closet cleanout

Spring Wardrobe Refresh

February 24, 2017 by jessica 4 Comments

Much to my dismay, we’re back to seasonably cold temperatures and the threat of snow, but the flirtation of warmer weather earlier this week was all the inspiration I needed to do a bit of sartorial spring cleaning! My wardrobe is bursting at the seams right now with a veritable mountain of wool, silk, cotton, and various poly-blends that threaten to spill out whenever I open the door! To say a wardrobe refresh is needed would be a bit of an understatement! It’s an absolute must-do that’s at the top of my weekend plans. Below, you’ll find the steps I’m taking to tackle this project and some of my tips for your own closet clean out.

Pull Everything Out of Your Closet

It may be a daunting task, but the first step to reorganizing your wardrobe for the year ahead is to pull everything out of your closet. Seriously, everything. I’m talking clothing, shoes, and accessories. Take your time with each item and consider whether or not you should keep it. Anything that immediately pulls at your heartstrings and you can’t bear to part with goes back in your closet, along with anything that you wear frequently. Some questions to guide the process include:

Does it flatter your figure? Give the heave-ho to anything that doesn’t fit correctly and alterations won’t fix.
Does it fit your lifestyle? If it’s not something you ever see yourself wearing, it’s time to part ways or at least put it in storage if it has sentimental value.
Have you worn it within the last year? Your closet shouldn’t be filled with items that you don’t get excited about wearing.
Does it make you happy? As silly as it sounds, sometimes an infrequently worn item still makes you happy. It’s worth holding on to when that’s the case. After all, the sequin dresses that we all seem to own aren’t the most often worn pieces, but they definitely elicit a grin and the promise of wearing it again in the future.
Does it make you feel beautiful? The ideal wardrobe is filled with pieces that not only make you feel happy, but also make you feel beautiful whenever you get dressed.

Alter, Store, Donate

Now that you’ve added your must-haves back to your wardrobe, it’s time to carefully consider the pieces that didn’t pass muster and identify why they’re laying listlessly in the “meh” pile. Some pieces might simply need a nip and tuck at the tailor. Round up everything that you still like, but never quite fit correctly and head to a local tailor to see what kind of magic he can perform. Things like shortening dress straps or bringing in the waist are easy (and usually inexpensive) fixes that can make a huge difference. For the items that still fit, but you’re on the fence about, box them up to store in the basement or under your bed. Revisit them in a few months and see if there’s anything that you’d like to reintroduce into your wardrobe or part ways with. And, finally, donate the items you no longer want to wear or no longer fit your lifestyle. Dropping off a bag of clothing at Goodwill is definitely the easiest route, but consider alternatives like Dress for Success for your professional clothing and accessories. Many cities also have opportunities to donate special occasion pieces so that underprivileged girls can find a beautiful dress for prom. (I actually volunteered for one of our local groups a few years ago and it was incredibly fun to help girls pick out their dresses. In addition to dresses — both cocktail and gowns — they desperately need shoes, handbags, and jewelry. Those were picked over quickly.)

Reorganize Everything

After the very best pieces are nestled back in your closet, you’ll want to keep things neat and tidy to ease your morning routine. Opt for matching hangers to make your closet appear streamlined. I like using slim flocked hangers that keep flimsy dresses from slipping off. I use satin padded hangers for blouses and dresses with sleeves that might show puckering from a rigid hanger. Store accessories like scarves and clutches in clear plastic bins. This will keep them visible and dust-free. Fold all of your sweaters with a folding board (a magazine works, too) so the stacks are neat and organized and be sure to buy a few shelf dividers to keep them corralled.

Identify “Missing Links”

With a critical eye, take a look over the pieces you decided to keep. Do they match your style aesthetic? Pay attention to the items that just seem a little “off” with the rest of your wardrobe. What are they missing? If you decided that your style is full of bright colors and embellishments, yet you kept a black turtleneck sweater, think about what it needs. Is it a statement-making pendant necklace? Is it to be worn under a unique wrap dress in the winter? Do you need a candy-colored taffeta skirt? At the same time, consider the foundation garments you’ll need to make your wardrobe functional. Do you need black high heels for your classic collection of little black dresses? Do you have enough tights to make it through the winter? Keep a list of these “missing links” and use it as your shopping list.

Shop for the Classics

The thing I love most about spring style is the opportunity for a fresh start — and that means thoughtfully shopping for (and investing in) the classics. These are the versatile items likely on your “missing links” list that you’ll reach for throughout the season and for years to come. For me, well, this outfit sums up my spring must-haves: great-fitting jeans, a striped sweater (although not shown), a khaki-colored trench, oversized sunglasses, and a plush cashmere scarf. (The latter is large enough to double as a travel wrap, plus it’s on sale!) It’s virtually impossible to experience a “I have nothing to wear!” moment when you have these classic foundation items in your wardrobe. When you’re scouting out classic accessories, do spend as much as you can reasonably afford and pay attention to quality. Pieces like a cashmere scarf or Ferragamo flats are items that will always fit and will always be in style.

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A special thanks to Garnet Hill for partnering on this post and motivating me to start this project!

Closet Cleanout 2015

February 20, 2015 by jessica 5 Comments

Last year, I took to my closet with a critical eye and shed 30 pounds of clothing from my wardrobe. By and large, these were the low-quality fast fashion pieces that never really fit well and didn’t hold any sentimental value. Now that 12 months have passed (almost to the day), I’m back at it, albeit with a slightly different M.O.

I’m storing items.

I just don’t believe that an item is destined for Goodwill after just one year of neglect. People rekindle flames all the time. Why can’t that be the case with a closet that once sparked joy? (I suspect you knew Marie Kondo’s decluttering mantra was going to come back for the 2015 Closet Cleanout, didn’t you?)

