Closet Clean Out: Minimalism Approach

Last week I shared with you a ton of articles (sorry!) about different ways people have adapted Minimalism to their life, with the focus being on the closet. (Read my post here.) Fired up by these articles, I attacked my closet with guns blazing!

Step One: Figure Out Which Clothes Are Your Favorites

To do this, I cleared off my bed so that I could lay out these favorite pieces. Then I started thinking about my favorite pieces while not in my closet looking at them! (I think this is an important piece missing from my previous clean-outs, because you are forced to really remember your closet, and therefore the most memorable pieces are the pieces you love the most.) I grouped similar styles into categories, so I could really see what I loved. In the process, I tried on each piece, and I actually came up with a couple outfits just with my favorites that I hadn't thought of before!

I ended up with 40 pieces: 3 sweaters, 3 dresses,  jackets, 13 tops, 4 basic tanks, 2 skirts, 4 shorts, 3 jeans, 1 pant, and 1 romper. 

Then, I examined what was similar about these pieces, so I could determine my "style":

     -classic shapes

     -main colors: white, black, nudes, grays, blues

     -occasional pops of color: greens, pinks, reds

     -simple patterns (stripes & dots primarily)

Now when I'm buying new things that don't necessarily fall into this category, I can really think about if they work with my favorites. (I strongly suggest this evaluation step, even if you think you know your style. That way you know what you are always working with!)

Some observations I made during this step:

     -99% of the things that made it into this category were bought in-person (or tried on a similar size and ordered correct size).

     -Many were unplanned buys that I immediately fell in love with in-store.

     -I knew I was done when I walked into my closet and didn't know what to grab next! This is so important!

Step Two: Figure Out Your "Need to Keeps"

After squishing all my clothes to one side and putting my favorites front and center, I sorted out what I needed to keep. For me this was winter coats & jackets, formal dresses for sorority rituals and functions, and anything I knew I would need for recruitment in the fall. For you, this might mean your job uniform, business suits (only if you 100% love them!), etc. 

Step 3: Attack the Rest & Get Rid of What You Don't Love

By grouping the questionable items together, and making my favorites front-and-center, I was more able to evaluate if something I decided to keep was going to work with everything else I had. For this step, it's extremely crucial to try on everything. If I tried something on and I didn't 100% love it, then out it goes! For me, the things that automatically went were items that require a bandeau or tank (I hate having to wear extra things underneath), items that didn't end up washing well, and items that attract kitty hair like a magnet. 

I also found it helpful (or at a minimum interesting) to take note of some of the things I added into my "loves" first:

     -jean jacket (I wear it a lot, guess I forgot about it in the first step!)

     -3 sleeveless blouses that can go from casual to dressy easily (filled a void in my "loves"!)

     -colorful maxidress I recently got (perfect for spring and summer!) 

I divided up the items I was getting rid of into 3 bags: donate, sell on eBay, and take to a local consignment store. (I prefer Plato's Closet--they pay cash on the spot! Find a location near you here.)

Also important to note: I did this step over two days. Sometimes you just get burnt out and take the easy way out (keep everything), which is not what you want when trying to really be minimal. So I made some decisions the first day, then I slept on it and reevaluated the next morning. 

Step 4: Purgatory

I put every item that I wasn't sure about into a "purgatory" of sorts, in the back of my closet. The pieces that made it here are not favorites, but I do really like them and wasn't ready to get rid of them. When trying to really pare down your wardrobe, you do need to be hard on yourself, but sometimes that's hard! I ended up with 15 items in purgatory, and I'm going to see if I pull anything out in the next month or so (the end of the semester). If I don't then out they go! The key here is sticking to this--don't slack!

Step 5: Deal With the Rejects

Take the time to properly deal with your rejects. Kitty Boy helped me take pictures for my eBay items, and then I loaded up my car to take the items to Plato's. (They took some stuff but not everything, so I'll be adding the rest to my donate bag!). Whatever you do, do not change your mind once you've committed to getting rid of an item. If you wanted to get rid of it for even five minute, it's obviously not worth keeping!

In the end, I went from 92 tops/dresses and 13 pants/skirts to 61 tops/dresses and 8 skirts/pants! That is hanging items only, so my jeans and shorts that are in my dresser don't count in those figures. I am planning on evaluating the remaining dresser drawers (my workout clothes, underwear, and pj's) but that is not nearly as exciting! Overall I am really really proud of myself! Since I've been getting dressed in only my loves, it's been a lot easier to get dressed in the morning, which is always nice. I'm also enjoying my closet rods being less crowded! 

Stay tuned for updates on my purgatory items, as well as updates on my fight to be as minimal as possible. On my list to really go through are my school items, and my large beauty product collection... yikes!

