Do you ever look in your wardrobe…and it all seems so complicated? It’s not that you lack having clothes. The problem is actually that you have too many, which just makes you feel overwhelmed. Try to use these 5 easy steps to declutter and organize your closet quickly.
Yep, you can take that clutter, and turn it into a more minimalist closet that actually serves you well. In 5 steps!
No complicated, drawn-out process of taking out everything you own, and contemplating each item deeply.
Nope, here’s a system for decluttering clothes and shoes.. even when you’re busy.
And when you want the freedom to choose each day’s outfit in a timely fashion!
The catch?
You’re going to have to be a bit cutthroat about it all. No dwelling on “but I might need this when <insert your delusional situation here>.”
Agree? Okay, let’s get started.
Proper Decluttering Mindset
Go into it with the right attitude: Tell yourself that you’re going to spend the next 30 minutes or 1 hour clearing your wardrobe. You will feel so accomplished when you’re done!
Get ready to be decisive: You can’t love all your clothes equally, right? Now’s the time to shed the extra ‘weight’ of clothing clutter that interferes with your mornings. Plan to make decisions rather quickly about what’s actually worth your precious closet space.
Put on your favorite music: Or podcast, or audiobook, or whatever will distract you just enough that you forget you’re doing a chore. But not so much that you can’t work while listening.
Grab a few garbage bags or empty boxes: You’ll need somewhere to put the stuff you’re not keeping.
Plan your reward: A downsized, easy-to-use wardrobe is a reward on its own of course. But plan a little treat for yourself to celebrate your accomplishment.
Here’re 5 easy steps to declutter your wardrobe:
1. The first run through
Quickly run through your closet, and pull out what you know full well you don’t need or want.
Ya know, that sweater you got as a gift and never liked. That scarf you bought for that costume that one time. The shoes with the broken heel.
Just go with your first instinct. If it’s not a ‘Hell yeah,’ it’s a ‘Hell no!’
2. Eliminate what doesn’t apply to your current situation
Most of us have these fantasy versions of ourselves.
Like how you thought you were gonna be cute skinny jeans and ankle boot person every day, but realistically you wear yoga pants most of the time.
Or how you’re pretty sure you will get around to losing those 20 lbs…someday.
There’s just no sense in keeping your closet stuffed with clothes that don’t apply to who you actually are right now.
That clutter is just noise that you do.not.need.
3. Sort through duplicate items
You don’t need 17 black v-neck shirts. They can’t all be equally good, right?
Some are faded, and there’s that one with the hole in the armpit.
Rank duplicate items by their condition, and how much you love and use them. Then just keep the top few in each category.
4. Move infrequently worn items to the back
Your special occasion clothes are best kept completely out of the way of your daily life.
The job interview suit, black funeral dress, and bathing suit cover-up do not need to be front and center, complicating things.
If you have somewhere other than your closet you can keep them, even better!
5. Pull out anything you haven’t worn in a year
Be honest now. All four seasons have passed in the last 12 months. Did you really wear all that stuff?
If you haven’t chosen to wear it anytime recently, it is fairly unlikely that you will choose it going forward.
How ya doin’? That wasn’t SO bad, right?