I’ve been doing lots of cleaning lately and have been coming across so many items that I’ve kept in my room for far too long. Last week I told you all about Things You Need To Throw Out of your room, but this time I’m back with the wardrobe edition, because THERE IS SO MUCH CRAP IN MY CLOSET (and maybe in yours, too!) I know you’ll be super busy cleaning out your closet after this, so let’s keep this intro short and sweet and get right to it.
1. Anything that can no longer fit you.
If you’ve thickened up or slimmed down, most of the clothing you have may not be able to fit you anymore. Sometimes I’d accidentally buy a top or pants that were a little too tight for me and I used to tell myself, “oh well, I’ll use this as motivation to lose some weight.” I’m being totally real here: more often than not, those were empty words for me. So now I just get rid of things that have become too tight for me. You can always try to find the same thing in a more comfortable fit.
2. Things you promised to use as a DIY project but didn’t.
I love doing DIY projects, but over the years I’ve accumulated so many old pieces of clothing that I promised to make a cool muscle shirt out of, or a cute pair of shorts but I never got around to doing any of it. Just skip the arts and crafts and toss whatever’s taking up space in your closet. Re-vamping a few things is cool and all, but if you were super into it you’d probably have done it already.
3. Shoes you don’t wear anymore.
Maybe that sale from two years ago was just way too good and you had to snatch those boots…and the sandals, and the flats, and the high heels. But you’ve forgotten about them over the years and instead bought brand new pairs of shoes that you’re in much more love with. If they’re just sitting there collecting dust, it’s about time you kicked your kicks to the curb.
4. Clothes that just aren’t your style anymore.
My style has changed so much from high school — from athletic to my version of goth to preppy to girly to college kid? Well that might as well be a style. Anyway, I have found so many things that I just cringe at now and probably would never even think of wearing. These are definitely the types of things you just need to let go of.
5. Things that have seen better days.
I know you’ve been through so much with your favorite blue t-shirt, and your cardigan has been there for you through thick and thin, but you just need to move on from really beaten up clothes. I usually have a hard time letting go of things — including six pairs of black leggings with rips near the crotch and thighs ‘cuz chaffing — but they serve no purpose when they’re that damaged. This goes for clothes with stains you can’t remove, bleached things, things you got hair dye on, etc.
6. Anything that makes you feel extremely uncomfortable when you wear it.
I used to love wearing bodycon dresses and skirts, but now I personally prefer things that are a looser like skater dresses and skirts. It’s just a personal preference of mine. But I had so many dresses from when I was really into bodycon, but I knew I wouldn’t be wearing them again, so it was definitely time for them to go. This also goes for shoes that hurt your feet badly.
7. Clothes that still have the tags on them.
We’re probably all really guilty of buying clothes and never wearing them once. If you look hard enough you might even be able to find something more than two years old that still has the tag on it! I wouldn’t put these in the garbage but I would definitely try to give them away to someone who would actually like and wear it.
8. Your middle school uniform!
I shit you not; I actually still had my blue polos and khakis from middle school! Old gym uniforms may be okay for wearing around the house or for sleeping in, but I doubt you’d wear a shirt with your school crest stitched onto it to an interview, or a date, or a hangout with friends.
9. Broken or ripped bags.
I’m literally the self-proclaimed queen of screwing up bags of all kinds. I’ve gone through more bags in high school than I could count on one hand — all ripped or with broken straps and zippers. Over the years I’ve managed to create a bag graveyard in my closet and they’ve all just been sitting there. *cringe* These bags need to move onto a better place.
10. Broken sunglasses (or ones that keep breaking).
It’s absolutely heartbreaking to see a broken pair of loyal sunglasses, but you can’t keep trying to salvage what’s no longer there. Toss this pair out and get a new one.
11. Jewelry you haven’t touched in years.
Jewelry was like my natural high — rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and all — but since entering college I have become less and less of a jewelry snob and have taken to wearing more simple pieces on a daily basis. So my room is scattered with wild pieces of statement jewelry that haven’t seen the light of day since high school. You haven’t touched them in so long and you probably won’t ever.
12. Tarnished jewelry.
This is a no-brainer. Tarnished rings sometimes turn your finger green, and rusted necklaces and bracelets just aren’t as pretty as they were before.
13. Broken watches you got for less than $20.
I’ve somehow managed to break three watches in one year and I STILL kept the broken pieces for NO REASON at all! I got every watch for under $20 and I had no intention of trying to get them fixed, so I should’ve tossed them a long time ago! Good riddance!
Keep in mind that tossing things in the garbage isn’t the only solution here — you can also donate some of the things on this list to clothing and shoe drives in your neighborhood, or the poor boxes at your neighborhood religious organization. Shoes you don’t wear anymore and things that aren’t your style anymore are great candidates for this option. You can even try to sell your clothes at yard sales or by taking them to stores that buy back clothes.
What are your tips for cleaning up your closet?
