I’m back to helping my clients in person. After two fatiguing years of the pandemic, they are generally keen to edit, review, organize, and refresh their styles. It’s trickier than ever to figure out what to keep and what to pass on. There is uncertainty and new normals to consider, and lifestyles are changing more than ever. As we edited, I found some questions coming up repeatedly, and these were my answers.

Q: What to do with items that have gone unworn for two or more years?

A: If you like or love the items, and if they fit comfortably and are in good condition, then keep them. You will wear them eventually. Or find a way to wear them that works with your current lifestyle. This is especially true for items that are hard to find at the moment because they aren’t on-trend.

If you don’t like the item anymore, you won’t choose to wear it when the right occasion crops up. In this case pass it on, or upcycle the garment in some way.

Q: Where to store unworn items that are worth keeping?

A: Generally, if my client could imagine wearing the item again relatively soon, they would put it with the rest of their wardrobe. If this seemed unlikely in the short term, then they would pack them out of sight. Some clients packed these items away in storage. Others put them at the back, or to one side of their closets. 

Q: What to do with items that no longer fit?

A: This is challenging when one’s weight is fluctuating a size or two, especially with fitted bottoms. Generally, if you like or love items that are too big, investigate the option of altering them to fit. Sometimes, this is worth the effort with excellent results, and sometimes it’s a waste of time and money. It’s a gamble.

If you like or love items that are too small, they might be worth keeping for a while in case your weight fluctuates back to the size. If you don’t think that will happen, pass them on. Most of my clients chose to pass on the items that were too small.

This brings me to a very important point. Don’t base these decisions purely on memory, or just by staring at the items. Try the items on, and assess how you look and feel in them right now.

My formal wear capsule went unworn for a couple of years. I recently tried on the items and found that some felt wrong for any occasion. I’ve passed those items on, and I’m refreshing my formal wear capsule this year.

Tell us about your recent closet editing experiences in the comments below.