How to Pare Down Your Closet and Be Happy With It

Like I said, I now only have about half as many clothes, shoes, purses, and accessories in my closet as I did before our move. And I couldn't be happier about this clean sweep of mine.

It can be so freeing to get rid of the extras and only see your favorite pieces staring back. Especially when all that the others were doing was taking up space and making you feel guilty for not wearing them anymore.

Does it make you want to take the pruning shears to your own wardrobe? Or even just to a section of it?

If so, here are some tips for how to pare down your closet and be happy with it:

Determine your personal style
The first thing to consider when you start flitting through your closet is what do you want it to become? What kind of fashion statement do you want your clothing to speak when you put them together? Keeping this in mind when you're examining pieces will really help set the bar for what you keep and what you cast out.

For me, I decided that I wanted my closet to be one of laidback sophistication. Pieces that are casual but in a grown-up sort of way.

What kind of personal style do you want to cultivate with your clothing?

Be honest about what you actually wear
It doesn't matter how cute it is if you aren't comfortable enough to wear it. Those items should go, as well. For me, that was my small collection of high heels. I had some that were beautiful: sweet mary-janes, knee-high boots, office-worthy pumps. But the the truth is that I never felt comfortable wearing them and only wore them on rare occassions, in which awkward self-consciousness ensued.

I have to embrace that I'm a flats kinda girl. And that's okay. My shoe collection (which you can see here) is now pared down to my favorite flats, which all get major use.

What's taking up space in your closet that you wish you wore but never feel quite right in?

Divide and conquer: Sort into piles
I created three piles: Yes, No, Maybe.

Everything that I loved and actually wore went into the "Yes" pile. Those were things I wouldn't think twice about getting rid of. They were things that fit my personal sense of style and were things I actually wore. Those are the easy decisions to make.

Then you have the "No" pile, which, for me, are the next easiest decisions to make. These are things you've held onto but know you haven't worn in a long time—too long. Or the things that have a stain on them or just aren't flattering.

The last pile is the "Maybe" pile. This is where things get murky, because you can start justifying to yourself why they could work. "Well, if it was a little shorter. Well, maybe I'll have an opportunity to wear it. Well, I might find a skirt that goes with it perfectly."

Justifications like these can easily grow the "Maybe" pile into a hulk. But the reality is that most of the items in this pile should eventually make their way to the "No" pile. It's more of a stepping stone to ease you into that part of the break-up, because kissing your wardrobe goodbye isn't always easy.

What clothes are you holding onto  "just in case"?

Say your goodbyes
Now you've done your organizing, and you should now have a "Yes" and a "No" pile. (Remember the "Maybe" one should now have faced the truth and made its way into "No.")

If it makes you feel better, you can hold onto the "No" pile for a couple of weeks, sealed up and out of sight, to make sure that you really can live without those items. I did this and found that I was completely satisfied with all my "Yes" decisions, and that helped me be okay with getting rid of all the rest.

You can try to sell some of your clothes to consignment stores or on eBay to ease a little of the guilt of getting rid of so much. But once you've done that, give the rest to a good cause. That'll help you feel better about it, too!

Rejoice in renewed simplicity
Go figure out what to wear. Because it should be easier now, not harder. That's part of the joy of simplicity. It can be difficult to get there, but once you are, it sure feels like home!

Related Posts
Living with Less: Why I Got Rid of Half My Clothes
An Epiphany About Reorganizing

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