.

2.Decide what stays and what goes. There may be obvious choices, but when it comes to more difficult decisions, ask yourself if you love it, does it make you feel like the best version of yourself and does it currently fit you. A good test can be imagining if you were in a store and asking yourself honestly if you would pay full price for the item. If the answer is no, it’s time to donate, sell, or recycle. It’s also important to be realistic about how many of a certain style of something you need. This is also the step where you try things on to see how you really feel in them. Although this is the hardest part, if you stick to your minimalist inspired plan, the payoff is huge!

3. As soon as possible, get the items that no longer serve you a purpose out of your home.  It’s easy to donate or recycle at a thrift store and some stores like H&M & Madewell will even give you a coupon for bringing in textiles in any condition for recycling. There are also plenty of ways to sell your more valuable items and make some extra money towards new investment pieces. You can bring your items to a local consignment store or resale shop, list on a selling platform like Ebay or Poshmark, or request a bag for online consignment (like ThredUp) or sell by mail (Crossroads or buffalo exchange).  We recommend SimplySoldConsignment.com which gives the highest return on your quality pieces of clothing, shoes & accessories.  If you want to keep something for sentimental reasons, get it out of your day to day closet and store it properly with other keepsakes (but be sure to set a limit with that too).

4. Hang and fold your beloved items that stay neatly. Swapping out mismatched hangers for uniform ones can create a drastic change. We love these velvet hangers and these wooden hangers.  Think of your closet as a display in a pretty boutique. 

5. Be prepared for some emotions to come up.  Remember that a lot of emotions can be tied to clothing and this process can feel emotionally exhausting.  Stay with it and give yourself a little reward when it’s done.  If you’e agonizing about whether to let something go, it can be helpful to remind yourself that if you part with something you later regret, you can still find something similar (or even better)! Generally though, you won’t miss the item. Think “out of sight, out of mind”.

A final reminder:

The most important part to any organizing is just to take action! There really isn’t a right or wrong way to minimize, anything you let go of is a step in the right direction. If you have a whole day to devote to going through your entire wardrobe, go for it (of course this depends on the size of the wardrobe), but for many of us this may not be realistic; you can take one drawer or category in your closet at a time. You can do whatever works best for you in terms of technique, and remember we’re here to help if you need us! A streamlined wardrobe can make such a difference when it comes to simplifying your life. It can save you time and energy, as well as be a source of fun and creativity.

Happy simplifying!