Out with the Old, In with the New and Not-So-New
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There’s something about the New Year that urges us to do an early (or is long-overdue?) spring cleaning—especially with regards to our closets. And we’ve got to admit: Cleaning our closet can be one of the most daunting tasks ever. With so much stuff inside, how can you even begin determining what to toss out and to keep?
Luckily, your Belle de Jour sisters are here to help! We’ve got these helpful hints to give your closet a much-needed facelift.
Allot a weekend for your closet cleaning. We have to be honest—clearing out your closet will take up at least half a day if you’re quick to decide. But if you’re torn about most of what’s inside, you’ll need two days maximum to give your wardrobe a huge overhaul.
Tip: Take breaks. Once you’ve sorted out one pile, take a breather. Going at it full steam will totally drain you and the “stress” will wreak havoc on your decision-making skills.
Take everything out first. This may seem like a pain, but this is the only way you can really examine every piece of clothing you have. You can go about it two ways: One, dump them all in a heap before weeding out what to keep and what to throw away; or two, as you take clothes out, you can immediately categorize them into “yes, maybe, or no” piles.
Determine what you can reuse and recycle. If that blouse you’ve had for ages haven’t been used in, well, ages (say six months to a year), then it’s time to ditch it. Same goes for that pair of jeans that’s two sizes smaller—even if you manage to lose weight to fit into them, you’ll have to say bye-bye to your present-sized jeans. For each item of clothing, see if you can come up with at least three combos for it. If the answer is yes, then put that in the “to keep” pile.
Tip: Items that are ripped (in a so-not-fashionable way), torn, stretched, or moldy should be chucked. You have no more use for them, and having them fixed just isn’t worth the time and money.
Put clothes you don’t want anymore in a box or bin to donate. Don’t merely throw away stuff you won’t be using anymore; you can either give them to charity (if they’re not that used), double that ratty old shirt as a rag, or hold a garage sale so you can still get a minimum return on your “investments”!
Keep your favorites at the top of the heap. That way, you can spot them right away once you open your closet or bureau. For other items of clothing that you don’t use often (for example, a cocktail dress or a fancy gown), store them in a not-so-conspicuous area. At least you’ll be setting an element of surprise the next time you open your closet.
