A Detailed How-To For Cleaning Out Your Closet
I spent hours rearranging my closet using this method and it was worth it.
Recently, I had an epiphany about my living space. I don't love my bedroom. There are a few reasons for this, but one is that my clothing is an absolute mess. I have pieces I haven't worn in years, some that have been kicked to the side with the intention of selling. My racks are packed to the max, with sleeves and fabric spilling everywhere. I have shoes under my dresser and in my closet that I don't even find comfortable. It's daunting, so I have only dipped my toe into fixing it for the last few years.
Until this weekend.
I decided that it was time to do an actual clean-out. Part of my initial hesitation (and procrastination) was that I didn't want to contribute to the textile waste crisis by mindlessly getting rid of pieces. I realized, though, that by not having a clean wardrobe space, I never really know what I have. So, I took a deep breath, and six hours later, my closet was clean.
Here are the five things I did.
Dumped EVERYTHING out.
I talked about this in a few past newsletters. I was going through sweaters to see what I had repeats of, so I dumped them all out and arranged them by color. It works! This time though, I dumped out EVERYTHING. Every drawer and every rack went onto the floor.
Arranged clothing into like piles.
This was pretty self-explanatory, but the thing to note is that I kept the piles detailed. My t-shirts were separated by color, my pants were categorized by style, and my dresses were organized by sleeve and skirt length. When I eventually went back through them, I could see that I had too many black tees and jeans while I had very few skirts. I focused my attention on the larger piles.
Tried pieces I wasn't sure about on and got a second opinion.
As I went through the piles, anything that I questioned, I set aside. When I was finished, I put each item on to see if it fit, where or not I still liked it, and if I could see myself wearing it. I also called in some help for this one and got an opinion on pieces I was really questioning. Of that pile, about half went back into my closet, and the other half went into one of four new piles that I would be getting rid of.
Created four piles for getting rid of clothing.
How I separated these piles is key to minimizing waste.
Nicer / NWT clothing: I don't have much luxury clothing, but I do have some pieces from brands that are higher-end or in collaboration with higher-end. Those pieces I will sell on TheRealReal through their concierge service, where someone literally comes and picks it up. Not all of them will sell, but I have had success making a little bit of money with things I just don't wear anymore.
Contemporary: I've found that ordering a ThredUp bag for contemporary and fast fashion (like Madewell, Zara, and even Reformation) is the most convenient way to extend the cycle of some of my older fast fashion habits. I have residual guilt about many of these items. However, it makes me feel better knowing it may get a second life. All you do is order the free bag here and send it in. They do the rest.
Holes / Stains: This is one of the worst parts of getting rid of clothing – what to do with pieces you know won't sell because they have a hole or a stain. For these items, I ordered a $20 bag from For Days. The brand recycles old textiles (even underwear and socks) to make them into new things. You can read more about the founder in my 8 questions series here!
Refolded, hung and reorganized.
The whole point of this was to remove clutter and make it so that I could really see what I have. I took those categories that I split up and rearranged them into drawers and racks (like with like). I also did something I used to do as a kid and put my seasonal pieces (mostly running gear and jackets) into a different place. Next stop ... matching hangers.
Not everyone can take hours to clean their closet, I get that! But I would suggest doing this drawer by drawer over a few weeks, especially if you're finding yourself buying more than you need.
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Thank you for reading!!
This Stuff is a newsletter by me! fashion journalist, Alyssa Hardy. Three times a week, I unpack the ways our clothes impact the world through news, essays, interviews and more. Subscribe for free here and follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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