Today’s topic: Spring cleaning!
WAIT! I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING. “HOW BORING.” BUT DON’T STOP READING JUST YET! Yes, cleaning as a topic sounds dull, but I promise it’s far from it. After all, this is being written by someone who’s labeled as a real life “Curious George” by her husband because he feels like “the man in the yellow hat” always cleaning up after his monkey. In my defense, and as I tell Doug, I’m organized, just not tidy. There’s a difference! (Er…Right?)
At any rate, yes, I need to work on my skiiiiillz. And yes, that makes me writing a post on this topic equal parts hysterical and necessary. Buckle up. Here we go!
A few times a year, I go through a wardrobe exercise of purge-clean-organize. My clothes are divided into three distinct collections: Spring/Summer, Fall/Winter, and year-round staples. When Spring comes, the Fall/Winter items go into hibernation, and vice versa. My year-round staples stay in my closet all the time.
All of them need continual editing to stay fresh and streamlined. So every few months, when I have an embarrassing “WTF why does my closet look like a messy tween’s?” moment, I put on my adulting hat, dive in, and shake things up. Or rather, smooth them out.
Despite it taking forever and being a total hassle, the editing of my closet is something that I surprisingly look forward to. I turn up some music, get into the zone, and don’t emerge until it’s all done.
The reality for me is that clutter is something I’m good at collecting; it’s a talent, really. I have to be conscious about streamlining in order to practice smart ownership, to keep the said clutter in check. Or else, frankly, my belongings start to look like a hoarder’s dream and piles start emerging that I justify as “decor”. The end of a season is met with lots of said piles all over my room and in my closet, so pressing “Reset” is helpful and necessary.
Getting organized makes me feel lighter. On a literal sense, I typically collect a bag’s worth of items to give away. Metaphorically, it’s a ritual that helps me to get into the mentality of new beginnings. Since we live in a tiny city apartment, doing a wardrobe edit regularly helps me to really think about my needs vs. wants. Despite purging and giving away items, I always feel like I have so many more options for outfits because the things I really love are brought to the forefront again.
I’ve got to give myself a little credit here. Though I may be queen of piles on a weekly basis, when I get into the zone and make it a priority, I emerge with a very well organized closet that is clutter free and easy to access.
Most of that organization is touch and go, but in case you’re curious about my process, here are a few key highlights of the lens with which I sort through my items while spring cleaning my closet:
- For Fall/Winter items I’m storing away, I get rid of anything that I: 1. Didn’t wear all season, 2. Doesn’t fit anymore, 3. Didn’t wear well and is falling apart, or 4. Don’t love. I aspire to only store things away that I’ll be excited about re-opening in the future.
- For Spring/Summer items I’m putting back into my closet, I get rid of anything that: 1. I look at with a fresh lens having not seen it for a while and don’t love, 2. Doesn’t fit anymore, or 3. Doesn’t feel like it’s in line with my style.
- Whenever I get rid of clothing items, I always donate them. Unless something is damaged beyond repair, I never just throw things away. This is something I’m really passionate about — I know how wasteful the fashion industry can be in general, and I know I’m fortunate to even have items to consider ditching. Donating them is something that makes me feel like I’m helping to contribute, even in a small way, and it also lessens my personal burden on the environment.
While diving into this, I found a really great article that lays out the things in your closet you should get rid of right now. It’s a great refresh to read before you go through the process of editing!
