Spring Cleaning + Closet Healing
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If I told you your closet needed to be healed the way a cold or spring allergies needed to be healed, you might look at me with puzzlement or an eye roll at the woo wooery of it all. Or perhaps you would understand fully what I meant and would allow the healing to commence.
You see, the clothing closet is not a receptacle for junk (although it can certainly turn into one!). It’s an emotionally charged zone, full of clothes that no longer fit us (that we cling to in the hopes they will again), shirts and sweaters we begrudgingly accepted as hand-me-downs from family members, and gifts from friends we haven’t worn once (that balloon-sleeve crop top from Aunt Shirley wouldn’t even look good on Beyoncé!).
If you’re the kind of person who swings open the closet door and repeatedly proclaims, ‘I have NOTHING to wear!,’ when your closet is ostensibly packed to the gills, it might be full of clothes that fit the above criteria. Sometimes we prefer to cling to this never-ending drama, as decluttering our closets would require us to confront unpleasant truths about our clothes. One unpleasant truth is that if we whittled down everything to ‘keep’ and ‘toss’ piles, we might only be left with a handful of items that we really truly liked.
‘I-have-nothing-to-wear-itis’ can’t be cured by ordering a few new tops and pairs of jeans online. It starts with an overhaul and deep declutter of one’s closet. In order to return your closet back to YOU again, it’s most important to take things step-by-step. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your dream closet (and by dream closet, I mean a closet full of clothes you get excited to look at, let alone wear).
For starters, I recommend running your hands through each item of clothing you own and noticing how many are hand-me-downs and gifts. You might be shocked at how many of these items you don’t like or wear. Don’t let your closet be a receptacle for your siblings’/parents’ unwanted clothes! If you immediately feel a spark of delight when they offer it to you, by all means, take it. But if you feel absolutely apathetic towards an item, kindly say ‘no’ and save your closet from turning into a guilt-ridden pile of clutter. Just as well, don’t feel obliged to hold onto gifts that don’t suit you. As the cliché goes, ‘it’s the thought that counts.’ The item served its purpose in the initial gift exchange, and it will go to excellent use when you donate it or sell it.
Understand that when you get rid of clothing that no longer serves you, you’re not depleting your closet but instead creating space for new possibilities. You might finally find that perfect pleated miniskirt you were always looking for, or the perfect black maxi dress that finally doesn’t look like you stole it from Wednesday Addams.
While we’re on the topic of closet healing, pay attention to color. Not just how your clothes look in your closet–this is very important if you want to get excited to get dressed in the morning. But also pay attention to how certain colors look on you and how they make you feel. I feel energized in red, smart in black, chic in navy, and crisp and clean in white. I avoid pale yellows, tans, and anything that generally just washes me out. As you declutter, take note of the colors in your wardrobe that light you up and those that wash you out. Don’t be afraid to try things on, and if you don’t want to try it on because it’s too small, just drape it over yourself and take a look in the mirror.
Healing one’s closet can be a transformative experience that I have had the pleasure of witnessing with many clients. After a decluttering session, they invariably feel reenergized, invigorated, and often feel inspired to declutter other parts of their home as well. Decluttering your closet is not just about saying ‘no’ to that mousy brown sweater, but it’s saying ‘yes’ to yourself and ‘no’ to the things that don’t serve you.