Organization. Y’all! It’s time to clean. those. closets. out!!! Not just the closets, but the chest of drawers, the dresser, the Target plastic bins you have stashed in your closet so you have more room….all of it. Did I just hear a unanimous sigh? Pretty sure I did…but here’s the thing,

If your closet currently looks like an Old Navy sale section at the end of the day, your brain sees those stacks, piles, and messy hangers as a HUGE undertaking. And spoiler alert…it doesn’t wanna deal. So it’s going to do what most of us would, and guide you toward that same tried and true outfit you’ve worn 30 times because it’s easy and can probably be found quickly. More importantly, your brain has now blocked out those 20 other similar shirts and bottoms you have that could create a similar, but new look.

So, the bright side is….this part is seriously the most difficult step in transitioning into that dream wardrobe. So here’s how to get this box checked.

1. Phone a friend!!! And not a shy one! You’re going to need help and an honest opinion.
2. Place your hand on every single item and ask “Do I love this piece?” If the thought of parting with it doesn’t bring tears to your eyes….bye!
3. Create 2 to 4 piles, a donate, a sell, and a recycle (because if you don’t want to wear a shirt with holes in it, neither does someone else but PLEASE DON’T THROW IT AWAY!!! RECYCLE, PEOPLE!!! ), I’ll talk about the mystery pile below.
4. GET RID OF THEM THAT DAY!!! This one is important, because otherwise, I know and you know, they’re just going to take up valuable real estate somewhere else in your house or car if you don’t.

So, to go a little more in depth, the friend you call, she/he is going to be your sounding board, they are going to honestly tell you if a piece should remain in your closet or be tossed, so find someone who’s opinion you trust and bribe them with a few of their favorite things to help lure them in.

I sincerely mean to place your hand on every piece, don’t skimp over any of it. Get rid of anything that isn’t serving you anymore BUT is taking up space in your house. Owning stuff takes time and energy, why waste it on things that you don’t use or like anymore?

With this 3rd step, here’s the mystery 4th pile. You can have ONE maybe pile. This pile is for items that you technically NEED and aren’t sure if you have a suitable replacement for. However, the rule here is, you must make a list and slowly start purchasing replacement items, once a replacement has been purchased, the piece needs to go.

Also, tread lightly on the option of selling. If you know good and well you are not going to take the time to take the pictures, load the pictures, and price the items and put them on Poshmark, Ebay, etc. then just be a good citizen, cut your loses and donate. Also, while on the topic of donating, try checking shelters and such in your area, churches are a great place to start, but while The Goodwill is super easy, they’re are places that will actually USE your donation instead of trashing them or shipping them overseas.

Finally, as you’re sorting through your closet, don’t let price tags get to you. I understand there is that piece in all of us that screams “But you paid X amount of dollars for this shirt!! You only wore it once, you’re just throwing away money!!”.

The thing is, you threw the money away the moment you purchased the shirt knowing you weren’t completely in love with it. The money is gone rather it hangs in YOUR closet to collect dust or not. Someone out there might love the shirt, so with that I’ll leave you with this bit of spirituality…(Because of course I’ll find a way to combine fashion and religion….)

“Another way of stealing things is by not letting others use them…..If you have fifty garments in your closet and your neighbor doesn’t have even one, you are stealing your neighbor’s usage. Because certain people have the buying power to make a lot of purchases, they raise prices for the poor people who don’t have much money, If everyone merely bought for their own necessity, goods would be left over in stores and prices would come down.” ~The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

The quote is a bit on the extreme side, but the truth does remain, by keeping things we don’t use and wear, we’re denying access to others who might love and appreciate them. So go be a good person and SHARE!!

Finally, if you need me to be that friend, I do offer a service where I will sit on FaceTime or whatever service you have availability to and help you sort out your closet. Please comment below or email me at namaste.and.lattes@gmail.com.

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