5 STEPS TO PURGE YOUR CLOSET

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In my recent Build Your Dream Wardrobe on a Budget Guide I talk about two things.

1. Take Inventory of your Wardrobe
2. Sell items no longer in use to make money to buy new items

When combined you have a full fledge closet purge and in my opinion that is the best way to start a new season.

To give you an additional tool to help you Build your Dream Wardrobe I’m sharing my 5 steps to purging your closet

After purging 85% of not only my wardrobe but all of my belongings over the past 7 years I’m what I now consider a purging expert. One thing I’ve learned by doing is that the act of purging is therapeutic, it will lift weight off your shoulders, clear your mind and give you a stronger sense of self.

We tend to get so attached to physical objects for literally no reason at all other than we liked it at one point and we spent money on it. By holding onto objects that serve no purpose or bring no joy to us we are weighed down mentally and spiritually. I know it sounds ridiculous but purge once a month and see the difference it makes in your life.

One of the most common questions I get is, “Do you miss/regret anything you’ve purged? THE ANSWER IS NO! I HAVE NEVER REGRET ANY ITEM I’VE PURGED, EVER! TBH, I don’t remember 99% of the things I’ve purged. I mean, I remember my old sectional couch and dining set I’ve sold/purged but it’s furniture so of course I remember it however, I in no way miss or regret it. If you aren’t using the item in question now it’s because it doesn’t serve a purpose, does not bring you joy and you more than likely are not thinking of that item. Do you miss trash when you throw it out? … it’s the same thing.

If you’re new to purging I recommend purging once a quarter or monthly. Every time you purge you’ll find you get rid of more pieces. For example, I have a collection of v-neck tees and basic tanks I keep “just in case” for layering and because at one point in my life I wore basic white v-neck everyday. Every single time I purge I get rid of one or more items from that section of my wardrobe. Bear in mind, I haven’t added to this section in years nor do I actually wear any of these tops but I have some kind of connection to them and like to keep basic staples on hand which is why I don’t toss them all. Point is, with each purge this section gets smaller and smaller and is becoming more curated and impactful to my wardrobe.

STEP ONE: Pull everything out of your closet

This step is self explanatory. Pull everything out of your closet. We pull everything out because when you see piles and piles on your bed/floor etc you’ll have a dose of reality hit you. By clearing out your closet you’re also starting your closet with a blank slate. What you put back in is your edited wardrobe.

STEP TWO: Determine what you’re keeping and what you’re purging

The most asked question I got was, “how do you know what to purge?” there are 5 reasons you should purge an item

1. If you haven’t worn it in a year, toss it! If you haven’t worn something in a year it doesn’t fit into your lifestyle or you simply don’t like it as much as you think you do. Your subsconcious is very telling
2. If it doesn’t fit, goodbye!! Whether you’ve had a weight gain or loss, it’s time to move on and stop holding onto items that are no longer usable to you.
3. If it’s stained, ripped, damaged, etc. If an item is damaged beyond repair there is absolutely no reason to hold onto it. LET IT GO!
4. If you don’t absolutely LOVE it!! It has to bring you lots of joy! Life is too short to have anything in our lives that don’t make us happy!
5. If you do not feel Ah-Mazing when you put it on, it’s gotta go! This combines fit and joy. Every item in your closet should fit you like a glove, you should feel your best self in everything that you own. There are wayyyy too many options out there to settle for “good enough” and that goes for every aspect of our lives.

STEP THREE: Divide purges items into 3 categories; sell, donate or recycle

• SELL: You may want to try to sell everything that isn’t damaged first then donate what doesn’t sell. You will get the most money for high ticket items on Poshmark or Ebay vs a local resell shop. Any popular brand names, denim, shoes and handbags are usually higher ticket items to try to sell on online resellers. What doesn’t sell online you can take to resell shops. I recommend hitting up at least 3 different resell shops if you’re selling in person, all locations will buy something. If you want everything out of your life and are okay getting less money for your pieces you can skip online resell and go straight to local resells.
• DONATE: I love to donate to local non profits, women’s shelters, etc. If I’m not in the mood or short on time to sell my purged items I go straight to donating. There were a few years I didn’t sell any of my purged items I just donated, I got more out of giving to others than money could give me.
• RECYCLE: Our recycle items are pieces that are damaged, undergarments, etc. I don’t know where to donate to TBH, I know that when you donate what the donation center can’t use they send to recycle centers so I usually do that. As far as store related discounts for donation H&M will give you a 15% off coupon for a bag of items. Madewell will give you $20 off a new pair of denim if you bring in an old pair of denim (any denim, it doesn’t have to be their brand). The denim donated is recycled and used to create insulation for Habitat of Humanity homes.

STEP FOUR: Put all of your keeps back into your closet

Another self explanatory step. Only put what you’re keeping back into your closet. Your purge items should be out of your possession within 48 hours. You’re defeating the purpose of purging if you hold onto your “toss” items. Do yourself a favor and GET IT OUT of your life ASAP

STEP FIVE: Sell the pieces in your sell pile, donate items in your donate pile and recycle the rest.

As mentioned in Step 4 you want to “dispose” of every single purge item within 48 hours. If you’re selling on Poshmark or EBay you get 2 weeks to sell it. After 2 weeks take to local resell stores then donate what’s leftover.