Closet Clean Out

On the first Sunday of May, I decided enough with this “not quite spring” weather, I’m wearing my spring clothes anyway.  So I quickly put away my fall/winter wardrobe and stocked my bedroom closet with my bright color wardrobe, linen, and spaghetti strapped dresses.  I took inventory of what was missing to make my wardrobe complete so I would have a list of items to buy when shopping.  No shopping all willy nilly.

Now how do you quickly turnover your closet to spring (or help your mom as I suggested in yesterday’s post)?  Here are 4 easy steps:

1. Get supplies.  You will need index cards, notebook to write notes and a list, an ink pen or pencil, straight pins, large shopping bags, and garbage bags.

2.  Separate your fall/winter wardrobe from the spring/summer.  (If you can, store the fall/winter wardrobe somewhere else other than the closet that you use daily).  Then leave all of your spring/summer wardrobe out (maybe lay it across your bed).

3.  Establish 4 areas in your room:

• Keep it just as is — you can even make this area your closet because you can just hang these things back in it.
• Keep it but repair it — this is where the index cards and straight pins come in.  You will want to write exactly what repair the garment needs on the index card and then pin it to the garment (i.e. needs new button, hem extended, etc.).  Then pack it up into one of the shopping bags.
• Give it away — there will be some items that are still in great condition, maybe a little out of style or a little to small.  Someone else will love it.  Think about giving it to a friend or your favorite charity.  So pack it into one of the shopping bags for a neat presentation. No one wants to feel like they are getting garbage.
• Trash it — when it is raggedy (i.e. tons of lint balls, torn, discolored, stained, etc.) throw it away.  That’s what the garbage bags are for.  No don’t even give it to charity.  You can donate better options than those.

4.  Try on everything!  Now that you now the 4 areas, how do you get the clothes into the right area?  Try on every piece of spring/summer clothing — EVERYTHING.  Remember, most of it you haven’t worn in an entire season so it may not fit the same (or at all).

Now when you finish.  Go back and reassess your keep it and repair it areas.  Are there items that you need to complete the seasons wardrobe?  Use that notebook to write a list of whats missing.  (Read the shopping for bargains post to develop a shopping strategy.)

I suggest you allow yourself 2 – 3 hours.  If you have a large amount of clothes, you might want to dedicate an entire day and just take your time getting through it.  If you are doing this for your mom, make sure you have some champagne and a few snacks.  Spend time reminiscing about when she wore some of those dreadful pieces.  It will be a blast.

Have fun!

P.S.  Visit Home Depot for appropriate shelving and storage.

Need more help with How to Style? Visit the page for other How to Style posts.

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