I want/need to clean out my closet

Life is too short to wear things you don't love and aren't flattering.  Gift those items that don't fit you and you know you won't wear again.  They will help someone out a lot.  I believe the little saying is that we wear 20 percent of our clothes 80 percent of the time.  

The money is already spent.  You can't get it back, and in some cases, the more you look at an item, the more guilt you feel.  

Start with with just a small section or just a certain type of item. I write down the items I am getting rid of for tax purposes, and then take the donation right away.  It always helps me that I am benefitting a kitty rescue organization that I support in other ways.  If you don't think you can do it on your own, invite a friend who will tell you the truth.  I think it gets easier the more you clean out.

Good luck to you!

I don't struggle with this.

It is so nice to walk into your closet and know that every single thing hangin there fits AND looks good on you. It makes getting dressed so much easier.

Absolutely!

I did a lot of decluttering, starting with clothes and shoes last year. I used Marie Kondo's method- anything that didn't bring me joy went out.

My advice - gather all your clothes, including stuff in other places and sort into type. First pick out anything which doesn't fit anymore. Then pull out stuff you haven't worn in a year or two and ask yourself if you'll wear it again. If your honest answer is no, then set it aside. Then go through everything else, trying outfits on if necessary. I got rid of quite a bit that just didn't look good on me anymore.

I decided not to sell anything because I just wanted it gone. I donated the better stuff.

I think the reality is most of us have a lot of stuff we just don't wear - isn't the statistic something like we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time? I felt so much lighter once my closet was reduced and easier to manage.

I try to do this every year when my dh does his big travel (as the kids used to called it). He travels year-round but the fall one is at least three weeks. This works because I haul everything out of the closet but I don't have to finish the job in one day before he gets home from work. 

The first time I did this it was a horrible job, but it gets easier. Especially because I hate to shop. lol

I had a lot of thing that looked nice enough on the hanger and even looked nice enough on me. But I never wore them! It was things like the shirt with the neckline that was *just* a tad too low for someone who does a lot of bending over for work (bending over hospital beds, and bending over kids' desks as a substitute). Or the shirt/jacket thing that was scratchy around my neck. etc. Even though in theory I liked that jacket I never wore it because it scratched the back of my neck when I was wearing the kind of shirt that I liked to wear with it. Out it went.

Plus, I realized that I NEVER wear anything except black pants, a shirt, and a blazer/jacket/sweater. So why did I own several pairs of not-black pants? Out they went. 

Sweaters -- I had a lovely wool cardigan that I'd picked up in a thrift store. But it was impossible to wear it to work because it was too hot. I'd get a call at the hospital and have to run down two flights of stairs and down the corridor to the ER and I was sweltering by the time I got there. And at school, well forget it. Half the school is hot, the other half is cold, and I always seemed to be in the hot half. So out went that sweater.

You get the idea. 

The only exception to the rule of "get rid of it if you haven't worn it recently" is for dressier or holiday type things. So I've kept two dresses, a plain black one and a blue one with a nice pattern on it. I haven't worn either in ages, but when I need to go to a funeral or wedding I'm all set. Also I have several skirts, and one top/skirt combo that has that sparkly thread running through a dark background. You know, the ones that are on sale at Macy's right after Christmas. I have three of those -- dark blue, dark red, and dark green. I wear one of them every year at a neighborhood Christmas party that dh and I always go to. Even though I might only wear one every three years I love those tops -- they're soft and cuddly and I feel good wearing them.

The one thing that I do have too many of and can't seem to get rid of are long-sleeved cotton shirts, plain colored, round neckline. Some of them are men's shirts, some women's. I love this style, they're cozy, soft, no annoying tags in back of the neck. I probably don't need three grey ones but I do wear them a lot. I have a few of them that are a bit too big (men's) and I wear those as PJ tops sometimes. 

Now that I've got the closet looking okay the one thing that helps me keep it that way is the fact that I hate to shop. lol. And with Amazon keeping me out of a lot of stores I rarely go anywhere where I'll see clothes that might be an impulse buy. 

KonMari that sh&@!!!

I flip all of my hangers around backwards prior to the new year. As I wear and wash something, I hang it back the "right" way. After about 9 months (haven't gone through multiple seasons), if the hanger is still backwards, I get rid of it (for everyday clothes. Special occasion clothes get a pass).

I'm a little OCD about my closet and normally backwards hangers would drive me crazy, but in this case it doesn't bother me b/c when I look at them, I know they serve a purpose. Sometimes I'll look at a shirt and think "I don't want to get rid of this!" So I wear it. Other times I keep looking at it and STILL don't wear it....so it needs to go.

This. And take pictures of yourself in a full length mirror to really see how it fits you. It will change your life.

Would you benefit from a friend or relative being your decluttering partner? Some people find it easier to get rid of stuff when they have someone else to reinforce their decisions, remind them of the goal, and then take the donation bag out of the house for them so it's a done deal. I've served in that role several times -- keep your eyes open for someone who might be able to support you in this way in exchange for some help with a task that you're good at but they struggle with.

I go thru my closet in the summer and in the winter.
I initially had a hard time and now it's easy.
Especially if something doesn't fit.
I am losing weight and buy as I'm decreasing. I don't buy a lot. Just a couple pairs of work pants and jeans. And keep one of each as I go down in size so if I have a fat day I have something to get into.
Yes special occasion clothes get a pass.
Once you can leg go it will be easy.
Start with ratty clothes. Then move one to non fitting clothes.