Why A Closet Clean Out Makes You Happier and 6 Ways To Make It Easier
Cleaning out closets is one of my favorite things to do. Not within the confines of my work, but in life. Yes, I realize this is not normal. Most people, including many stylists, dread this process. The mess, the dust, the decisions, the feelings. It can be a lot.
Sorry to be the one to have to tell you this but no matter how you feel about the process, a closet clean out is the foundation of every successful wardrobe transformation. In order to make meaningful change, you have to start with your existing wardrobe.
But I don’t wannnnna, why is it important?
As any management consultant or corporate strategist will tell you – in order to solve a problem, you have to have all the facts. What is the current state of the situation? How did we get here? What are the barriers to success? What has been tried before? What would an effective solution look like? A closet clean out answers all of these questions and many more.
Ok, but how will it make me happier?
The higher percentage of items in your closet that you love – the better you feel about your wardrobe as a whole, the easier it will be to get dressed and the better you will feel in your clothes.
Think about it.
Let's say you have 100 items in your wardrobe. You love 30 of them but your feelings on the other 70 range meh to eww. When you open those closet doors, you won’t like most of what you see. You’ll feel like you have nothing to wear. You’ll be annoyed every time you get dressed. Getting dressed will be another seemingly impossible task on your to do list. You won’t feel good when you wear the majority of your clothes. That means you won’t feel good the majority of the time.
Now imagine a closet with 50 things that you love. Every time you open those closet doors, you are excited about all the options you have. Getting dressed is easy and fun! Every outfit you wear makes you feel good and every item fits.
An edited, thoughtful wardrobe removes the stressor of “What am I going to wear?” and adds the beauty and ease of feeling amazing in the body you have, every day.
Now that we get why, let’s talk about how.
3 Concepts
Fit is (Somewhat) Subjective.
Our bodies, and our feelings about them, are all unique, therefore fit is a complex issue. Determining what fits depends on so many factors – weight fluctuation, body image, lifestyle changes (ex: having a baby, running a marathon, etc). I tailor my approach very specifically to each client based on all of this and more.
That said, a good rule of thumb that will work for many people is to only keep things that are likely to fit you in the next year. This rule only works if you’re completely honest and realistic with yourself about what that means.
Feelings Matter.
A thorough closet clean out will open up conversations not just about the clothes themselves but how they make you feel. That is where the real work happens. Clothes are a vehicle for accessing how we feel about ourselves. Clothes that make you feel like the person you are (or are aspiring to be) make you feel powerful, confident and strong. Clothes that remind you of an old you (whether you miss her or are glad she’s gone) make you feel icky, confused and weird. Through the process of a closet clean out, you’ll figure out what clothes make you feel what feelings, and therefore whether they need to stay or go.
The Easy Part.
Not all of it is that deep, I promise. In every single closet clean out I’ve done, there’s a moment, usually about 2 hours in, where the client picks something up, makes a disgusted face and says something like “I hate this, why is it still here?” Some of the work is just deciding if you like things or not. That part is easy. You know what you like. Go with your gut.
3 Tactics
Enlist help. Whether you enlist a professional (like me) or a friend, you need someone else to keep you honest – no one can do a closet clean out alone. Your feelings and excuses are what lead to needing a clean out in the first place. Someone who doesn’t remember the fun day they had in that dress or how much that top originally cost will keep you clear-headed and accountable. Even professionals need help – I can only get truly ruthless on my own closet when I have help.
Set a goal. It doesn’t have to be complex or deep. Every item should be kept or discarded as it relates to the goal. It can be as simple as:
Everything in my closet comfortably fits my body.
Nothing I own makes me say “meh.”
Eliminate all fabrics that don’t physically feel good on my body.
Remove sentimental items. The dress you wore on your first date with your partner, that tube top you wore every weekend in your 20s, your high school club tee shirts – these are important memories. It’s understandable that you want to keep them and you should! (People are always surprised I let them keep this category.) BUT! They shouldn’t be in your closet if you’re not wearing them. Find a new home for them. They should live with your old photos, cards, childhood toys, etc. because they are not clothes anymore, they are sentimental items now.
