Master Your Wardrobe Using This Ultimate Closet Cleanout Guide

The weather’s warming up. You might find yourself heading to your closet, pulling out your shorts and skirts, or looking for your lightweight clothing to wear as we get closer to summer.

You may also finally notice how much stuff you aren’t wearing, season after season. After a bit of time, it’s easy to end up with an accumulation of clothes and closet clutter that can be difficult to manage.

If that sounds like you, our style team wants to share this closet cleanout guide, featuring our basic steps and top tips to help you through the process.

Closet edits are a great first step in your style journey and something we do—virtually or in person—with almost all of our clients. If you’d like to hand this job over to the experts instead, book an introductory wardrobe call hereand let’s help you curate a closet you’re excited to visit each day.

Gather your tools

Grab a couple of large black garbage bags or containers, black velvet hangers, and carve out a couple of hours in your day. Pour yourself a glass of pinot noir if needed, and let’s get started! Don’t forget the music.

Pull everything out of your closet

Empty out your closet, your dresser and anywhere else you have clothes stored to clearly visualize the amount of space you’re working with. Once everything’s out, proceed to the next step!

Next, we’re going to make five piles on the floor:

Pile #1: Keep

Keep anything that…

• is a sentimental item or brings comfort
• That you’ve worn within the past year and will likely wear this week
• Makes you feel confident and fits your lifestyle

If your lifestyle includes a busy professional calendar, you’ll want to ensure your “keep” pile has a solid foundation for networking. Once you’ve finished your edit, check out our guide on how to choose the perfect conference attire to make sure your professional wardrobe is ready for your next big event.

Pile #2: Toss

Toss anything that’s…

• Stained
• Worn out
• Ripped beyond repair

Put them into one of those large garbage bags.

Pile #3: Donate

Anything that’s in decent condition but doesn’t fit anymore (whether that’s your lifestyle or your current body) goes into this pile. Pop them in a bag and label for your nearest thrift store.

Pile #4: Sell

Hanging onto something because you paid good $$ for it? If you aren’t using it, then it’s time to sell it. Search for consignment stores in your area to drop off these goods (bonus tip: many of them will donate the items they don’t take, so no need to pick them back up!). Some of our favorite resale sites, for those who prefer to sell online for extra cash, are TheRealReal, Vestiaire Collective, and ThredUp.

Pile #5: Undecided

This pile consists of anything that…

• Needs tailoring before you can decide
• Is new and hasn’t been worn yet
• Might need to be in storage

And that’s it. When in doubt ask yourself:

• Is this something I’d wear more than once?
• Does this communicate the message I’d like it to?
• Is it versatile? Does it match more than one thing in my wardrobe?
• Is this flattering and do I feel confident in it?

If the answer to any of those questions is no, toss it in a bag. If it’s a yes, hang onto it and pop it back into your wardrobe.

If you decide to spring clean your wardrobe, take a picture of your newly organized closet and tag us at @ac.styless on Instagram!

P.S. One of the most important things we do in Style on Demand is organize your wardrobe for you and teach you how to style pieces that you already have lying around in your closet. If you’d like a professional stylist to guide you through this process, apply for On-Demand Style services and begin your styling journey here.