Capsule Wardrobe Diaries | Clearing Out
I've been interested in creating my own capsule wardrobe for a while but clearing out the space in my closet is something I dreaded. Growing up a lot of bloggers and celebrities were known for having large wardrobes/makeup collections with endless selections of items, and my "collection" grew quite large over the years. Size wise I haven't changed much since I was a teenager, and pieces I purchased back then could still be worn today. This did pose a large challenge as I didn't see any reason to get rid of a large quantity of clothes as they still fit. But realistically, I didn't reach for many of these clothes and they ended up feeling more like a burden. In some ways I have 2 closets - I have the one included in my room and I have a built-in wardrobe / shelving unit that my dad bought for me when I moved home from college. In other words, he thought I had too much stuff and wanted to help me create a space where I could tuck clothes and items behind closed doors and not have to see the clutter everyday.
I'm minorly obsessed with watching closet / makeup clear outs and one day I just thought "I just need to do it." Now you don't need to go all KonMari on your wardrobe and do a massive purge all at once, if it works better for you to do them in smaller increments - go for it. Find a technique that works for you. Here's what I did and it's working out for me right now.
Categorize your clothes into three piles:
1. Definite Keep
2. Maybe
3. Will Never Wear/Use
Of course get rid of your 'Will Never Wear' pile and be done with it. More on what to do with the clothes you're getting rid of below.
The 'Definite Keep' pile should only include your most loved pieces that you wear, more often than not, at least once a week. Be honest here with yourself and really try items on to see if you still like the way it fits and examine the clothes. One tip I use is whether or not I would purchase it again at that moment - if it's a yes, then it gets to stay.
I looked through my 'Maybe' pile and just tossed the items that were beyond wear. These were ones that had tons of pilling or slight tears/stains that were beyond repair.
I went ahead and kept what was left of my maybe pile in my wardrobe and made sure to keep everything organized by color and style. I've always organized my closet like this since I was in middle school, so it isn't a habit that was hard to start. Tbh my closet is comprised of few colors, namely white, grey, black, olive, and blue.
I did a clear out last month and cut out a good 1/4 of my clothes. I recently went in this past weekend for a deeper clean and started tossing items that I hadn't reached for in the past month. If I hadn't reached for it then I had to be honest with myself about which items I would really reach for in the next few months.
Of course getting rid of clothes that you've spent your hard earned money on is never easy. I go through a few stages to clear things out, but overall being relentless is key. Take clothes in good condition to a second-hand or consignment store to see if they'll purchase the items off of you. If not, feel free to post these on online shopping sites. Some popular ones in the U.S. are Poshmark, Tradesy, and Depop. Tradesy is available to Canada and certain countries outside the U.S., read more about it here. Poshmark is my favorite and if you're interested in signing up, use my code 'HEEQQ' and you can get $5 credit for shopping. The way most online shops work is that you upload photos of your item, note the size / brand, and give a few additional details on the item (i.e. material, # of wears, NWT/NWOT, etc.). Going in with the mentality that you want these items out, getting extra cash for these items will be great for funding future purchases or helping make up for some loss. My tip here would actually be to sell your 'Maybe' items on online apps. If someone offers you the right price you probably would feel fine letting it go so you could add another 'Definite Keeper' piece to your wardrobe.
I recently ordered a bag from ThredUp recently which is a service that allows you to send a giant bag of clothes to them for them to sift through (use my link and get $10 credit towards your purchase). They'll keep what they want to sell and donate the clothes they don't keep. Win-Win for everyone. But if you're hesitant on that, you can opt to pay $9.99 and have the unselected clothes returned to you. I haven't done this yet, but I'm mainly getting rid of items that have sat in the online selling apps for too long. Just let them go and be done with it - don't hold on for too long in hopes of getting a little extra cash. The empty space is nice too - trust me.
This is an overall work in progress but I'm excited to introduce this new series on the blog. In an effort to live a more minimal lifestyle, this is a big step for me and hopefully one for you if that's what you're looking for.
Feel free to share any tips for clearing out your wardrobe space in the comments below!
*This post is not sponsored. These are companies I've been using for a while and thought I'd share with the rest of you :)