Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Finding Your Style : Closet Clean-Out

Outfit Of The Day is first, then if you want to follow the "Finding Your Style" series you can keep reading.  :)


Burgundy pencil skirt, purple top, pumps, clutch, belt.

This is Part 1 of a 3 part series on finding your style.



How many times have we gone to our closets full of things we love, but we still have "nothing to wear"?  In my experience this is because the items can't be used together.  So it's super important that we have wardrobes filled with items that can be mixed and matched.  You don't have to stick to one style if you don't want to, just remember that the more styles you have the more closet space you need.

I truly believe that the first step to finding your style is starting with a purged, organized, cohesive wardrobe.  But that can be so overwhelming, so to break it down we're going to do a 3 part series over the next 3 weeks.  Now, I understand that sometimes stage of life (such as having babies) or even sickness (such as thyroid problems) can really make the purging hard because you don't know what size you'll be tomorrow.  If that's the case, I just suggest that you keep different sizes separate from each other in your closet so that they're easier to find.  :)

This week it's all about cleaning out your closet.  Erng.  I know, we all hate it.  It's the least fun part of this whole process.  We form such emotional attachments to our stuff.  But if you don't know what you have, you won't know what you need.

Still sounds overwhelming, right?  So let's break it down even farther into 5 simple steps to clearing the clutter.



Step 1:  Make your bed (for a clear mind) and dump ALL your clothes on it.  Uhg, what a mess, huh?  Don't worry.  It's progress!


Anyone who sends me a picture of themselves doing this ↑ as they purge gets a gift!

Step 2:  Sort through EVERYTHING.  Make 3 piles - "Love It", "Can't Decide", and "Why Do I Even Have This?"  Piece by piece go through the big pile.  Don't labor over decisions, if you can't decide put it in "Can't Decide" and come back to it later.



Step 3:  Lose the crap.  Put all your "Why do I even Have This" items in a donation bag and take it to another room.  A clear space makes for a clear mind, so keep moving stuff out as you go.



Step 4:  Sort through the "Can't Decide" pile.  Do you love the piece?  Can it be worn with at least 3 other things in your closet?  Does it fit?  Anything that "almost" fits (1-2 sizes away) put in a box and move to somewhere out of sight.  You can keep them, but they don't need to be cluttering your closet making it hard to find the things that do fit right now.  Anything that's 3+ sizes away, take to the donation bag.  You'll get to treat yourself to a whole new wardrobe when you do reach that weight loss goal.  Anything that you love and JUST CAN'T get rid of (for sentimental reasons or whatever) you are totally allowed to keep.  Just put them in a special box or drawer so they aren't taking up precious closet space.



Step 5:  Do the same thing with your "Love It" pile.  Now that we've gotten rid of the "easy to loose" and "kinda hard to loose" stuff we're in the getting-rid-of-stuff mood.  Keep it going!  You might be surprised to find a piece or two that you thought you loved that suddenly aren't so appealing.


That's it!!  5 Steps to clearing the clutter!  Honestly, I clean out my closet about every 6 months, once before the cold seasons, once before the warm seasons.  After you've done it the first time, keep up with it on a regular basis.  It doesn't have to be EVERY month, but 2-4x / year (depending on how often you buy clothes) will make the task less overwhelming.


Next week we'll talk about how to organize your closet so you can find what you need when you need it.  In the mean time, just stick it all back in the closet so you can sleep on your bed this week.

Any further suggestions?  Leave a comment!  It's a learning process for all of us, and I LOVE to see and hear how others organize since I'm still learning too.

Later loves!

<3, Mandy











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