Okay. So I finally did it! I sorted through my enormously overstuffed closet. I was overwhelmed for a good year before I even attempted sorting. I got advice from my friend who is an expert. She use to run an online thrift store + worked at a thrift store so in my opinion she is a complete expert. She was really good at telling me where to donate and had me researching capsule wardrobes. Here is how I finally did it. Broken down to make something so daunting a little easier.
DEDICATED TIME
I set a small window of time each day to tackle a drawer or a category. Even if I had the luxury of doing this in one setting I don’t know if i would have been as successful. I needed a breather in between each section. Some time to process that small section I had just sorted. I have a two year old who thankfully still naps – most days. So I just tackled another drawer or category each nap time. It got to a point where I didn’t finish during his nap time and would need like 30 minutes when my husband got home from work to wrap up that section. For reference my sons naps are about 2 to 3 hours long but I had other things I did too in that time so I was maybe dedicating and hour or two a day to the closet. It also made me excited to finish because each day I got closer to having a functioning closet. I was finding things I thought I had lost and it was like I was tailor making a new wardrobe out of my old one without buying anything!
METHOD
I made a list first in my notes app on my iPhone. Then while tackling each section I would have a keep, throw-away and donate pile. Keep meant I liked the garment’s fit. Throw-away meant it had holes or paint on it. (I was keeping some clothes to do while doing work around the house like painting but I don’t paint my walls that often so I didn’t really need a dedicated painting outfit.) Donate meant the piece of clothing was in good shape but just wasn’t for me anymore. I have lost about 40 pounds in the last year so a lot of clothes (to my surprise) were way too big on me! I also had in some cases a ripped shirt but wanted to fix it or pants that are very office vibes and not SAHM vibes so I had a small container that has office vibe clothes and items that need to be sewn or fixed up. So, if I find myself on an interview later on I don’t have to worry that I don’t have appropriate clothing.
STYLE
I know my style right now is basically a t-shirt and jeans with the occasional overall or jumper thrown in for fun. I also know that this could change once I get a job so I kept some clothing in mind for those possibilities. I kept a few dresses for events like weddings or funerals that I might need but I had a lot that I knew I wasn’t going to wear anymore so why hold on to it? I also kept more blouse-y tops – short and long sleeved, to a minimum so I wasn’t overwhelmed. I kept a few skirts too that I really love. I dedicated a whole drawer to summer! This has my bathing suits/cover-ups/shorts/summer dresses and anything else summer like in this drawer. I have a jumper drawer for all my jumpers which I have quite the collection. I also have a workout drawer. My main dresser that is easy to get to has my everyday items in it. The top drawer are socks/bras/underwear. The middle drawer is leggings and pajamas. The bottom drawer is all t-shirts. I know where everything is which feels SO good!.
FINISHING TOUCHES
I feel so much better now that I have a curated closet just for me. It took me about a week and a half to get it completely sorted. For every piece of clothing item to have a place and deserve to take up space in my closet feels amazing. Once I was completely done and happy with the organization I labeled all the drawers. Not just to remind me where everything is but for when things get a little disorderly I have a guide on where everything is supposed to go.
I also organized my bedside table. It is doing a lot of double and triple duties right now. It has a lot of my art supplies, cold weather accessories and some jewelry. This area could use some more work but it will do for now.
DONATION
I always donate my clothes to my friend who is the expert organizer or her mom. If they aren’t interested then I donate to Goodwill or a local thrift store. I haven’t tried Thredup but I know they send you bags to fill up and send back to them. I think you might get a credit to buy some thrifted items. I always find a home for my clothes.
It feels so good to have an organized closet. Everytime I get dressed I know exactly where to go. Putting away clothes are super easy now too because everything has a home. By sorting everything I was able to narrow down my everyday “uniform” – which is basically some form of jeans/overalls or a jumper with a t-shirt and in the colder Los Angeles months I add a cardigan.
