We spend a lot of time with you talking about what to add to your wardrobe, so it’s only fair to make sure you have the closet space for it. Yup, this week, we’re talking about the closet clean-out. With the end of Summer drawing near, it’s time to make some room and get ready for Fall. There are a lot of studies reporting that people with less clutter around them are more productive - even sleep better, and can have healthier weights. The first place to ensure you’re clutter-free is your closet. After all, getting dressed in the morning is pretty much where the day starts. And having a closet that is only filled with appropriate, confidence-building pieces will get you out the door in no time. Gents, no one can do this for you better than you can – you know what makes you feel good.
To get started, pull everything out (yup, it’s the only way to really know what’s in there) and start separating in to a few key groups:
Group 1 “Keep”: It should be filled with your “go-to” pieces - the ones that make you feel confident. They fit you well, they feel appropriate for a lot of things in your life, and you build outfits around them. These are often timeless staples like timeless charcoal work trousers, a great button up shirt, a pair of jeans that are perfectly broken-in…you get the idea.
Group 2 “Donate”: Stop hanging on to clothes because they are just “too nice” or you spent “good money” on them. If they haven’t seen the light of day in the past year, it’s time to donate them. If you’ve got clothes that just don’t fit right, never made you feel comfortable and confident, or you’ve changed fields/companies and now dress differently for the office, donate them to someone who will get a lot more use out of them. You can donate any gently worn career clothes to non-profits like
Bridge to Success (in the Chicago area) or
Career Gear (outside of Chicago, they accept donations that are mailed in and will provide you a tax-receipt once they receive your donation). Both focus on helping those in need get ready for interviews and the work world, so your clothes will be truly welcome.
Group 3 “Toss”: This one should only be filled with clothes and accessories that didn’t make the cut for the above groups – they have stains or rips that you never got around to trying to repair (and therefore prove you don’t care about those items very much). Or they’re fashion pieces that are just “over” (goodbye super wide tie). You’ll feel freer without them and you won’t miss them – you weren’t wearing them anyway, remember?
Group 4 “Maybe”: This is the group that a more ruthless person might be able to put in one of the above groups right away, but you aren’t ready to let go. Bag these up and put them out of sight for 2-4 weeks. If you didn’t miss them, move them in to your “Donate” or “Toss” groups. Hello, more room for the next group!
Group 5 “Add”: It’s the most fun and it comes once there’s room in your closet. Today (and ever week), we’ve got some top picks to get your closet looking just right. So check out a few of our top “Keeps” and “Adds” to ensure you have the best pieces in your freshly clean & efficient closet and check out the
Full Top 15 List in this week’s Fashion Finds. You’ll be dressing quickly, and with confidence, in no time.
If you like something, just click on the “Shop It” button to buy it from our suggested retailer. And let us know what you think through the comments section below and on social media. Happy organizing!