Get Back In Your Closet (and Clean It)

from David Magazine V7-i18 | Keep It Clean

Asian Sensations

By Mikkel Hyldebrandt

Spring is in the air, and many of you are considering updating your wardrobe for a new season. But ﬁrst! The dreaded clean out of your closet to make room for all the new lewks and ﬁts! Making room in your closet while getting rid of clothes you haven’t worn in years doesn’t have to be an insurmountable chore – just follow these simple steps, and you’ll be saying yes to a new spring dress(-up!) in no time.

Schedule It!

Put your spring closet clean out in your calendar like you would a work meeting or lunch with friends. Prioritizing it this way makes it harder for you to procrastinate and prepares you mentally to get it over and done with.

Pile It Up

A clean slate is the best way for you to visualize you neat and tidy closet. So, take absolutely everything out of your closet, and dump it in a pile. That also gives you the space to give your closet a good, deep clean.

Keep, Give, Toss

Go through all your clothes while doing a quick assessment of whether you want to keep, give away, or need to discard your clothing. Be honest and go with your gut feeling on this one. This is where you decide on whether clothes are maybe better off being donated or indeed need to be thrown away. Once you have separated your clothes in the three piles, don’t secondguess yourself so you don’t lose momentum.

The Keepers

This is when you Marie Kondo the sh*t out of everything! Go through your ‘keep’ pile once more and be critical. This pile should contain all your staples, the layering classics, as well as those items that have that ‘forever stylish’ ﬂair. Consider if the clothing still ﬁts, if you’ve worn it recently, if it’s still in style, and if it indeed “sparks joy.” This is a tough one, so when in doubt ask yourself if you would buy it today.

The Givers

All the clothes that you are not going to keep have several options. If they are in good condition, you could consider selling them online or host a garage sale. You can also give them away to family and friends (if they would want them that is, don’t force your used clothing on anyone!). Lastly, consider donating your clothes. In Atlanta, there are several worthy nonproﬁts that can get a lot of value out what you donate – like Lost’ n’ Found Youth whose thrift store is a huge factor in generating funds for at-risk LGBTQ+ youth programs.

Put It All Back!

Putting your (keeper) clothes back in the closet gives you the option to rearrange a little to better ﬁt your lifestyle. For example, your tuxedo doesn’t need to be front and center, but the workout clothes that you use almost every day do. And what about color coding those casual shirts for a better overview? Once everything is back in place, sit back and enjoy your clean and organized closet!