The Great Closet Clean-Out
8 Magical Tips to Make 2023 Your Best-Dressed Year, Yet.
I do not thrive in chaos. When it comes to matters of the home, where I both live and work (most of the time), things being in disarray messes with me on enumerable levels. And that’s not just external tidiness — I need drawers, cabinets, and closets to be orderly, as well.
A big part of my work for this newsletter is shopping, both online and off, so I can speak to fit, fabric, and overall value of the items I recommend to you. I’m fortunate that brands send me gifts in this capacity, too! But stuff tends to accumulate, no matter how meticulous I am, and a fairly regular closet purge is pretty imperative. Without it, I get decision paralysis.
Of course, the best thing to do is not accumulate things I do not need and will not wear in the first place, and I do a pretty good job of that. What helps me with that is following people who are smarter than me on the subject.
Stylist Allison Bornstein is a wealth of information: her Tiktok is a litany of bite-sized how-to’s on how to think of your closet (as a functional workspace) and being pragmatic about dressing for the life you actually have, not the one you aspire to.
Tibi Founder and Creative Director Amy Smilovic launched “style class” in her Instagram Stories over the lockdown, and it became such a sensation she’s recently published a book about her fashion ethos, one she’s coined “Creative Pragmatism”. I glean so many useful bits from following her, most notably inventive styling ideas — and reinforcement of the sentiment you should wear the clothes you have a LOT, in many different ways.
Our friends at The Home Edit are also generous with wisdom from their years of professionally organizing some of the most glamorous and multi-functional closets in the world. Rather than encouraging you to pare your life down to minimalism (which isn’t realistic for most), they think it’s totally fine to have all the stuff you love. Better, they show you how to get it all in order. My method for attacking any closet echoes much of the advice you’ve heard before, with a lot of nuance.
Yep. Make keep, donate and mend piles…
…but with Bornstein’s twist, which is to pile the things you wear all the time, the stuff you love but don’t wear often, and the stuff that’s outright got to go. I also think taking everything out of your closet is a crazy amount of work. I know a lot of professional organizers recommend this, but making a huge mess like that only makes the job intimidate me more, so I usually cherry-pick through my racks with things still in place. The “keep” and “donate” piles aren’t always so easy to attack when sentiment shoves its way in, and it’s hard to be objective, especially when something was expensive. So I try to ask myself about the keepers:
when was the last time I actually wore this? If it’s been a while, even if it’s something I like, then I’ll put it on a different colored hanger and hang it back up as a mental note to myself. Then, I’ll see with time why I’m really not reaching for it.
Does it fit weirdly? If so, is it worth altering?
Do I not know how to style it? If not, do I need to text a pro and get a second opinion?
Be smart about the stuff you don’t want.
I do not advise you re-sell on The RealReal, as I have had one too many sketch-o experiences, especially with the reps who offer to come into your home (never let them do that, btw). But there are other, more credible third-party resellers for high-end items. Be careful with Vestiare Collective, as the customs fees can be outrageous. I think it’s a time suck to photograph everything and deal with potential buyers’ questions on places like Poshmark and eBay unless it’s a very special item.
Ultimately, what is your time worth to you? I personally like the good old-fashioned local consignment shop. Do I make a little less from selling with them? Sure. But it’s not a huge time investment on the front end, and my time is expensive, so ultimately, it’s a good value for me.
Make yourself a space in your closet for the stuff you wear the most.
This can be new items, favorite items, or things you reach for time and time again that make you feel good. Essentially, it’s a “capsule” wardrobe — but YOUR capsule. It’s there to serve when you need to get dressed extra quickly. And it can rotate and evolve! "“Capsule wardrobes” are a silly notion, in my opinion. Not everyone lives a life where a trench coat, a good pair of jeans, and white sneakers will get them through most circumstances. And how boring! The most-worn thing in your wardrobe might be the most frivolous-looking heels or earrings you own, but they make basics pop, so you wear them tons. And you don’t need a trench coat, either. You don’t even need jeans if you don’t like wearing them. It’s all about being honest with yourself
What am I actually doing day-to-day?
Where am I actually going in this item?
Who am I seeing when I wear this?
Back to fit. If it doesn’t fit right this second, don’t keep it. If it doesn’t flatter or you find yourself tugging or pulling at it, don’t keep it.
For example, I bought a bunch of ankle-tie shoes this summer because they look great on other people. But I completely forgot that I hate to tie things up my leg because it takes forever and I’m tending to it all day. I like items that slip on and off quickly. If it takes a lot of effort or special underwear/ engineering to get on, it’s way less likely to get much play. So away the ankle-tie shoes went!
Fill in the gaps wisely.
Okay, so you’ve purged, and now you realize you need scoop-neck tanks, a grey crewneck sweater, some new boots, and a couple of new bras. As you shop for these items, also think about the cost of maintaining them. A pair of boots need a wipe-down with leather conditioner every season. Cashmere sweaters need to be periodically de-pilled. That beautiful bra might need to be washed in a mesh bag so it doesn’t fall apart in the machine. That white scoop-neck tank is prone to makeup stains, so maybe buy a style you can afford two or three of. The care and keeping of your clothes are just as important as acquiring them. Possessions mean maintenance — think about that the next time you’re about to buy an item you have no idea how to care for.
Clean your jewelry.
This one’s often overlooked, but make sure to pick through your jewelry box and clean/tidy there too.
Resources are everywhere! If you can, enlist a pro.
Wardrobe stylists and personal shoppers exist almost everywhere, see who’s available in your area. Allie Hendee is great in Atlanta, Kelly Sparks is killer on the West Coast, and even Allison Bornstein will do Zoom sessions with you. If you have the means, it’s nice to spend a few hundred dollars on someone with an expert eye who can be objective. They can also help with other stuff as your relationship grows, like packing, building lookbooks, and seasonal closet flips.
If you shop frequently/loyally with certain retailers, they’ll provide a dedicated personal shopper/stylist for you gratis. Nordstrom does this, as does MyTheresa, Net-a-Porter, MatchesFashion, and Farfetch, among others. It’s in their interest to help you style the new pieces you add with the stuff you own, so don’t be shy about texting a mirror selfie in your favorite jeans and asking them to help you find that perfect sweater with the right neckline, that hits in that good place on your hips you like, in a material that doesn’t make you itch or sneeze. Y’know?
There are lots and lots of less personalized (but free) resources out there, as well. Gloria, one of the best women’s interest newsletters out there, has a section called “We Want” that scours for specific staples like black pants or party pieces. (And hey, I am always making outfits for you here, too!)
Organize things in a way that makes sense for you.
I am a super visual person, so color-coding works really well for me. I try to merchandise my closet and only stash things like sweats, socks, and undies in drawers because if I don’t see them, I won’t use them. But maybe you’re someone who prefers to organize by occasion, use (work clothes! party clothes! workout clothes!), or weather. When you walk into your closet in the morning, how do you attack the decision of what to wear? Lean into that.