11 helpful tips to purge your closet ahead of fall

Photo by Alp Allen Altiner on Unsplash

Keep the basics

According to the Huffington Post, when it comes to purging your closet, you should be holding onto the foundational pieces of a good wardrobe. These are the everyday type pieces that mix and match well or that can be worn year round.

We all have the basics in our closet and as long as they are still in good condition, these are definitely the things you want on hand to make sure that your wardrobe is well-rounded.

Get rid of damaged clothes

Don’t hang on to clothes that are damaged. Clothes with holes that can’t be fixed should be tossed (yes, even if it is your favorite thing). And unless you plan to get it fixed (and we don’t mean 10 years from now), damaged clothes are just going to sit in your closet taking up space.

If it is stained, ripped, or torn, it is time to say goodbye. So unless there is a legitimate reason to keep one of these things, let it go.

Don’t hold on to things you’ve never worn

If you have pieces that still have the tags on them after more than six months, you may need to let them go. If they’re seasonal pieces, then you can make that decision after one year. However, pieces that continue to sit in your closet with the tags on are clearly impulse buys that you have no intention of wearing.

No matter what the reason is, if you have clothes in your closet that are taking up space and you have never worn, you need to cut the cord and say goodbye.

Wear what you skip over

Are you still having a hard time with letting go of something? Then wear it! Force yourself to wear the things in your closet that you usually don’t.

Go out in public in those pieces that you skip over on a daily basis. If you never put it on, challenge yourself to get out there in the world wearing these pieces.

If you love what you have on, incorporate it into the clothing rotation. And if you hate it, then it is time to say goodbye once and for all.

Wear what you love, too

This might seem weird as a way to purge your closet, but it is amazing how it can change the way you look at your wardrobe. Put on your favorite things, the things that make you look good, and go about your day.

If you love the way you look and are happy in these pieces, you will find it is much easier to let go of the things you don’t like or have had to force yourself to purge from the stash. Loving certain pieces means understanding why other things simply don’t work.

Box it up

If there are things in your closet you aren’t ready to let go of yet, but you never wear them, box them up. Store them out of the closet (under the bed or in a different closet). If you don’t search these items out after a few months, then you know you can finally say goodbye.

This way, if you realize there is a piece you really did want to keep, it is not too late to grab it and put it back in the closet. But, if at the end of a few months, you didn’t break open the box at all, then it is time to send it on its way and let your newly purged closet breathe easy.

Getting rid of things is never easy, but purging your closet is a great way to keep your wardrobe fresh and exciting. As someone who purges their closet at the start of every season, I can tell you it will make choosing what to wear in the morning so much easier (for the most part).