It’s that time of year…when the sun is shining a little brighter, the days are getting a little bit longer and the Spring flowers are starting to emerge from the soil. To many, Spring symbolizes renewal. For some that means the arrival of a new baseball season and to others the beginning of Easter. For all, Spring should be a time to focus on cleansing your home and more specifically your wardrobe. As the chill of winter fades away, so can our sweaters, mittens and down coats, making way for brighter colors and shorter hemlines.
Cleaning your closet my seem like the most unappealing thing on your to-do list but using a structured organized approach will allow you to eliminate clutter and conduct a complete audit of your wardrobe with little pain. Here’s how:
Eliminate surplus
In closets, as in life, less is often more. Most people wear 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time. That leaves a lot of items that are taking up space and are never (or rarely) being worn.
To start eliminating surplus, separate items into tops (short sleeve, long sleeve, sleeveless), pants, shorts, dresses, sweaters, etc. Then remove everything from your closet that:
- Does not fit
- Is out dated (5 years or older)
- Is worn out
- You have not worn for a year (this excludes special occasion items)
- Doesn’t make you feel great when you wear it
- Does not match your style or image or coloring
Re-organize your space
Once you’ve weeded out the excess, organize your closets and dressers in a way that makes sense for how you get dressed. Keep like items together and think about grouping things by color as well. That way when you go shopping you can easily remember what you already own and what you still need. Store off season clothes out of your closet (or at the very back) to free up space and allow you to focus on what’s in season. Most of all, make your closet a fun place to get dressed!
Develop an ongoing strategy
You’ve rid your wardrobe of all of the misfits and old 80’s sweaters. Now it’s time to have a strategy that allows you to do a quick clean each season rather than a drastic and time consuming overhaul. Start by turning your folded items inside out and each time you wear something, return it to your dresser right side out. This is an easy trick to evaluate what you haven’t worn after 6 months (excluding seasonal and special occasion items) so you can donate or consign it.
Donate or consign your old items
There are many great places to donate old items such as Goodwill, Arc, etc. If you’re interested in making some money back sell your gently used brand name items at any of the below consignment stores in the Twin Cities.
Fashion Avenue – With locations in Edina and Wayzata, Fashion Avenue accepts items that are high-end Couture, Designer, Contemporary or Better brand name labels.
Nu Look Consignment – Located in South Minneapolis, Nu Look accepts new or gently used brand name and designer clothing. Items should be 3 years old or newer, in style, and have their original label.
Turn Style Consignment – The most lenient of the three options as far as what they accept, Turn Style accepts gently used designer and brand name clothing. All items should be pressed and hung.
If all else fails and you’re in need of some serious help, call Brass Tacks and let us find the right solution for you!
