The Number One resolution on every woman’s list
If you are determined that this is the year you’re finally going to clean out your closet, then follow these simple steps:
- BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. Before you start, pour yourself a stiff cup of tea or better still, a cup of espresso (the caffeine will give you the boost you need) then say, “I can do this, I can do this.” Repeat until you feel the love. You’ve got to be cold-blooded if you’re going to endure what’s ahead of you.
- MAKE PILES. Put all your blouses in one pile, skirts in another, slacks. Divide dresses into daytime and night time. When you do this, you will get a clear picture of what you’re dealing with. If you have a blouse that doesn’t go with skirt or slacks, get rid of it. Anything that’s out of fashion, anything that’s worn or no longer fits, anything that makes you feel frumpy: get rid of it.
- PARE IT DOWN. Once you’ve completed Step 2, make an evaluation. Do you have too many evening dresses? Pare what you have down to the ones you love and look best in. Times have changed. People don’t dress up any more, it seems, so there’s no need for a lot of fancy dresses. Too many pairs of slacks? You really only need two or three pair of jeans, give away the rest.
- DON’T GET RID OF ESSENTIALS. On the other hand, you can’t have enough white boyfriend shirts, leggings you pull-on that have forgiving stretch when those holiday pounds suddenly appear, or a summer shift that you can slip on and dress up or down with a scarf and wide-brimmed hat.
- ALL THOSE SHOES. Check each pair. The ones you’ve worn down, trash. If you have a pair of stilettos you bought because you just loved them but they’re too painful to wear, give them away. And if you have a dozen pair of sneakers, cull them and keep the ones that have a lot of life left and fit you comfortably. You are not SJP even though you love Sex and the City.
- TOO MANY COATS. Coats seem to be the one type of garment we accumulate the most of. Keep one good raincoat for spring and summer and one for fall and winter, one dress winter coat, two casual fall coats that take you into winter, and a warm winter coat, like a ski parka. There are a lot of people out there that will appreciate the coats you give away.
- AND WAY TOO MANY SWEATERS. Like coats, we tend to accumulate a lot of them. Give away the ones you’ve either worn to death or hardly wear. However, never give away your soft, snuggly sweater. You have happy memories from wearing those sweaters and you should never sacrifice your memories.
Now that you’ve cleaned out your closet—really cleaned out your closet, it’s time to plan your new wardrobe. First, mix and match your separates. If there’s a void—like you’re missing a tank top or a pair of black pants—then start a list. A new pair of mules? Add those. If you have a special event coming up and there’s nothing left in your wardrobe that will work, then sure, add that to the list. The secret is, make the most of what you’ve got and add as little as possible to complete your wardrobe for the months and seasons to come.
Now that you’re all done, you can check this New Year’s resolution off your list. See, it wasn’t that hard, was it?