My Closet Edit
While closet editing is one of the core services that I offer, I semi-regularly edit my own closet, too. I don’t do well with clutter (just ask my family, the recipients of piles I create from their belongings left all over the house) but I’ll admit that my side of the closet can get messier than I like more often than I like and I don’t always prioritize tidying it. That said, it feels so much better when it’s organized and I can easily access my in-season clothing when I get dressed.
Seasonal transitions are my queue to edit my closet. For example, when I find myself reaching for long-sleeves or sweaters less frequently as we inch closer to spring, I know it’s time to move those pieces out of the prime real estate in the closet.
To start my closet edit, I take everything out of my closet. Yes, everything. If I didn’t, I’d miss evicting the dust bunnies hiding on the bottom shelves! I wipe down the shelves and the hanging rods after I’ve taken everything out of the closet. I don’t get fancy, either. I simply take each section out of the closet and pile it on the bed! Because I organize my closet by type of item, it allows me to go through my collection in sections which feels efficient. For example, when going through my shorts, I quickly recognize which pairs I reach for often and which never see the light of day. This makes it easy for me to part ways with the items that I no longer wear.
Dust bunnies about to be evicted
Before I begin reviewing each item in my closet, I gather a few shopping bags so that I can easily collect pieces that I’m going to donate and pieces that I’m going to resell. If I had a lot of items that needed to be tailored, I would also have a bag for that but I don’t typically leave clothes in my closet that need tailoring (I either get them tailored right away or get rid of them).
From there, I begin the process of going through every single item of clothing and every single pair of shoes in my closet. This is really the only way to truly edit your closet and give it the proper overhaul that it needs. It is time-consuming, but the tidy end result is so worth it! Because I don’t keep too much in my closet that I don’t wear, the process of editing my closet is relatively easy and oftentimes it’s more focused on shifting where pieces of clothing are hung in my closet so that I can more easily access current, in-season items. Still, there are inevitably pieces that I have to determine if I’m going to keep or purge. These are the questions I ask myself when going through that process:
Have I worn this item in the past year?
What’s my initial reaction when I pull this item out of my closet?
Does this item fit properly right now?
How do I feel when I wear it?
Is it in good shape (free of rips, tears, stains, pilling, etc.)?
Thinking through these questions helps me determine whether the item gets to go back in the closet or in the donate or resell bags. This process can be tedious and this is why it can be helpful to have a personal stylist edit your closet for you. I’m able to provide an unbiased set of eyes and talk through pieces that you may feel emotionally attached to keeping in your closet. Having a partner work through this with you is invaluable.
After I’ve gone through each piece of clothing, I strategically load everything I’m keeping back into my closet. Everything I own goes in one closet (meaning, I don’t have a separate closet for off-season clothing) so I’m careful to tuck away off-season items in the back of the closet to keep in-season items up front for easy access.
Here’s a peek at how I recently edited my closet:
Shorts collection to be edited
BEFORE
AFTER
I moved my heavyweight cardigans to the back corner and moved my spring and summer dresses and swimsuit cover-ups to the front.
I removed the backpacks that I rarely use from the bottom shelf and moved my lug-sole and cowboy boots here since I wear both of these year-round and like to have them easily accessible.
I tucked the backpacks up on a higher shelf since I don’t reach for them often.
I moved my shackets and heavier layering pieces to the back to make room for lightweight long-sleeve blouses.
I moved my sweatshirts to the back and transitioned some of my darker rinse and black jeans that I don’t often wear in spring and summer to this area.
I moved my shorts to this area so I can access them easily.
I cleaned up some clutter and put socks in the drawer!
I put my shoes on the shelves where they belong.
Completing my closet edit and having my clothing and shoes organized makes it so much easier to see what I have available to me when I get dressed. It helped me to see what’s missing from my closet, too, so I know what to look for when I’m shopping versus mindlessly buying things that catch my eye in the moment (but may or may not ever get worn and/or have a purpose in my closet).
Ready for your own closet edit? Contact me to get started!