How to Decide What to Keep or Get Rid Of in Your Closet

When it comes to figuring out what to keep or get rid of in our closet, so many of us get stymied. It's a task that often requires time and help or a large glass of wine to tackle. If you're like most people, you don't often have the headspace or direction needed to take on your closet in a manageable way. Leaving you to wonder, "where do I even start?" Lucky for you, here are a few pointers I use with my clients to help them (and me) decide what to keep or get rid of in a closet.

When it comes cleaning out your closet how do you start? Here are some tips for deciding what to keep or get rid of to help create a more organized, clean closet on Art in the Find | closet cleanout | how to organize my closet | closet organization … — When it comes cleaning out your closet how do you start? Here are some tips for deciding what to keep or get rid of to help create a more organized, clean closet on Art in the Find | closet cleanout | how to organize my closet | closet organization | clean out my closet | organize my closet | closet rules

How to Decide What to Keep or Get Rid of In Your Closet

Closets, they are like the deep abyss of our emotional past & present. Your closet should represent who you are currently. Whenever I'm meeting with a client for a closet edit, or when I'm doing a closet edit of my own, this is the process of how to decide what to keep or get rid of in your closet. Here are some important pieces to identify so that what's in your closet represents who you are in your present stage of life.

1 | Ask Yourself These Key Questions

Do the pieces in your closet match your personality? Yes, even your work uniform can show off your personality if given the right tools. Who are you? How would you describe yourself? When you pull out a piece in your closet, does it match that description?

Does the piece flatter you? Every woman has a particular body shape that makes you unique. We all also have parts of our body that we love and parts that we want to hide. The clothes in your closet should highlight the parts of your body that you love. The parts that make you, well, YOU. Period. Having a basic understanding of your body type will help you choose pieces that flatter you and make you feel amazing.

Do you feel a positive association when you're wearing that piece of clothing? Think about how a piece feels when it's on you. If you feel great, fierce, amazing and all things positive, note why that is.

Is it appropriate for your lifestyle? We are doing different things in our 20's than we are in our 40's (or should be) and your wardrobe should reflect that. Sometimes our lifestyle changes and therefore, we don't wear a piece of clothing any longer. If it's been longer than a year since you've worn that item, maybe it's because it doesn't fit your lifestyle any longer.

These are just some key questions to ask yourself when deciding what to keep or get rid of in your closet. If you answered 'NO' to any of those questions, you should seriously consider getting rid of or donating that item. Even if you have an emotional connection to a piece of clothing (you wore it on your first date with your boyfriend back in 1998...) but you're not wearing it, it's time to let it go.

2 | Reasons NOT to Keep an Item

Time and time again, when I'm helping a client with a closet edit, we get rid of pieces that fall into the following categories:

Someone You Love Gave it to You | Just because they love you, does not mean they know your style personality. Many people have the ability to pick out great, quality pieces. But that does not mean it's suitable for you and your lifestyle. This is not a reason to hold on to an item. Unless it answers yes to the questions above, it's not worth keeping.

It was expensive | If you cut the price tag off of it and never knew the cost, would you keep it? Buying something expensive (even if it was on sale...) will not make you wear it more often. It's proof you have the eye to identify a great piece of clothing but not proof that you know how it will fit the shape of your body.

It might come back in style | There are very, very few items that will actually stand the test of time. And unless you are saving a piece of clothing to pass down to a future generation, saving something because it might come back in style is not a good reason to hold on to a piece. (There are some exceptions to the rule: leather, furs, and denim tend to be items to hold onto. Feel free to send an image of your item over to me and I'll confirm it for ya!) You can also read more about how to Closet Detox here.

3 | Obvious Signs it's Time to Say Goodbye

Poor Condition | If the piece of clothing has holes, is pilling, looks discolored or faded. Time to say goodbye.

Fit | If the clothing doesn't fit in all the right places, it's time to say goodbye. Yes, you can take it to the tailor. But do so within two weeks or you won't do it at all. Yes, you can give yourself one small pile of clothes you can fit into a bin or garment bag (just in case your discover you fit into them again one day...). But that's it. There is absolutely no reason why you should be holding on to items in your closet you are not wearing. That is that.

4 | Reasons TO KEEP an Item

You LOVE it | Whether it's on trend or not, you know when you put on something whether you love it or not. Doesn't matter if it's 10 years old (yes, jean jacket, I'm talking to you...) or 1 month old, as soon as you put that item on, if you feel good in it or have a positive association with it, by all means KEEP IT!

You Wear It A Lot | This might be an obvious one but if you're wearing it a ton, chances are it makes you feel good and it's worth keeping. (This doesn't include yoga clothing...) This also means it fits into your current lifestyle (yay!). Pay attention to why that is; Is it the color, the fit, the style? Note that so when you're shopping next time, you can gravitate towards similar pieces. These are your investment pieces that will make you feel like a million bucks!

It's Serves A Dual Purpose | These are the nuggets of gold, right here. You want to keep pieces that you can integrate into as many different outfits as possible. Can you wear that piece for work & for a weekend outfit? Would that work for casual & dressy? If you can take a piece of clothing and utilize it for different purposes, that is going to maximize its value.

These are the basic principles I use when I am working with a client to help them either clean out their closets or work with them to show how to mix and match pieces they own in different ways. I hope you can take some value out of these guidelines to help you figure out what to keep or get rid of in your closet! If you are in need of more help in this area, leave a comment on my blog or reach out to me to help with styling services. I'm here as a resource if you need me. You can also take a look at my YouTube Channel where I'll be uploading my mix/match videos for outfit ideas!

xx,

Conni