Do you have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear?

Our closets become cluttered over time as we hold on to things that we don?t wear and buy things that don?t work for us.

Our wardrobe often doesn?t change even when our body, style, and lifestyle change.

I guess that?s why most people wear 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time.  

If your closet is filled with unworn clothes that are collecting dust, then purging your closet is the best solution.

Why Purge?

Purging your closet is letting go of things that don?t serve you anymore to free up space for a wardrobe that suits you and brings you joy.

A cluttered closet can be a source of frustration, making you feel overwhelmed and making it harder to get dressed every day.

You?ll feel a tremendous weight lifted when you purge your unworn and unloved clothing.

Just imagine a closet where you know that anything you pull out to wear will fit you and suit your coloring, style, and lifestyle.  

Are you ready to feel excited to get dressed each morning, instead of overwhelmed and stressed out?

??????????????????

10 Tips to Purge Your Closet

Purging your closet is essential to create a wardrobe that you love.

Since I have transitioned from a professional office to working from home, I?ve purged my closet to create a wardrobe I love that meets my needs for all occasions. Everything must measure up to earn its hanger in my small closet.

Here are 10 tips to use as a checklist to know when to keep or purge it.  

Don?t Keep It If the Color is Unflattering

Determine if the color flatters your skin, eyes, and hair. When colors flatter you, your skin will look more radiant and glowing.

My best advice is to purge clothing in unflattering colors. If an item is an unflattering color, even if it?s perfect in every other way, it?s not going to make you look or feel your best.

As a color consultant, I always recommend finding your best colors as the first step to rebuilding your wardrobe. If you haven?t had a personal color analysis and want to discover what colors make you look fabulous, get started with my free Seasonal Color Analysis Guide before you get a personal color fan to use for shopping.

Since you should avoid wearing unflattering colors close to your face, purge all tops, jackets, and scarves in unflattering colors.  Then replace pants and shoes in unflattering colors over time as you rebuild your wardrobe.

Don?t Keep It If It?s Not Your Style

Our style changes as we change. Before you can create a wardrobe that you love, you need to discover your personal style and what you love to wear.  

????????????????Knowing your style will create a framework for what clothes you keep.

If your clothing doesn?t reflect your style now, you?re not going to feel great wearing them. Your clothes should make you feel fabulous!

Don?t Keep It If It Doesn?t Fit

Try on your clothing to make sure it fits. If the fit is not right, decide if it can be altered and is worth having alterations done. 

If your clothes don?t fit properly, they will not be comfortable and will not look good on you. 

Trust me, you aren?t going to want to wear that shirt that gapes open, that waistband that?s too snug, or that sweater that?s constantly distracting you.

Clothes that don?t fit are better in someone else?s closet, instead of cluttering yours.  

Don?t Keep It If It Doesn?t Flatter You

Just because an item fits doesn?t mean that it looks good on you.

Since our bodies are different shapes and sizes, every clothing style will not be flattering on everyone. For example, skinny jeans do not look good on everybody.

As you evaluate your clothing, look at the silhouette, cut, and hemline to see if it suits your body. If you?re not sure, look in a full-length mirror and take selfies of the front and back.

This includes evaluating its fabric and condition. Say goodbye to stained, damaged, worn, faded, or stretched-out pieces.

Don?t Keep It If It Doesn?t Fit Your Lifestyle

Does your wardrobe fit your current lifestyle? Your wardrobe should be functional with clothing for almost all occasions.  

If you have made changes in your life, your wardrobe may not be meeting your needs anymore.

Is your closet filled with work clothes that you don?t need now that you are staying home with your children, working remotely from home, or happily retired?

As you evaluate your clothing, purge items that no longer fit your current lifestyle.

Don?t Keep It If It Looks Dated

Looking stylish is to look current and modern. Purging dated clothing is more important than ever to look current as you get older. 

Fashion styles change and your wardrobe should change too.  Even classic clothing styles change over time as the silhouettes, shapes, and fabrics change. 

If your clothing is more than 5 years old, determine if it?s still a current style. Do you still see the item being sold in stores now? Are others still wearing it?

If it?s not in style, pass it on. Here?s a similar post to help.

Don?t Keep It If You Don?t Like It

As you evaluate your clothing, pull out anything you never really liked.  

