While you’re at it, she says, you should learn to live with less. “That way, you get in the habit of paring down so it’s not a huge feat to tackle every six months.” “Keep a donation bin close by so you can say ‘later’ to clothes when the mood strikes,” she says. While most people tend to look at the New Year as a way to start fresh and par down, Zeigler’s advice is to take a more fluid approach by editing down constantly. And donating has the added perk of tax write-offs, depending on how much you donate (just make sure to be honest about it or risk facing the wrath of the IRA). “You have to know what brands they take, what season they’re currently buying, and if you get cash up front or wait until the items sell.”Īnd after all of that, you still may not have a sale. “Yard sales take a lot of work and usually don’t result in recouping the money, while consigning can be a lot of back and forth,” she says. Zeigler’s advice? Just donate and be done with it. “For me, it’s a no-brainer-sell or donate that expensive designer piece and get the tax write-off,” she says. Looking for a bigger investment? Why not try buying stocks for the brands you love?Ĭonventional wisdom might have you selling your duds to a consignment shop or e-tailer, but because time = $$$ for everyone, that might not be the best option. Sure, you dropped a month’s rent for that Balenciaga bag, but if you never use it, the only interest that thing is collecting is dust. So why not have a close friend come over and help you get out of your head? “I love having someone present when I’m decluttering,” Zeigler says. “The process feels more like an event where you get to honor your clothes as you’re letting them go.”Īnother perk? It’s easier to donate stuff when you have a support system telling you those cork wedges were an unfortunate buy.ĭon’t look for a ROI on “investment pieces.” Grab a #girlsquad member for some moral support.Ĭleaning out your closet alone can be a tense affair with wool, cashmere, and cotton flying every which way as your brain sneakily tries to convince you to just hoard everything, already. If it’s a bulky but treasured heirloom or has significant sentimental value, consider putting those items in storage (companies like MakeSpace offer storage around the country for about the price of two lattes) or utilizing storage space under your bed. If the answer to any of these is a negative, consider purging it from your collection. Do I need to be a certain weight to wear this and feel good in it?.Is this a representation of my ‘fantasy self’? or will I actually wear it?.do I have to iron this every time I wear it, does it easily show wear and tear, is it dry clean only? Is all of the hassle worth it?) Is upkeep for this piece a pain? (i.e. How did I feel the last time I wore this?.MORE: 10 Questions to Ask When Getting Rid of Old Clothesīesides the cliché question of when you last wore something, Zeigler says you should come at your closet with a barrage of hard-hitting questions to help you scale back (and yes, they make us more than a little uncomfortable). That could be a great hairstyle, a bolder-than-bold lip, or a truly inspiring manicure. “And those numbers include shoes.” So if that means more black than anything, accessorize with color. “Essentially, it should be 30-40 pieces of clothing that can be mixed and matched to create a feast of outfits,” Zeigler says. So unless you’re Kate Middleton and you’re trying to win back Prince William through a charity disco roller party, get rid of it, and build a carefully-edited capsule collection of your signature pieces. “But they’re hanging onto extra clothes for their ‘fantasy self.’” Sure, you may love the colorful array of clothes greeting you every time you open your closet, but how often do you still wear that day-glow romper that you just had to have several years ago? “Most girls have a signature look-essentially, a version of what they look good in and like to wear,” Zeigler explains. Treat your wardrobe like a capsule collection. We caught up with organization Beth Zeigler of Los Angeles organization company Bneato Bar to find out realistic ways to par down on your stuff without it feeling like “Sophie’s Choice.” That old rule doesn’t account for what you do with, say, an heirloom fur coat or a truly unique designer piece that you know you’ll wear, but just don’t have use for regularly. And like every tired old piece of one-size-fits-all advice, there are gaping holes in the logic. Yes, you already know some hacks-if you haven’t worn it in a year, toss it. Namely, ridding it of all the stuff you’ve thrown in it throughout the last 365 days. Now that the holidays are over and you’re trying to figure out where exactly to store that horrible Christmas sweater your great aunt got you in your laughably-small apartment, let’s also bring up a popular topic for the new year-your closet. That looks just like my closet, said no woman, ever.
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