Raise your hand if you can relate to the following statement about your overstuffed wardrobe:
“Ugh, I have nothing to wear. Ugh, I can’t find my _________ and my _________ is wrinkly/has a stain/is too small/is too big/isn’t cool anymore/was never cool/is uncomfortable…”
For those of you that raised your hands: WELCOME TO WARDROBE BOOT CAMP
By the end of camp today you should:
- Fit into every item of clothing in your wardrobe
- Not have any wardrobe item with an unattractive stain/hole/pulled thread
- Feel confident wearing any of your wardrobe items
- Feel like you enhanced your quality of life just a little bit… or maybe a lot!
- Have rediscovered clothing that you totally forgot you owned
LET’S BEGIN! First things first, if you’re anything like me, you can already think of at least 3 items in your overstuffed wardrobe that are questionable. Please grab those right now and put them into a donation pile.
Here are a few examples of the items I’m alluding to:
- That sweatshirt from your sister’s best friend’s bat mitzvah that you haven’t worn in 5 years
- That pair of leggings with holes/rips in the crotch area
- Those jeans that are kind of cute but function as a form of suffocation and torture so you’ll never actually wear them
Hope that clears things up a little. If you raised your hand at the beginning of this article and haven’t started placing clothing into a donation pile then you need to run through your overstuffed wardrobe with a fine-tooth comb. I know that old sweatshirt is hiding in there somewhere!!!!
Moving on:
If it shrunk, if it stretched out, or if it doesn’t fit… GET. RID. OF. IT. If it doesn’t fit properly it probably doesn’t make you feel good about yourself… and we all deserve to feel like priceless gems. Would you make a diamond ring wear a stretched out t-shirt? Don’t answer that…
Let’s Talk Socks, Underwear and Bras
Socks: If you can’t find its match, get rid of it. If it has a hole, get rid of it.
Bras: If the wire is poking out, get rid of it. If it’s itchy, get rid of it (or try to exchange it if it was very expensive, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom are always great about that stuff). If it’s permanently stained, get rid of it. If it doesn’t fit, get rid of it.
Underwear: If it’s stained, ew, get rid of it. If it has a hole, please get rid of it. If it’s too small, get rid of it because I’m pretty sure that poses a health concern.
Black Clothing: AKA My Entire Wardrobe
Take a moment to analyze your black clothing items. If they’re looking more purple or grey than you know they should, get rid of them. After too many visits to the washing machine your black clothing will fade, it’s common. Avoid washing your more expensive and delicate black clothing items too frequently (unless it’s unsanitary not to).
PRO TIP: Make sure to always wash darks with darks and lights with lights! If you have white clothing, only wash it with white. Baby blue is a light, not a white!
Clothing That Isn’t Cool Now, But Was Once Cool
This is tough because so many styles from the past keep coming back. You have to use your fashion judgment, but if it’s a lower-end item and you have trouble stuffing it into your drawers, just toss it. If you haven’t worn it in the last year you probably won’t miss it when it’s gone. If you think it could be cool in the future then box it up and keep it in storage for now.
Trendy Clothing That Doesn’t Look Good On You
You’re beautiful, but not all cuts/colors/trends make you look your best! Toss those items that you’ve never felt food about, but have kept around because of their trendy nature.
Sweat Stained Clothing, Please!
The t-shirt with yellow stains under the armpits has got to go… if you have any other clothing with similar issues, please toss that as well.
Questionable Shoes
Smelly shoes! Painful shoes! Shoes with holes! Shoes that are too small/big! Salt stained fake leather boots from 2009! Those extremely worn out UGG’s! Stretched out ballet flats!
We’ve reached the end of this wardrobe boot camp session. Hopefully these tips and tricks will alleviate some of the clutter in your closet. The best part about de-cluttering your overstuffed wardrobe is that you’ll revisit great clothing items you forgot even existed! Happy de-cluttering!