??????????????When you try it on, does it make you feel fabulous, confident, or blah? Is it comfortable or does the fabric drive you crazy the minute you put it on?

If you feel boring or uncomfortable, it?s time to pass it on.

Since you want a wardrobe you love, purge all items that you simply don?t like and don?t want to wear.

Take a moment to learn from your past mistakes and figure out why you don?t like them. Identify what you don?t like so you don?t make the same mistake again.  

I discovered that I don?t like fabric with acrylic and I now pass on anything acrylic.

Don?t Keep It Because It Was Expensive

Spending money on clothing that?s barely worn can give you a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. Accept that you already spent the money. 

Hanging on to expensive clothing that you don?t wear doesn?t get your money back. They?re just taking up space in your closet and a reminder of past mistakes.  

Sell them at a consignment shop or on Poshmark to free up space and make some money at the same time.

If you haven?t tried Poshmark, sign up with this link and get a $10 credit on your first purchase and I?ll get a $10 credit too.

Don?t Keep It Because It?s Sentimental

Getting rid of sentimental items associated with special memories can be hard. Purging the item will not erase your memory.  

Instead of the items collecting dust in your closet, remove them to free up space for the clothes you actually wear.

If you have a sentimental piece, such as a wedding dress and veil to pass on, remove it from your closet and have it cleaned and stored properly so it stays in good condition.

Box up sentimental items you really want to keep. For others, keep a swatch of the fabric with a photo of you wearing it in a scrapbook as a memento of your special occasions.

Don?t Keep It Because It Might Fit One Day

If you struggle with weight issues, you may be holding onto clothes in hope of wearing them again.  

Be honest and realistic about your weight loss goals. Do you have a plan to lose weight to wear your clothes again?

If you have clothes that you love that are too small, then move them to another closet or box them up.  If you can?t wear them, looking at them every day makes no sense.  

Everyone should maintain a healthy lifestyle, but sometimes you need to accept that your body has changed. You should feel good about yourself, regardless of your weight or size.

And if you go down a couple of sizes, you deserve a new wardrobe anyway!

Ready to Start?

You will need to take everything out of your closet for the evaluation process. Since it can be time-consuming and overwhelming, allow plenty of time to tackle your closet.

If you?re easily overwhelmed, then just evaluate the current season and repeat the process when the seasons change.

Go through each item one by one and try them on if you haven?t worn them this season. Look in a full-length mirror for evaluation.  

If you?re indecisive or struggle with letting go of things, call a close friend or a professional to help. 

They can provide fresh eyes and an unbiased opinion to make the process easier.

Once you identify all the stuff you don?t wear and don?t love, decide if you want to donate it, give it away, or sell it. Just don?t put it back in your closet! 

If you're not sure whether to purge yet or not, move the items to another closet. If you don't wear them in a certain amount of time, then you know you're ready to discard them.

If you have items you don't love, but need to wear until you find a better option. Make shopping for replacements a priority.

Your closet is just for clothes and accessories. Find a home for other things like gifts, wrapping paper, and old school yearbooks somewhere else. 

Organize and Plan your Wardrobe

Now that your unworn and unloved clothing is gone, you can start to build a wardrobe that flatters and suits you.

Check out my Wardrobe Planner with 15 handy printable worksheets to help you purge your closet and plan your new wardrobe. This guide has worksheets to purge your closet, track donations and consignments, inventory your wardrobe, plan future shopping and plan your outfits.

Sort your clothing and accessories by category and invest in what you need to keep your closet and drawers organized. When your things are organized, it's easier to find what you are looking for and get dressed each day.

??????Check out these bamboo drawer dividers for keeping your small items tidy and these mesh organizers for folded camisoles and tanks. Be sure to measure your drawers first!

Quality hangers are better for your clothes and will last for years, Trust me they are worth the investment! I use velvet hangers for tops and jackets and wood hangers for jeans and pants.  

For small closets, like mine, this hanging shelf unit provides more space for folded clothing, like your sweaters. Since it just hangs on your rod, you can easily put it up or down as you need it.

I want you to have a wardrobe that you love that?s filled with clothing that looks good, feels good, and that you wear often.

Check out my other Wardrobe articles

Like this Article? Save It on Pinterest!

Thank you for supporting me. This article contains affiliate links to earn a small commission at no cost to you.