Our closets have a tendency to get cluttered from time to time because we keep on adding clothes to them according to the changes in seasons and trends. However, there comes a point where we just leave some clothes sitting there for months, unworn, and unused. Slowly, they start piling into different parts of our house, cluttering up our free space and cause us to feel a bit overwhelmed. So now, the only solution is to purge your clothing. But, how can you get rid of these items? How can you identify and declutter those clothing that no longer reflects who you are today? I was struggling with similar questions a while ago until I developed a solution for myself. I created a list of seven questions that helped declutter my excess clothing.

7 questions to ask to help purge clothing

1. Does it fit?

It’s really simple to know if a piece of clothing fits you or not. I am someone who thinks “Oh ill keep this when Im a size 2 again” haha I have learned to just let it go, it ends up stressing me out more than it does help me. If I get back to that size, I’ll worry about buying new clothing then!

2. Have you worn this item in the past 12-18 months?

If you haven’t worn a piece of clothing in a year or more, chances are, you’re not going to wear it ever again.

3. Will you ever wear this again?

You might find old dresses, shirts, jeans, etc that you’ve had for 5-6 years that simply don’t wear anymore. You might want to hold on to those items because you’re afraid of letting go of your past. A part of you is afraid of losing good memories from those days. But, you have to remind yourself of a few things. First, you have plenty of things like photos, videos, and even real people who you still keep in touch with to remember those good old days. Second, you’re a much better version of yourself than you could have ever imagined when you were younger.

So, it’s better to let them go.

4. Is it currently in trend or does it represent who you are today?

I’m sure we’ve all got those pieces of clothing in our closets that we adored wearing back in the days. But, now they no longer are in style or they don’t represent who we are today. Hence, the only logical thing to do is getting them out of our sight.

5. Do you feel good when you wear it?

If you don’t feel confident when you put on something, it’s time to consider putting it in the purge pile.

We don’t wear particular clothes for the sake of getting dressed. We go out shopping and invest our time in selecting the perfect piece that suits our personality and makes us feel special. But, now if it does not make you feel like that, then what’s the point?

6. Will you actually get it fixed?

If you love a piece of clothing and it’s damaged, but you don’t have time to fix it yourself or to take it to the professional, it’s time to say goodbye.

It’ll cause you pain anyway, seeing your favorite piece just lying unattended in your closet.

7. Would you buy a similar item again?

You might look at a few things in your closet and wonder what I was thinking when I bought these items. So, if you look at your current collection and identify things you wouldn’t buy today, it’s time to part ways.

I hope that these questions help you to decide what you should keep and what you shouldn’t.

I highly recommend finding your local women’s shelter and contact them to see if they are accepting any donations. I donate every other month or some times more to mine. They donate directly to women in need! They set up a boutique like setting for women to shop, which I personally think is great.

xx, Tonya Michelle