Top 5 tips for a clutter-free closet

Photo: Hannah Eden Photography

Let’s talk about maintaining an organized, clutter-free clothing closet. It can be hard, right? Our bodies change, our styles change, and buying pretty things can bring us a little joy! And sooner than we expect, our closets and dressers are STUFFED with things we haven’t worn in years.

Well, I’m here to tell you there is a way to make your closet work for you throughout life transitions AND some shopping fun.

Here are my TOP FIVE tips for keeping your closet clutter-free:

1. Limit how many items you have of each category of clothing

Ten pairs of jeans is not necessary! Nor are 20 t-shirts! Do you really need and love them ALL? Are they taking up valuable real estate? Think of the 80/20 rule too, which is applicable for so many things in life. For your home or storage areas like your closet, we really only want to fill up 80 per cent of the space we have. Think about it, right? If our closets were 100 PER CENT FULL, we wouldn’t have room to push our hangers along and actually look at our clothes when choosing what to wear. So have a good look at the number of sweaters and dresses and hoodies you have: Is the amount practical?

2. Reverse your hangers

This is SUCH a helpful tip if we’re trying to keep track of what we actually wear! So! I challenge you to go into your closet, and flip all your hangers around so they’re facing the wrong way. Then! When you wear a piece of clothing, put it back on the hanger the right way. Give yourself about a month to follow this technique and see what you and haven’t worn. After that… consider what’s still facing the wrong way. Why aren’t you wearing it? Is it a beautiful piece? Something you loved when you first bought it? But for some reason, you’re not loving it on you anymore? That’s okay! Be honest with yourself. And! Let this be a lesson for what we purchase; truly think about the next piece of clothing you want to buy. Do you love it? Yes. Do you need it? Maybe. Can you picture how it fits into your wardrobe? Can you possibly bring it in, and donate another (aka the one in, one out rule!)?

3. Have a ready-made bin for donations

Okay, so say you find a few pieces that you’re ready to get rid of… what do you do with them? I recommend having a bag, bin or basket on the floor of your closet for those pieces. That makes it so easy to just. say. no. Let it go! And once that bag or bin is full, take it to the donation centre (or check to see if I have a clothing swap coming up soon)!

4. Don’t turn your closet into storage room

This is something that can be tricky, especially if you live in Yellowknife where storage in the houses always seems to be very limited. But it is truly one of the simplest tips for getting and keeping clutter out of your closet. As much as possible, your closet should maintain its intended purpose: for clothing! Anything else in there? Well… what is it? Are they sentimental items? Or paperwork you need to get to? Consider if you need to keep it all OR if you can finally tackle that pile. Maybe there's another location it can go that also needs a little TLC :)

5. Don’t hang onto clothes for the wrong reasons

It's a hard thing: Not hanging onto our old clothes after our bodies change. And so we end up storing clothes away until our bodies change back to the size we want or think it should be. I challenge you to change perspectives; if you’ve put the first four tips to use and you’re being more mindful about what you bring into your home… then maybe you deserve to purchase *new to you* items when/if your body does change again. AND… no matter what size or shape that is. Be kind to yourself! We're human! Don't let guilt force you to keep a cluttered closet.

BONUS TIP: Try to avoid fast fashion. There are some companies out there that make very pretty, but unfortunately, not well-made clothing. So they really don’t last very long! And though they’re inexpensive, after a while, your wallet can take a real hit! Not to mention throwing out worn clothes every few months is not great for the environment. So think about where you shop next: how long has that clothing lasted before? How well has it fit? Or, better yet, head to a thrift or consignment store FIRST to see if they have what you’re looking for! OR… stop by one of my clothing swaps throughout the year :)

And that's about it, friends! I hope these are helpful! As always, let me know if you have any questions :)