One Simple Method to Declutter Your Closet for Good

In the spirit of January’s obsession of getting organized (and the new Marie Kondo show on Netflix!) we’re all in the mood to declutter a bit. 

But don’t you hate that it feels like a big chore you have to tackle a few times a year? I sure do. 

So this week, I thought I’d share a simple way to declutter your closet for good. 

Is it something you have to upkeep? Well, yes. We’re humans, we’re going to make shopping mistakes, impulse purchases and change in size. 

But once you subscribe to this method, you should be able to consistently keep your closet clean and organized! Here’s how. 

Inventory Your Lifestyle

The No. 1 thing that changed the way I keep my closet decluttered was to sit down and inventory my lifestyle as a first step. 

Think about what you do on a daily basis and the type of clothes you need. You can use the free workbook below. 

[mailerlite_form form_id=3]

If you work from home like me, for example, you may not need 15 blazers or a bunch of office attire. 

Or if you go out maybe once a month, you probably don’t need a huge arsenal of cocktail dresses. 

What you should end up with is a pie chart of your life and the clothes you need for it: casual clothes, work clothes, workout clothes, dressy clothes, etc. 

As women, our lives are changing constantly! So I recommend doing this whenever you go through a life change. 

I realized that I constantly felt frustrated with my closet and it was because I wasn’t adjusting it to changes, like when I got my first job, when I had my first baby, or when I first started working from home. 

Once you have your worksheet all filled out, you can then go through the traditional steps of decluttering! 

Pull Everything Out and Start Tossing! 

I loved reading Marie Kondo’s Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and I love her show, too! She recommends pulling everything out of your closet and asking yourself if it “sparks joy”.

But I think you should take this one step further, and make sure you have enough items that fit your lifestyle, the pie chart you made for yourself. 

If you have too many jeans and only wear them on the weekend, you may consider donating them. (Looking for the best basics? Check out my favorite picks here!) 

Or if you notice that you mostly are in the office and are severely lacking office clothes, you can write that down as a hole to fill. 

Fix, Toss, Donate Your Old Things

You know the next step, put things into piles that you’ll fix, toss or donate!

I also have a Poshmark pile of things I intend to sell later on. 

Don’t let these piles sit for months, though. If they do, just get rid of it all. 

A word about guilt: Even if it’s new, unworn or barely worn, it should go if it doesn’t bring you joy. And if it doesn’t fit you yet, it should also go. There’s no point in having clothes hanging in your closet for “just in case”. It only brings you more guilt and negative energy anytime you open your closet. And this should be a space that makes you feel happy. 

Don’t fret about possibly wasting money; if you really need an item, you could always get it later. Chances are you won’t or you would’ve used it by now. 

BONUS TIP: If you can, enlist a friend to help you out! There’s something about having someone witness your reasons for justifying keeping something that will make you realize it’s silly.

Buy Pretty Organizational Things

I’m a sucker for pretty things—aren’t we all?!—so one way to help declutter your closet and keep it that way is to make sure everything is neatly organized. 

You can get things specifically for your scarves and belts, take all of your shoes out of their boxes and display them and get cute sweater boxes for those sweaters. 

RELATED: 6 Creative Jewelry Storage Ideas

Make a list of what you may need to help organize your closet, and then head to the store! I love to pickup things at Target,  TJ Maxx (Home Goods) or The Container Store. 

Like this post? Pin me, please!

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I hope this method helps you declutter your closet and keep it that way! I try to continuously purge my closet so it doesn’t become such a huge task. 

And if you end up going through the workbook and it helps, be sure to tag me in your photo @marlenesrdic! I’d love to see how you’re using this to help declutter your closet for good!

Links à la Mode by Independent Fashion Bloggers

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• #NYFWM Grungy Gentlemen Fall 2019 by Ms. Fabulous
• One Simple Method to Declutter Your Closet for Good by Life with Mar

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