We are just three days away from the new year, 2022. You must be ready for the new year, but is your closet ready?
There are times when you feel that you have nothing to wear to an event. Whereas, you have more than enough in your closet. The only reason you can’t see that is because you have too many items in that closet.
It’s time to organize your closet and let all the useless items float away. It’s time you gave up things that no longer serve you and made space for newness.
Here are the items that need to leave your closet before 2022
1. Clone Clothing — anything you have multiples of
Underwear and T-shirts are one thing, but if you notice that you’ve got six of the same floral dress, that should raise a red flag, especially if you tend to favor one or two heavily above the others. Lay them all out and think about exactly what it was that made you think these pieces were so different, to begin with.
Now that you look at them all together, do those differences really hold up? Are you sure? What was it that compelled you to buy these things when you already had nearly identical pieces in your wardrobe? Were there specific circumstances in which you bought these clothes? Were you shopping with friends? Were these pieces on sale? Identifying the pieces and the circumstances under which you bought them will help you to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.
Pick your favorites from each group and hang them back in your closet — clearly, these are things you are really drawn to so having a backup isn’t a bad idea — before moving on to the next step.
2. Ghosts of Bad Outfits Past — pieces you once loved and wore all the time, but now hate
No over-stuffed closet would be complete without a few shameful fashion skeletons hidden in the back. It’s time to confront your old bad style habits head-on and learn from them.
You once loved this stuff. Why? What changed? Were you just copying a style you thought looked cool on someone else? Were you distracted by some tacky, bedazzled flourish you only now see for the horror it truly is? What was it that first drew you to this cloth abomination and what was it that finally forced you to retire it altogether?
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3. Junk — anything that is stained or damaged beyond repair (which is to say, you are never actually going to repair it)
Ok. What’s the deal? Are you a messy eater? Do you snag all your sweaters? Are you particularly hard on your bags or shoes? Some clothes just aren’t for everyone. That’s cool. Better to know your limitations before you buy something.
4. Filler — anything remaining that you just plain don’t like
What is about these pieces that are turning you off, even though they don’t fit into any of the other six categories? More likely than not, you will find a lot of overlap between this and all your lists.
Take some time to distill everything you’ve written down into one, smaller, cohesive list that you can carry with you to remind yourself of the major pitfalls you are likely to face the next time you go shopping — styles that you are drawn to but never wear, colors you think are pretty, but not on you, stores and sales where you tend to make your worst choices, even people who compel you to buy things you don’t actually want.
5. “Other You” Clothing — anything that doesn’t fit or would fit if you were different you (skinnier, fatter, taller, shorter, whatever)
Lay out all the stuff you own that no longer fits. Where exactly are the problems? Is it the buttons? The cut of the hips? The shoulders? Is it too long? Too short? Have these problems always existed or are they issues that developed over time?
It’s also worth noting any fit issues that are the result of fluctuations in your weight. If your changing weight means you often find your pants either too big or too small, you might want to consider switching to something with more stretch or a different style of bottom altogether that can better adapt to your changing body. If not all the time, then at least when you are looking to invest in a more expensive item.
6. Expensive mistakes
We’ve all been there. Keeping a never-worn dress season after season, simply because it’s too expensive to get rid of—it hurts. If you haven’t forced yourself to wear it by now, you’re just not going to. Forgive yourself. Learn. And donate that outfit
7. Bras with bent hooks or underwire
This actually goes for all of your broken-down underwear. Get rid of anything that technically qualifies as embarrassing and upgrade yourself with some new pieces. You deserve to feel good.
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8. Borrowed items
You know that pretty designer dress you borrowed for your last destination wedding? Your bestie probably wants it back, and preferably before the year ends. Be courteous and prompt about laundering and returning borrowed clothes. That’s how you’ll get to borrow again!
9. Seasonal items you (almost) never wear
You might not want to get rid of them, but they definitely don’t require everyday accessibility. Consider moving these items to an attic, basement, storage unit, or another out-of-the-way spot to make more space in your closet for everyday things.
10. Anything you haven’t worn in the past year
Take a hard look at any items you haven’t worn in the past twelve months. If it isn’t a specialty item (ski clothes, formalwear, etc.) there’s a strong chance you’ll never wear it again. Consider tossing or donating anything you haven’t worn in the past year—your closet will thank you for it.
Culled: Cosmpolitan/Camillestyles
