Closet purge 2020 inspiration

I’m so proud of my closet purge that I wanted to share, and hear tips from you when you do the beloved closet reorganization.

My approach:

Keep an eye out every day for those things that might need a new home, and save them to my See Ya Later Collection on YLF
Do the purge when the mood strikes me, not a deliberate schedule
Wear a simple pair of pants and simple cut sweater
Try on all maybes, and leave some Favorites visible, for reference
When in doubt I ask “does this make me look fabulous?” and “can I think of even a single occasion when I’d wear this, and what would I wear instead?”
When still in doubt, I keep it! I can always send it away next time.
Go one category at a time: athletic, tops, bottoms, coats, dresses
Sort into piles for Recycle, Goodwill, Resell (my son and his gf sell my stuff on Ebay for extra cash)

The result:

Rehomed 5 jackets/coats/vests, 3 pair shoes, 1 skirt, endless tights (why did I have these), 10 blouses, 3 dresses, 1 jeans, a handful of t-shirts and socks
Kept six items (2 pants, 2 jackets, 2 dresses) I know to be too small, in a segregated spot, and probably far too many t's
Learned that I don’t need to buy any new cropped pants, dresses, or skirts for summer!

How about you? What are your techniques for getting in the zone?

4 years ago

Cardiff girl

Veteran

Well done you!I m not the best person to ask about closet purges as I tend to hang onto things for ages but I have a sneaking admiration for those who can let go .

Anonymous

Brilliant post. When I did my huge closet purge, I evaluated one clothing category at a time. That made the overall process less onerous/intimidating. I believe it also enhanced the efficiency. I was ruthless at that time because I had to be. I felt that pulling off the bandaid would hurt like hell but would benefit me in the long run.

Here is what I do on a day-to-day basis. I evaluate every single ensemble I wear. I judge it based on real life experience. Did it meet my needs for the day? Did it make me feel fabulous? How did a clothing item perform as part of an ensemble? Was it wrong in some way?

These day-to-day evaluations allow me to look at individual items and judge whether they are meeting my needs or whether they are mere place holders. I got rid of a pair of Athleta pants that I thought I loved until I saw myself in a full length mirror at the mall. The pants were 1 inch too short. They made me feel bad about myself and ruined the day. (I unexpectedly ran into friends and was embarrassed to be seen in those pants). They are now at the Goodwill. It was a relief to purge them .... so I doubt I really loved them all that much in the first place. They were a place holder.

rachylou

I need, need, to be able to strike when the iron is hot. It never happens! Argh! (Don’t ask me about today!)

nemosmom

Oh, but that leather vest in your "See ya later" collection is SO fun! Are you sure it doesn't make you feel fabulous?? (Ok, I am not helping!)

Your approach seems perfect, really. Your question, “can I think of even a single occasion when I’d wear this, and what would I wear instead?” is one I've been using for my own purges lately, and it really helps. Especially with the pieces that are occasion specific that I tend to hold on to for WAY too long.

Jenni NZ

Hi Annabelle don’t think we’ve “met”. I don’t want to be doing continual closet purges. In the past I admit I have held on too long but now my focus is buying less, buying really well, and hopefully wearing stuff out if I can. Some of it may still be donated at that point, depends on condition. But I want to be responsible for that piece of clothing for its life cycle if possible. Some of this sounds like a pipe dream but is what I am now aiming for after reading too many articles on what happens to cast-off clothing.
I’m also not too sure that anything will make me look fabulous! Make me happy, yes. This is not a secret wish for forum members to go “of course you look fabulous”, it’s just trying to be realistic after wading through a lot of my photos

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