A guide to building your capsule closet: Part 1 — Closet cleanout
Are you ready to make a change in your closet? Do you want to love every piece you own? Do you want to commit to a style that is uniquely you and will last? This Capsule Closet series will teach you how to get that closet you have been dreaming of.
Take a deep breath because this will not be easy and will take a great deal of trial and error. You will have to make tough decisions and re-evaluate your shopping habits. It’s time to leave your old style of things that are uncomfy, not flattering, ill-fitting and frumpy in the past. They won’t have any room in the closet you will be creating.
Before we can get into picking colors and silhouettes you love, we have some purging to do. Pull everything out of your drawers, closet, the laundry room or wherever your clothes may be hiding. Also, don’t forget about shoes and accessories. Leave no hanger hung or drawer stuffed. Put everything on your bed or the floor where you have enough space to sort through.
You will have five piles that you should separate your pieces into.
Trash pile: This is where you will throw all pieces that have stains, holes and are beyond the point of repair.
Donation/sell pile: If there are pieces that you feel are still in good condition, you could try selling a few pieces on sites like Poshmark or Depop for a bit of extra cash to fund your new wardrobe. You could also donate to a local Goodwill or Salvation Army or even rehome to a friend who you think may get more use out of it.
Out of season/sentimentals pile: These are clothes that you are not currently wearing because it’s the wrong season for them. If it's summertime, pack up your winter coat and sweaters and store them away. Also, if you have sentimental pieces that you no longer wear but want to keep, store them away along with out-of-season clothing.
Keep pile: These are pieces that you love and that you wear often. These will go back in your closet or your drawers.
The I-don’t-know pile: If you are unsure about some pieces, store them in a box under your bed or hang them in the back of your closet and set an alert for a few weeks from the day you do your closet cleanout. When that day comes a few weeks later and you have not touched any of those items, go ahead and donate or toss them.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind while purging your closet:
Make sure you try everything on. This will help with a few pieces that you are unsure of. Sometimes just looking at an item, you’ll give it a pass, but if you try it on, you’ll remember how scratchy the fabric was or how it bunched weird over your hips.
Give all your pieces a home when you begin putting them away. If it’s a crisp button-down, hang it up in the closet to prevent it from wrinkling instead of throwing it in a drawer. Or, instead of hanging your sweaters, fold them and put them in a drawer or on a shelf instead of hanging them. Sweaters, when hung, begin to stretch because of the yarns pulling towards the ground. This helps with the longevity of your pieces.
Love a piece but feel it’s too long or not fitting how you want? Put it in a separate pile to take to the tailors so it’s a better fit.
Try organizing your hung piece in a way that speaks to you. Organize by color, silhouette or by occasion (i.e. professional attire, casual pieces). This will help when pulling from your closet when you are getting ready. You’ll know where everything is.
Give your closet a good scrubbing. Closets can collect dust and debris over time, so give your shelves a good wipe down and sweep/vacuum the floors.
Try out some sturdy velvet hangers. It makes everything more uniform, helps with conserving space and you won’t have the issue of clothes sliding off which usually happens with plastic hangers.
Try not to go too wild purging all of your things. I know you may be excited to start over, but over-purging can leave a massive hole in your closet that you may feel you need to fill urgently. This could lead to impulsive spending on pieces that might not fit with the wardrobe you are aspiring to.
Suppose you have shoes (looks at heels) that you hate wearing but only keep for special occasions. Think about replacing them with a pair that are classy and comfortable. You should look good and feel good in them.
Now that you have a strong closet foundation to build off of, we can start the real work of curating a style that is distinctive of you and your lifestyle.
Header by Piotr Szulawski / Unsplash
