Written By: Marah Minor
At the start of a new decade, a common goal amongst people is to be organized, clear-headed, and motivated to accomplish anything they put their minds to. I firmly believe that your environment, whether it be physical, digital or mental, is extremely important in setting yourself up for positive outcomes. To start the new year means detoxing by deleting old documents off your laptop, unfollowing accounts you’re no longer interested in, getting rid of old or unused items, and cleaning out your closet.
The dreaded closet cleanout. I know, it’s hard to get rid of those pieces you’ve held onto for so long because “what if one day you need it”? Having clutter in any aspect of your life can create a mental block, and sometimes you need to declutter your physical space if you want to declutter your mental space too! Maybe you’ve watched Marie Kondo’s Netflix show and you’ve been traumatized by the monotony of folding every single piece of clothing you own - for myself personally, I LOVE consistently go through my clothes and donate ones I haven’t used in a while. I even enjoy helping out other friends decide what stays and what goes. So, if you are looking to clean out your wardrobe and perhaps make room for some new pieces, follow this guideline to shape up your closet for this upcoming year.
First, ask yourself, is this item in good shape?
If a piece has holes, is pilling/shedding, has any stains or is visible that it has had too much wear over time, get rid of it. Keep clothes in your closet that look almost new and have kept their shape. Those are the pieces that will make you feel good and will continue to last.
Next, when is the last time you have worn this item? Can you visualize a destination for it?
Not counting your shorts or summer items that have not been worn because, well, London is one cold place, try to remember the last time you have worn a piece. If you are not gravitating toward an item and therefore not wearing it, it will be more useful for someone else. That being said, it is good to have specific pieces for specific events (i.e. the perfect dress to attend a wedding). If you can visualize a destination where this piece would be useful, keep it. However, if many of your pieces are contingent on whether or not you go to a certain event, reconsider if they have a purpose in your day-to-day to wardrobe.
If you are still struggling whether or not it’s a keep, ask yourself if you would wear it today.
If the answer is no, get rid of it. In 2020, we want to become our best selves, and wearing the items we love to wear is a great place to start because they make us feel good. Chances are, if you don’t want to wear this piece at the current time, then you most likely will not be picking it any other day either.
Lastly, follow the KonMari Method, by asking yourself: does this spark joy?
With this, the answer is simply yes or no. If you just cannot seem to tell if an item is worth keeping, ask yourself if it makes you happy, and follow your gut.
I hope these questions to ask yourself will come in handy when looking through your closet. New years call for refreshing all your different environments, and your closet is no exception. Afterward, invest in some sort of organizational bins or set ups for your closet to help maintain a clutter-free wardrobe for your 2020 year, and take your unwanted pieces to a donation centre for others to get use out of.