Despite the recent snow and the feeling that winter might never end, it is that time of year again – spring! Spring brings so much with it like flowers, warm weather, the end of the semester and, for some, deep cleaning. In that vein, something great to do this time of year, especially as the semester ends and many of us are moving out of apartments, is cleaning out your closet and dresser. I can’t say I’m all that good at this – if my mom reads this article I’m sure she’ll laugh to herself that I, of all people, wrote this – but I do know that it can feel good to get rid of some things. Here are some strategies to help:
1: Turn Your Hangers
This one is easy: every time you wear something in your closet, turn the hanger around so it faces the opposite direction. Then you’ll know exactly which things you’ve worn and which things haven’t seen the light of day in a while. Anything you haven’t worn, get rid of.
2: Go through your winter clothes
Since winter should be over now, chances are you know what sweaters and jackets you’ve been wearing all season. Any sweaters you realize you didn’t like wearing or ones that were buried at the back of your drawers can probably be thrown away.
3: Determine what your style is
Think about what you usually wear, what you’re comfortable in, and what makes you happy – these are the clothes you should always have. If you’re unsure, try using Pinterest to build a profile of how you would like to dress. If you realize you might like to dress differently than the clothes you have, get rid of everything except the basics and what fits in for you.
4: Hide some clothes
If you have items you’re not sure if you want to part with or not, hide them. Stick them under your bed or in a drawer you typically don’t use – out of sight, out of mind. If you find you don’t miss them at all, then you know not to keep them.
5: Try part of the KonMari method
You may have heard of this before, but this method of tidying up relies on finding out which items of yours “spark joy” for you. Hold the clothing you have, feel it, turn it over in your hands, and ask yourself how it makes you feel. If it doesn’t bring you joy, toss it and forget about it! Only keep the things that make you happy.
6: Don’t. Buy. More.
We all know what it feels like to walk into your favorite store to see their new spring clothes – you’ll want to buy some. But, buying more will just lead to more clutter that you’ll have to get rid of eventually. If you find a piece that you feel like you absolutely need, think through your wardrobe before buying it – what will it fit in with? How can you wear it? If you can’t think of at least three ways to style the piece, maybe it’s not something you should purchase.