Cleaning out your closet 101

With winter just around the corner, there is no time like the present to clear out your wardrobe! Yes, we know, it is both stressful and difficult to let go of your miniskirt from NYE five years ago. Or your favourite pair of denims that you have had forever, but have since frayed, teared, and aren't even in fashion anymore. 

It seems a whole lot easier to just hold onto these pieces you no longer need, right? I mean, we all know how easy it is to justify to ourselves why we need to keep something.'It might come back in', 'this is timeless!', 'this was a tee my Mum gave me 5 years ago - I can't throw it out!' But, there is only so much justifying one can do. When your wardrobe door is no longer closing, and you're also having the issue every Saturday night of saying 'I have nothing to wear', you know the time has come to declutter, dehoard, and detox yourself from the clothes you didn't even know you still had. 

The first step? Set time aside. Make sure you have enough time to actually do the job, and get it done well. Dedicate a chunk of your weekend to clearing out the skeletons in your closet, to ensure that the whole process isn't too daunting. There is nothing like running out of time, halfway through sorting which knitted turtlenecks to keep, and finding your room in an absolute state the next day. 

Secondly, you need  questions. You need to know what you're going to ask yourself when trying to decide whether you are going to keep something or not. Here are some basic ones to get you started:

-Does this fit?

-Hypothetically, would you wear this in the next month?

-Can you remember when you last wore this?

-Is this currently in style or does this still represent your style?

-If you were shopping right now and saw this, would you buy it?

-It this item damaged in any way and will you actually get it repaired?

-Do you feel good about yourself when you wear this?

If you answered no to any of the above, then it's time has come. 

Finally, figure out what you are going to do with the clothes that are leaving your wardrobe. Think about your options - sell, donate or chuck, and make sure you put the clothes in seperate piles so you know what needs to go where.

Sell: selling seems to be the one that most of us would go for. I mean, why not make some money off things that we don't even need anymore?! There are so many different platforms for selling your old threads now, whether it be Trademe, Facebook, Recycle Boutique or even a good old-fashioned garage sale. Just make sure the things you are selling are actually worth it. Try not to get too caught up in selling your old cut off denim shorts for $5 when they literally have no wear in them anymore. 

Donate: consider doing your good deed for the day and donating some of your old stuff that is still in good condition to those who could really do with it. Think about The Salvation Army and other charity shops that would be super willing to take your NYE miniskirt off your hands!!

Chuck: if the item is not going to sell, or isn't worth donating, then there is only one other option and that is to chuck it in the trash. Clothing that is torn or stained or shoes that are scuffed or broken aren't any use to you or anyone else. Let go of them by chucking them in a rubbish bin and never looking back!