Spring cleaning is the perfect excuse to toss your old has-beens and get with some new looks.
The sooner you start this process, the better prepared for spring and summer you’ll be. Here’s a spring cleaning fashion checklist to help you make the most of your new wardrobe.
Step 1: Lay It All Out There
First things first, cleaning out your wardrobe is serious business. It can be physically and emotionally draining and take longer than you think, so make sure you set aside at least half a day to really get down and dirty.
So where to start? You need to know what you’re working with, so pull out all your clothes, shoes, and accessories. And I mean all of them. Things might get a bit messier before they get better, but that’s okay!
Lay them out on your bed and get everything into perspective. So many outfits that could have been or never were or used to be your favorite, but times have changed and so have you!
Now’s your chance to deep clean that closet too!
Step 2: Get It Sorted
Organize everything into three piles: Keep, Sell/Donate, Trash.
Keep: Those timeless pieces that never go out of style. Those sentimental pieces you can’t live without. Those perfect fitting jeans. Those foundational pieces that can help you rebuild.
Sell/Donate: Those pieces in great condition that just don’t speak to you any longer. Those rare pieces you know are in demand. Don’t let clothes go to waste just because you no longer wear them.
Trash: The obviously unsalvageable items. Your old favorites that have been worn down to the bone (sorry, but it’s over old peeling leather jacket). Put them out of their misery.
Ditching clothes can be hard; there’s so much emotion and hopes and dreams tied up in certain pieces.
Take the time to consider things and try them on again, but don’t try to convince yourself to keep things that just don’t work. Be brutally honest with yourself. No mercy for the true fashionista.
Will you really get that shirt tailored? Will you really fit into those jeans again? Have you worn this in a year? Would you buy this piece now? Does it represent who you are? Does it make you feel good, confident, and stylish?
If you answer no to any of these questions, you know what you have to do.
Step 3: Out With The Old
This part is as cathartic as it is difficult. You’ve made your decisions, now you have to act.
Head to Goodwill or your local thrift store and send your gently used pieces off to a better life. Google “where to donate clothes” and find the organization you vibe with most.
Or get more entrepreneurial and setup your eBay shop or use resale apps like Depop or The RealReal for those more desirable pieces. No reason you shouldn’t make some of that investment back.
Whatever you decide to do, just get those clothes out of your home. Don’t leave them in a garbage bag in your trunk just in case you change your mind.
Commit to the change! It’s a part of life!
Step 4: In With The New
You’ve done the hard parts! Now it’s time to plan anew.
Your wardrobe is a blank slate at this point, so before you go off and buy the first trendy thing you see, be intentional about your future wardrobe.
Where do you see yourself in your fashion journey? Do you have an essential foundation? What trending styles speak to you?
It’s a big wide world of fashion out there and no one — not even your past self — can tell you who to be. Once you create a fashion plan, there’s only one thing left to do: SHOP!
