Blog Post #3- Closet Clean-outs

Clean out & Organize your closet

Are you ready to tackle one of world’s most difficult tasks, closet clean-outs? Do you find yourselves in impulsive or unplanned shopping very often? (Babin, 233) Are you easily influenced by the physical space, social surroundings, atmosphere of the store, its design and layout? (Angell 11/8) All these social situations might be reasons why we do more shopping than we actually need and our closet to be more cluttered than it should be. We can agree that going through one’s closet and getting rid of (or hopefully donating to someone in need) clothes you don’t wear can be necessary, but there’s never enough time to do it. Although it might be daunting, cleaning your closet can help de-clutter and you might realize your wardrobe is actually bigger than it seems. It also makes it easy to come up with new combinations and takes the stress away from choosing what to wear every day. My mom has been a pro at closet cleaning for a while now, and I wanted to share some tips I learned from her! (and please let’s forget about the countless arguments we had over why I don’t need 15 pairs of jeans)

1-    Create 3 piles

First thing you need to do is categorize all your clothes into these 3 groups: : “Keep” “Not in season” “Unsure” (It always helps to physically throw them into huge piles)

2-    Start with “Keep”

Closet clean out doesn't always mean you will get rid of the clothes you’re not using. It can also mean re-organizing what you already have.

3-    Continue with “Not in Season”

My mom would always tell me how important it is to have items in your closet that are weather appropriate. Storing your "not in season" clothing can help you clear up your mind and free up space. (I also thinks it’s super fun to unpack spring/summer clothes as temperature starts to rise!) Seasonal influences are very likely to have impact on our purchase behavior (Angell Lecture 11/8) but it's important to 

4-    Finish it off with “Unsure”

It can get very overwhelming to get rid off clothing because you attach so many memories to certain pieces and you don’t want to let go. One easy way to overcome this stressful process is to ask yourself these 4 questions:

1-    Is it damaged? (rips, stains, tears)

2-    When was the last time you wore it?

3-    Would you actually wear it today?

4-    Does it make you happy?

Usually after answering these questions for every single individual piece, I can decide whether I want to keep the clothing item or not. It's also useful to think about if you purchased the item as an add-on. A small additional purchase tacked onto a large purchase may not create the perception of increased spending. (Babin, 59) So we might have unnecessary items in our closet that we didn't really need but purchased it along with other items. 

I also think it’s important to pay attention to the fabric, quality of the item as well as the messaging. If you’re trying to dress more conservatively, you probably don’t need super tight and revealing tops and dresses from college. You can decide on the quality of the fabric by paying attention if you feel comfortable while wearing it. Does it sit well? Is it making you itchy? Is it too tight around the collar? Reconsider these questions as you decide what to do with the items in your “unsure” pile.

We attach a certain utilitarian or hedonic value to our clothes.(Babin, 24) Memories are a great part of why we hold on to many of these items that may not necessarily fit well anymore or out of style. My advice would be to keep them- only a few- because they clearly make you feel confident and/or happy, but please don’t get carried away! On the flip side, if a clothing item brings you sour memories, no need to hold on to it because it’s very likely that you won’t wear them anytime soon.

I’m such a big fan of watching YouTube, especially beauty & style channels. I wanted to share one of my favorite Australian youtuber’s video on closet clean-outs so that you can get some fresh ideas and be inspired!     

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTzxEh8OBSg

As I said before, it always makes me feel better when I donate my clothes, but selling them to your local thrift shops is also an option. Here are some links to couple of second-hand stores I know of and would recommend if you plan to make some money out of it!     

Plato’s closet

https://www.platoscloset.com/

Urban Exchange

http://www.myurbanexchange.com/

Style Encore

https://www.style-encore.com/

Rosa’s closet

https://rosascloset.com/

I hope I could inspire you and give some ideas on how to get started on that long over-due closet clean out!