Before building a new wardrobe, make sure to clear up some space for it first

I’ve talked about it in length on how to be a conscious consumer and building a forever wardrobe but I wasn’t able to talk about the grueling closet purge that happened before that. As a fashion lover, I found it really hard to give up pieces especially when I can imagine being paired up into new looks. But I agreed that building a forever wardrobe means that in every new purchase I do I need to get rid of one thing in my closet too. I had to start from scratch as I had so many clothes that accumulated in my eight years working in fashion. And as much as it was sad to let some pieces go, the satisfaction in seeing an organized and purposeful closet and a clearer, less cluttered living space felt even better. So here are the steps that can get you started into overhauling your closet:

1. Find a big enough space for the purging

This first step is important because the idea is to be as organized as possible and this space will contain different piles of clothes by the end of it.

2. Gather all your items in a whole pile

And by ALL, I mean everything, even if it’s a candy bracelet that your ex gave you when you were in high school. We need to reevaluate the purpose of each item before we can move forward.

3. Assign areas for To Keep and To Donate/Sell piles

There will be pieces you’d like to keep forever. Like, no questions asked, I’m keeping my Jacquemus pieces because they are classic and collectable pieces. Those pieces I placed in the Keep pile. Trendier pieces, that although are cyclical, I get rid of especially if one, they don’t fit me anymore; or two, won’t uphold the classic attribute of my future pieces. Also, if your To Keep pile is still too big, always reevaluate!

4. Figure out what you’ll do with the To Donate/To Sell piles

My compulsiveness told me to just donate everything because the clutter was too overwhelming. But in your case, it might be different. And earning back 30-0% of what you paid for is always a good exchange. Apps like Carrousel are quite helpful and very straight forward. You can also message vintage Instagram stores to consign your pieces, but of course, margins become smaller. When it comes to donating pieces, be considerate and make sure that the pieces are still wearable.

5.  Organize and plan

Arrange everything by clothing type (top, trousers, shorts etc.). I bought myself a clothes rack to let my closet breathe especially with bigger pieces that need to be hung. Once you do this, you can see what else is missing in your closet and what you can add in the future. Remember that purging your closet doesn’t mean that you’re leaving space for future clutter. It symbolizes a better and more conscious way moving forward.