Cosmopolitan Closet’s Spring Solutions – The Wardrobe Edit Rules Part 1

Happy May everyone!  Every season since moving to Jersey City, I go through the painful job of switching my clothing from storage to my closet.  Unfortunately, space is tight and there is no way in the world I can keep all of those clothes in my one tiny closet throughout the year.  However, this challenge has forced me to examine why I hoard so many clothes and what am I gonna do about it!  Does anyone else have this problem?  I am sure I am not the only one, lol.

Below are a few of my “wardrobe editing” rules that will help you streamline your closet season to season and avoid the unnecessary hoarding of items that don’t fit/out of style/never been worn, etc.  Happy reading and feel free to leave a comment or share what works for you! Also, stay tuned to part 2 that will feature how I edited my wardrobe and what I donated/plan to sell, trust me you don’t want to miss this!!!

Rule #1 – Try not to edit your wardrobe alone! 

Its very difficult to be objective when it comes to items in your closet because a lot of the time, you have an emotional connection to them.  Grab one of your girls and ask them to be honest with you so that you can plow through that pile!

Rule #2 – If you haven’t worn it in the past 3 summers, maybe its time to LIG! 

I specifically said the past 3 summers because here in the Northeast, our summer wardrobes don’t get a ton of wear because the seasons change so quickly and a lot of us bye summer clothes in the fall when they are on sale.  However, hoarding a ton of stuff from seasons ago may not leave you room for new items, so let them go!  Consignment shops and salvation army are your friend.

Rule #3 – Don’t get rid of all the pieces that don’t fit.

This may seem contradictory to Rule #2, but its not.  Not wearing something and not fitting something are different and if there is a dress/skirt/pants that  are 1 or 2 sizes smaller than your current size, hang onto them.  You can use them as motivation to get back to that size! I think, however, you don’t need an entire wardrobe of too small clothes, so hang onto a few and give your friends that are that size a chance to snag some. A clothing swap is a great way to rid yourself of too small items that you know a friend or family member would want!  Plus what’s more fun that mimosas and clothes. 

Rule # 4 – Separate and organize.

Once you have your wardrobe edited, this is where I come in!  Hahaha, shameless plug I know, but honestly if organizing and storing items are not your thing, definitely recruit the help of an organizer that can knock it out for you!  You will need a good set of hangers, plastic totes for storage, space saver bags and some unique organizing accessories for scarves/belts/jewelry.  If you are at a loss on how to organize everything, check out some of my posts dedicated to just that!  You can find them here, here, here, and here.