I never thought that feeling more put together and more stylish would mean getting rid of my clothes, but clearing out the closet has been imparative for me to feel my best! If you’re following along with the capsule wardrobe creation, we are at step two which is where the work really starts. It’s getting nitty gritty here with the actual clear out and I’m pretty embarrassed to show you the before picture of my closet. It had become quite the sty! But I’m going to get over my pride because it magnifies the end result all the more.
The whole reason for going through and culling isn’t to get down to a certain number of items- it’s to know exactly what you have and only keep what you love!
To start the process, I took EVERYTHING on my side of the closet out. All of my clothes, even the things stored for other seasons, were piled onto the bed and floor of our bedroom. Lucy loved going through my bins and pulling clothes and shoes out. Hopefully I won’t be raising a little hoarder of clothes like I have become!
Then I took a break for my third (or sixth?!) cup of coffee for the day. This was a very important step of the process!
Next, I sorted through every single item (clothes, accessories, and shoes) and made the following piles:
-Items I love (this then got sorted into a “wearing now” pile and a “storing for other seasons” pile)
– Items to sell (great pieces that I bought impulsively but never wear)
– Items to donate (things that aren’t in the best condition or the style isn’t going to sell at a consignment shop)
Finally, I placed all of my storage items in bins on one side of my closet and then hung my currently wearing (and loving) pieces.
This is also the time to make a very specific (and hopefully short) list of things that will maximize your wardrobe. At this point I had a green utility jacket and a gray chunky turtleneck sweater on my list. The good thing about having a specific list is you have to take your time when shopping! Only check the item off if you find something that fills ALL your needs and you love!
So, in the end I have under 40 clothing items out to wear for the rest of winter and I love every piece that is there. I feel very content and and it all can be mixed and matched nicely. I am excited to see all the outfits I come up with!
Also, I thought it was so funny- after my clear out, Chase asked me where all my clothes went. I think I had a pretty decent outcome of decluttering since this was his response!
(Step 3, Document Items and Outfitting, coming soon!)