How to Clean Out Your Closet and Let Go

Reform your habits and your closet could look this neat year-round!

I'm not a pack rat. In fact, I have the need to obsessively purge unnecessary items. Mostly everything in my closet is something high-quality, something I love or a classic piece that I will use forever. If you are the opposite-here are some ways to "let go."

Things You'll Need

• The ability to discern what you need and what you don't.
• Commitment to stick it out for the entire project. There's no point in cleaning if you're going to create an even bigger mess in the end.
• To evaluate what you decide to get rid of so that you can reassess your buying habits for the future.

Instructions

1. Evaluate your inventory. Mostly everyone I know keeps everything. To have six pairs of sneakers, four types of flip-flops and various pairs of sunglasses is completely common. The bottom line is: you don't need it. The rule should be: if you haven't worn it in a year (costumes aside), then you don't love it or need it. People always save items of clothing because of how expensive they are, because they'll paint in them or because they simply can't part with them. In reality, if you haven't worn it, you don't love it as much as your other things, and you won't feel good in it. Get rid of it.

2. Find a place for it to go. The good news is that giving is very Buddhist. Pass the things you get rid of on to someone who needs them and will love them. Give stuff to Goodwill. Give stuff to your housekeeper. Or even better, create an eBay/consignment shop pile. What you can't sell on eBay, take to the consignment shop. Generally speaking, name brands sell better on eBay, which will also inspire you to buy less in the future, but rather to buy high-quality brands. Then you know that one day you can make something back on it if you get sick of it.

3. Hand-pick the items you want to keep long-term. There are some exceptions to the "let-it-go" rule, and storage closets are good for this. Classic items that will have resurgence should be kept. This doesn't mean to keep every pair of bellbottoms you have, but a classic pair of Gucci loafers is a moment in time, and they are vintage, valuable items. However, the item must be classic. I've put several trendy Chanel and Gucci bags on eBay, taken the money and bought a classic "lifer" to replace it. This concept also inspires you to buy classic items versus trendy.

4. Track your spending. Keep your receipts, and shop at stores that accept returns. Rarely, but sometimes, I binge shop. I usually do this at a store with a good return policy because I may regret something the next day. I typically only buy online from eBay or other sites. The prices are better, and I really buy versus shop. Shopping is when you look around and end up buying things you see, things you may not need that look good on you. Buying is when you've determined that you want or need something and you find it and purchase it. I strongly suggest this practice.

5. Make this a habit. Cleaning out your drawers and closets should be gradual. When you notice something on a shelf that you rarely wear, decide what to do with it. Go category by category. Sometimes I go through my underwear drawer and wonder why a human being would need 15 bras. This is when I start to edit and delete. T-shirts, workout clothes and sweats are often culprits in this category. No human being needs a stack of 40 T-shirts or sweatshirts with writing, unless they don't own a washing machine. Keep a few classic items and get rid of the rest. This process becomes liberating; it's a wonderful feeling to look into your closet, be able to see what is going on and look at quality, classic items that will last.

Tips & Warnings

• Another great idea to inexpensively update your closet is to find a phenomenal tailor. Instead of purchasing new clothes, I find old suits or dresses that don't seem right and bring them to my tailor. He will simply shorten them or take them in at the waist, literally creating new wardrobe items. Spending $50 to revive a $400 suit is better than buying a new suit. Your tailor is your friend.

• Be prepared to make this a part of life. You don't just clean out the closet once and expect it to stay that way. Make smart spending, saving and organizing part of your daily routine. In the end, it will make the whole process easier for you-not to mention better on your wallet.