It's spring cleaning time. I clean my closet every Spring and Fall to see what I have and how I can modify my closet to refresh my looks. I mostly own high-quality timeless pieces (cardigans, black pants, jeans, etc.) that I can wear every season. I add economical new and trendy items that go for a season or two to what I already have and feel like I have a new closet. Every once in a while I have to trade one of my timeless pieces to a new one because of size change or wear, but then the old piece has to get out of my closet. So how do I do my closet cleaning?
To have an idea on what is trendy that season, I go through some magazines and websites on current style&fashion. I do my laundry/dry cleaning and make sure that everything in my closet is clean and my hamper is empty. Then it is time to organize my closet.
I start by going emptying one of the hanging racks in my closet. This rack will hold questionable items while I go through my clothes. I order what I go through depending on what is timeless and what is trendy. I start by timeless pieces like jackets, cardigans and dress pants/skirts. I go through everything else rapidly. The last should be accessories. If you have to think whether to keep a piece more than a few second, transfer it to the questionable item rack.
The last step is to decide what to do with the questionable items. This is the most important step. Make use of the four corners of your bed and label them (in your head) as keep, give, sell and re-purpose. You'll also need a trash bag to throw away the really old stuff.
So how do I decide what to keep? For each item, I try to keep it by pairing it with other things in my closet. Now that I just skipped through my clothes, it is easy to guess what I have to pair. I also think of my accessories and the new trendy pieces I planned to shop for. If the problem with the piece you're holding is the fit and you like it, think of ways to fix it or make it fit. If it is not fixable, don't even think about it twice. You never know when it will fit and if it will still like it then. Re-purposing is another option if you can sew. I used to make all kinds of new clothes out of my old clothes. Too little time now, so I generally skip this step. :)
Once I decide there's no way to wear an item for me, it has to leave the house. I mean out of the whole house, not the garage. In this way, you give what you have a second life by donating or exchanging them.
Many people skip the selling step and directly donate their old clothes to a good cause. Please think of donating if you have the means for it. There's no better way to make use of your old clothes! You can also exchange your unwanted new-ish clothes for better fitting items. You can even get cash back for it! I sometimes exchange my unwanted clothes at a consignment store and sometimes donate them.
When you went through everything, you'll probably have items on all four corners and your trash bag. Take the appropriate action for each corner as soon as possible to finish your cleaning and have fun.
This process can take a really short time if you do it twice a year. This will help you shop your closet and as well as save money. I heard a lot from my friends that they fell like they don't have anything because their closet is messy. Give it a try if you don't do it already. You can even invite your friends and turn the whole thing into a closet party. Follow Legacy of Pearl on coming soon ideas to have a fun closet party.
I would love to hear your ideas on how you select what to give away and what to keep. What do you do with what you don't want?
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