If you follow me on instagram stories, you might’ve seen a glimpse of my closet-purging-party this weekend. Michael said ‘I didn’t know you were planning on cleaning out the closet this weekend’, and the truth is…I wasn’t. I was planning on unpacking from Montana and cleaning the house, but literally could not put my stuff away without making room for my stuff…if that makes sense. I was starting to feel so claustrophobic with how much STUFF I had everywhere, and knew it was time for a major purge!
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I was really surprised with how many questions I got from you guys about closet purging, getting rid of things, etc…so today I thought it might be helpful if I shared a few tips with you guys on how to get rid of things! The closet purging process is slightly different for me, as a blogger, than most (because I’m getting new things nearly everyday). BUT, I think some of the same principles can still apply!
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So, first of all…I have my closet organized by categories, ie: sweaters, tanks, jeans, etc. So when I started my closet purging, I went section by section. When I was in my summer section, if I did not wear the item all summer long (this past summer), it went to the purge pile. I think that’s rule number one: if you went a whole season without wearing that t-shirt or dress, you probably don’t LOVE it, and can probably live without it. I know a season seems like a pretty short window (some people say “if I haven’t worn this in a year”), but my criteria is one season. If I went a whole season without putting on that dress, then I can live without it. I won’t miss it.
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That’s the next question you can ask yourself when you are purging your closet – am I going to miss this ____? Will I even remember that I got rid of this? When I was purging my closet, there were several things that I would look at and think “wait I really like this dress!”, but when I asked myself “will you even remember that you got rid of this?”, the answer was usually “no”. And now that I cleaned stuff out, I honestly can’t even remember what I got rid of haha. THAT is a sign that you don’t need it!
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The next step after you decide what to purge, is what to do with the stuff. I personally make a few different piles – one to give away to friends & family that come visit (or I also mailed a box to my sister and my friend Kami haha), one pile to donate to a ministry through our church, and one pile to sell (if the items are still in brand new condition). I know a ton of people who love to sell things on Poshmark. I sell my stuff on snapchat every week or so (typically on tuesday’s. my snapchat username is laurenkay2 if you want to check it out!). You can also bring stuff to goodwill or salvation army. We asked the pastors at our church for recommendations of where to donate the items to, which is always a good option!
Closet cleanouts are never fun IMO – it’s hard to get rid of things that you actually do really like but you don’t necessarily need. BUT, after you do it, it’s the most freeing feeling to actually have space in your closet or your drawers again! Closet clean-outs also make getting ready SO much easier, because you know you love anything hanging in your closet! I promise, it’s worth it, and you’ll be so glad you did it.
I’d also encourage you to make the process fun! I dedicated an entire Saturday afternoon to my closet purge. I blared some of my favorite jams, poured a glass of wine once 5 o’clock rolled around, and just made it fun. And the result was so rewarding!
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Outfit Details: Lace Dress | Drop Earrings | Sole Society Studded Heels | Leather Crossbody
You guys might remember seeing this little black dress on my instagram around New Year’s. I’d had my eye on this dress for forever and finally pulled the trigger after seeing it on a few friends (in other colors). This lace dress is such a closet staple (one that you would keep through closet purges haha) because you can wear it to weddings no matter what the season is. It is under $100 and comes in tons of colors! Such a great purchase!
Have you guys done any closet clean outs in the new year?! If you have any tips, comment below! Thanks for reading!
xo Lauren