Over the last month, I’ve been asking myself if my possessions spark joy (or at least satisfy a need, like work or exercise). It has helped me cull the last few items from my closet that I’m just not that into. It has also made me realize that I’m quite content with what I do own. That said, some of these joy-sparkers feel a little outdated or are better suited for a smaller version of me. They also add too much clutter to an already over-stuffed closet, getting in the way of items I actually want to wear and take up space for new acquisitions. So, I’ve been packing ’em up. The process has actually given me some clarity about the joyful pieces I’d like to add to my wardrobe, starting with monkey hoop earrings, an ostrich-print dress (trust me), and this bright green fringe purse.

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend 😉 , here are my guidelines for what to keep, store, or purge:

KEEP IT

It sparks joy.
It’s in regular rotation.
You look forward to wearing it.
It works with your lifestyle.
It fills a wardrobe need.

STORE IT

You admire it.
There are sweet sentimental ties to it.
You’d be upset if it were gone.

PURGE IT

You don’t like wearing it.
It’s not flattering.
There are bad memories associated with it.
You’re only keeping it out of obligation (either because you spent a lot of money on it or it was a gift).

Does Your Wardrobe Spark Joy?

January 23, 2015 by jessica 12 Comments

I’m due for another closet cleanout soon. It’s a daunting annual task and a humbling come-to-Jesus moment when I try on almost every item and ask myself three questions:

Does it fit?
Is it flattering?
Is it right for my lifestyle?

I recently discovered that I was missing one crucial question: Does it spark joy?

Last week, I came across an article that described the organization secret of Marie Kondo, the author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. She suggests cleansing your home–in this case, wardrobe–by asking one simple question: Does it spark joy? If it doesn’t, simply thank the item for the role it has played in your life and move on.

Yes, it does seem pretty hokey at first blush. However, the more I thought about it over the past week, the more I found myself using it as a litmus test for purchases. And you know what? It has been freeing. Take the striped DVF dress, for instance. It had all the hallmarks of something I’d love. It’s striped. It’s by my favorite designer. It’s a dress. It’s well made. It fit well. However, something about it didn’t spark joy for me. I tried on another dress I ordered from Shopbop (which is sadly sold out, but you can find the maxi dress version here) and I was over the moon. I was giddy and I couldn’t wait to show Dave.

It sparked joy.

What I love most about this process is that it doesn’t suggest giving items the heave-ho if they haven’t been worn in a year (the usual closet cleaning mantra). If an item resonates with you, you’ll wear it again eventually. Maybe last year wasn’t the right time. Maybe the year prior wasn’t even the right time. Maybe this year will be.

It’s really about getting rid of the items that feel like an emotional burden, allowing your closet to be a joyful space. It brings emotion back to clothing. I don’t want to “curate” a closet (and God forbid I ever have a capsule wardrobe). I want my purchases to be joyful. If that means a hot pink dress one month and a boyish button down the next, so be it.

Closet Cleanout

February 21, 2014 by jessica Leave a Comment

Confession time: I dread getting dressed in the morning. I didn’t always feel that way, though. In fact, for years my favorite part of the day was diving into my closet and choosing who I’d become that day. My clothing was as varied as my moods, which made dressing in my 20s so fun—and makes getting ready at age 30 so frustrating.

After months of bypassing piles of clothing every morning and whining that “I have nothing to wear,” I finally had enough. I spent the better part of Sunday pulling out stacks of sweaters, racks of skirts and boxes of shoes and getting rid of the pieces I hadn’t worn in years. It got the boot if it didn’t meet the following criteria:

It fits and it’s flattering.
I like wearing it.
I’ve worn it in the past year. (This didn’t apply to special occasion items.)
I’d honestly be upset if it wasn’t in my closet.
It meets my current style aesthetic.
It’s in good repair.

My resolve weakened four hours into the project. I started to talk myself into keeping various items for sentimentality’s sake or “maybe someday” I’ll wear it again. That was fine for my mom’s maxi dress from the ’70s, but not okay for a polyester top I received as gift or purchased in college.

I only made it through a third of my wardrobe on Sunday, but I got rid of 30 pounds of clothes. Isn’t that absurd? Here’s what 30 pounds of clothing gets you:

14 sweaters
7 pairs of shoes
7 tops
4 dresses
4 pairs of shorts
4 handbags
2 pairs of pants
2 pairs of jeans
1 skirt

It’s humbling to think of how much money I spent on these items. And even though some were well-loved and threadbare, others simply weren’t worn often enough to have warranted the purchase in the first place. It was an eye-opening experiment that reinforced the principles of the French Wardrobe Challenge:

Quality is paramount. As years pass, the well-made items are those that still look beautiful. Plenty of sweaters from Gap and Old Navy faded substantially after just a few washes.
Those high quality items continue to be the most worn and most loved pieces in my wardrobe. I’d love to have a closet full of pieces I’m truly excited to wear—and that’s precisely what I’m working toward.
Impulse purchases are seldom a smart buy. Many of those “great deals” went off to Goodwill. They’ve only worked in two instances: it’s a basic item that I wear frequently (J.Crew Tippi sweaters, anyone?) or it’s an item I already coveted at full price.
Shopping on a budget doesn’t work for me. I get wrapped up in the idea of quantity over quality. That’s not to say I have the luxury of ignoring the price tag; I just need to be picky about what I’m spending money on.
The amount of waste generated from purchasing—and eventually getting rid of—these low quality items is embarrassing. I know style blogs don’t really talk about that side of consumerism, but it’s something to keep in mind.
I feel happier with less stuff in my closet. If it’s not being worn and enjoyed, it shouldn’t be taking up space.