The day I have a closet like the one above, I'll know I really made it. Every woman wants a closet a la Carrie Bradshaw in the first Sex and the City movie and I personally want one with a chandelier. But for now, I've got a tiny one row closet with those awful accordion doors that I never actually shut. I've become very creative with my storage, but one of the things I make myself do every season is clean out my closet and donate or sell certain items. Here's my list of items you should always get rid of, no matter how hard it may be:
Damaged Items
I have this tank top that it took me forever to give away. It was a BCBG fragile white linen tank with little white buttons going down the front and a teal trim. It was my go-to summer tank as it could easily be dressed up or dressed down. I got it dry cleaned last summer and they completely ruined it. Shredded it to be exact. Despite compensating me for my damaged shirt, I demanded they try and fix it. They did their best, but it doesn't look quite right. So, it still hung in my closet and made me sad everytime I attempted to take it out. I was never going to wear it again and maybe it was a blessing in disguise that it was time to retire that tank. If it's stained, shrunk, or has a hole in it, get rid of it.
Stretched Out or Bad Collars
Is the neck hole of that t-shirt totally stretched out? Is the collar worn beyond repair? Has it shrunk gradually in the wash? This is a big one for guys, so go help a guy out and tell him when that polo shirt is no longer looking good.
Items that Simply Don't Fit
We're all guilty of buying something we so badly want to fit. So you bought it anyway and vowed to get in tailored. Once you do, it still doesn't fit. You've got to let it go. Or better yet, sell it! Especially if you never wore it (tags still on is a bonus) it'll be easy to sell to resale shops or on Ebay. Not everything we love is going to be right for us, so it's better just to let it go.
Anything you Don't Wear
There’s an easy way to figure this out. Set all your hangers facing one direction. As you wear something, flip the hanger on the other side. At the end of the month, you will be able to see immediately what you’ve worn in that month and what you haven’t. Do this for a season and you'll really be able to tell what you still wear and what you don't. Items that fall into this category are things you may have spent a lot of money on and feel guilty for getting rid of it. Or out of fashion items. If it hasn’t been worn in 6 months to a year, then you will NEVER wear them, so give them away to someone else who will.
Things That Don't Fit Your Lifestyle
When I began a job search after college I bought a couple pairs of nice business pants as well as several structured blouses and a very cute blazer. I have now worked at two companies that have a completely casual dress code. It's set in that I'm never going to work somewhere where I'm going to need these items, so I'm getting rid of most of it. I'll keep my favorite pair of black pants and my favorite blouse, but the rest is going.
Same goes with nice dresses. It's always good to have a couple on hand just in case something comes up, but if you've worn them a couple times, it's best to just get rid of them. I highly recommend selling these as well.
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