--Caroline

Closet Organization: Making Your Closet Pretty

Welcome back to my two-part series on closet organization! Yesterday I talked about how to clean out your closet, and now it's time to put it all back in, organize it, and make it look pretty! (AKA the fun stuff!)

Tuesday morning, when I did my clean-out, I assessed my closet after sorting everything into piles. I already had a good base, but I was missing just a couple key organizational tools, which I wrote down and went out and bought later that day. 

Here are some tips and tricks to making your closet organized, functional, and pretty!

Matching hangers. They streamline everything, and give you a cohesive look. Plus, coordinated hangers put the focus on your clothes, not the miss-match of hangers.

Keep shoes easily visible. On shelves like these, I can see & find all my shoes easily, plus they don't scuff by rubbing against each other in a huge pile. Too keep the shape in my boots, I cut pool noodles to match the height of the boot shaft and stick them inside. 

Put a little sparkle in your closet! Display your statement necklaces on a cute rack (I found mine at Target) so that you always have easy access to them while getting ready. Plus it just looks pretty! :)

Get creative, and don't be afraid to use something in a different way. This hanging shoe holder works perfectly for storing scarves and rolled t-shirts.

Put bags within reach but easily seen. I have a small basket that holds my clutches, and then I line my other purses next to that on my closet shelf. I keep the form of my purses with either a smaller purse or plastic shopping bags. 

Keep drawers clean. I fold my t-shirts and shorts/jeans so that I can see all of them at once!

So that's my closet... do y'all have any tips or tricks for organizing yours? 

--Caroline

Closet Organization: Clean Out

I like to get up early to get a nice start on my day. So, what did I do with my extensive morning time on Tuesday, you ask? Cleaned out my closet and organized it! (Bet you didn't see that one coming!)

I have always loved cleaning up my closet, just ask my mom. As a kid, she'd tell me to go clean my room and I'd run upstairs and... organize my closet. I'd hang outfits together, I'd hang my clothes in ROYGBIV order, and one time I even organized it by brand! Probably not normal kid behavior. Needless to say, I've never had a problem editing my closet. I'm constantly going through and weeding out pieces I don't love anymore, which I then sell to a consignment store, sell online, or donate. 

So in this two-day series, I'd like to share with you just what happened Tuesday morning. Today, we'll start with cleaning out the closet. 

Here are some questions I've come to ask myself when deciding what stays and goes:

Do I love this? We all want to look a feel our best right? This can only be accomplished by keep the things we love and love on ourselves in constant rotation in our closet. This is the most important question the the clearing out process. 

Does it fit? Unless you are pregnant, don't keep things in your closet that don't fit! 

Can I think of at least 5 ways to wear it? Simple: if you can't automatically come up with ways to pair something, than it's really not helping your closet function. The exception to this would obviously be those special occasion pieces, but those default back to the question, do you love it?

Can I wear at least 5 Premier necklaces with it? This is a factor for me, since I'm always marketing myself and my jewelry company. While I let a top or dress slide here or there that does't reach the count, it is important that the necklines and colors of my clothes can pair well with the current jewelry line. This question can be adapted to fit your specific work wardrobe needs. 

When was the last time I wore it? We all have those impulse shopping regrets, or the one top with love the idea of but never end up actually wearing outside the closet. If I can't remember wearing it recently, I reconsider it's place in my wardrobe. I actually love asking this question on a weekly basis, come laundry day. I look at what is still handing when my laundry bin is at full capacity, and think about what's left. Obviously one can't wear everything they love within a week or so, but assessing your left behinds now gives you a better idea of what maybe isn't loved as much. 

And here are some tips for having a great closet-clean out session:

Make piles as you go! Keep, Sell, Donate, and a Dry Clean/repair pile.

Take a picture. I do this when I'm shopping for clothes too, but taking a picture of your outfit and seeing what it looks like through a lens can be very helpful in getting a sort of outside perspective on whether or not the item should stay or go. ("That's what I look like in this?! Eeek!")

Do it in small pieces. After too long, you start to give in easier, and "likes" become "loves". This is why I try to always asses the items in my closet, because after too long I lose the harsh focus and drive necessary to get down to the "loves". (For example: I had already set aside a small pile of clothes I no longer wanted a couple days prior, although I certainly added to it Tuesday morning!) For you, this might mean taking a snack or lunch break, or checking your emails before getting back to the task at hand. 

Gain inspiration from the internet! Reading articles or posts like this give inspiration and drive to even the most seasoned closet cleaner. Pinterest can be a great source for this, which is where I found this great blog post and the following picture. 

I hope you find these tips & tricks useful! Check back tomorrow for the organization tricks I use in my closet.

--Caroline