Spring Cleaning: A Three-Step Closet Detox
Spring is here and it's a great time to clean up our routines, our habits, and yes, our closets. As a personal stylist, Conni Jespersen knows that one of the biggest barriers to style is a bloated closet. Fear not, she has a detox plan to get your wardrobe in shape for the season.
Tip #1: It all starts with hangers
Those nifty little doo-dads that help keep everything off the floor and in your closet. Let’s face it, women are a lot more connected to hangers (as per experience, my husband rarely uses them!), even so, very good hangers in our closet we will have. (My clothes tend to overtake the closet, so by our, I really mean my...)
Two of my favorite types of hangers to keep my clothes organized and neat are 1) huggable felt hangers for almost everything and 2) wooden hangers for larger, heavier items like jackets & blazers. You can purchase felt hangers in almost any color here or here for $10.00/10 pack. Felt hangers are the best space savers and they make your closet look clean, streamlined, and organized. I almost always bring some to my clients, or highly recommend they get them a.s.a.p, if they don’t have them in their closets already.
Tip #2: Use Garment Bags To Organize Seasonal Items
Another one of my favorite tips for organizing your closet are using garment bags to store items according to each season. Four (or more) times a year, you should take everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) out of your closet, give it a good sweep, vacuum, or wipe down, and re-organize your closet for the season.
Store items that you aren’t going to wear for that season (i.e.: winter jackets, wool items, etc for spring/summer) into garment bags by category (i.e.: jackets, dresses, etc.).Then, using a notepad & sharpie, label every garment bag so that when you pull them out again next season, you’ll have a whole “new” labeled bag of clothes to hang in your closet.
I recommend that you wash or take all your seasonal clothes to the dry cleaner before storing them (which admittedly, I don’t always do). And also, use moth repellents such as cedar & lavender blocks, cedar rounds, or herbal packets, which can be placed at the bottom of the garment bag while stored.
Tip #3: Re-try everything on (This is the biggie!)
One of my most useful tips for organizing your closet is extreme, but useful! (Grab a glass of champagne and turn on some great tunes for this one…) It would be ideal to undertake this tip before tackling tip two, so that the lovely items you stash away for the season are the ones you really want to hold on to, and again when you are pulling out a new seasonal garment bag.
Here's your challenge: Try on every item of clothing that you own. Then, ask yourself the following questions.
What condition are they in? Get rid of anything showing signs of wear.
Do they still fit? (Properly??) Unless you are pregnant, you do not need to hold on to anything that doesn't make you look and feel great right now, as you are now.
The last time I wore this was... I’d give it 6 months on the stylist’s opinion side or 8-12 months on the safe side. If the answer is no, then get rid of it. If you haven’t worn the item in that long chances are there is a reason. Whether it’s the weight you’ve been trying to lose, the color just isn’t right, or the cut of the item just doesn’t flatter you, there is a reason you haven’t worn it and that reason will not go away. You won’t suddenly, amazingly fall in love with it and wear it all the time, if you haven’t already. So, three words: Let. It. Go. (Yes, even if it still has the tags on it. We have all done this.)
Now, with a closet full of clothes that are seasonally appropriate, well-fitting, and in good condition, getting ready each morning will be a million times easier and more enjoyable.
