How to Clean Out Your Closet and the Top 20 Clothes to Let Go Of

Dearest readers: As we wrap up our week of Style Motivation to help you look your best at ALL times and look through our archives to bring you smart ideas as we continue to celebrate our 15th anniversary comes a timeless lesson on what to keep, store and let go of.

The end of the season is near, get ready to clear out your closet!

15-years-Focusonstyle-anniversary-300With a new season ahead comes the perfect time to reorganize, reconsider and purge your wardrobe to avoid the pitfalls of inappropriate age dressing and all that can go wrong when one tends to hold on to too much from the past.

That’s not to say one must start fresh each season as its near impossible and highly wasteful, but with that in mind we suggest you spend an afternoon looking through your own inventory to see what still works and what should never be attempted again.

>>More: Expert Stylist Advice

How to clean out your closet? Start by ditching the holiday sweater (Holiday Sweaters Marcus Lupfer)
How to clean out your closet? Start by ditching the holiday sweater (Holiday Sweater by Marcus Lupfer)

The best way to go about it is to spend an afternoon with a close, trusted friend and try on everything you would consider keeping in front of a full-length mirror to weigh the pro’s & the con’s.

>> RELATED: Closet Overhaul… Tips to create a new basic wardrobe to match your new figure

Start by separating everything by category i.e shirts, dresses & pants paired together while avoiding the dangerous “it has a hole in it so I’ll wear at home” pitfall as you should try to look your best while relaxing at home too, why not?

When contemplating what to let go of for age-approriate dressing, be sure to get rid of these items especially if you were around the first time many of them came into fashion:

  • Holiday and themed sweaters & shirts
  • Overalls, jumpers, jumpsuits
  • Muumuus and other ‘nightie’ or one-size fits all garments
  • Square toed shoes
  • Cargo pants
  • Traditional sweatpants
  • Backpacks, ethnic bags, nylon messenger bags, fanny packs
  • 90’s era black rayon workwear
  • T-shirts with images, advertisement or not
  • Metal framed eyewear that’s not an aviator style
  • Khaki pants that do not have a stylized cut
  • Ripped, distressed denim
  • Unflattering underwear even if no one sees them!
  • Aggressive shoulder pads and anything too 80’s
  • Short hemmed mini skirts & short shorts
  • Formal wear tends to age the fastest, be sure to edit strictly
  • Barrettes and other retro hair fasteners
  • Clip on earrings and other 80’s & 90’s era dated costume jewelry
  • If it has unfortunately become a signature piece that people tend to frown upon when you wear it, get rid of it!
  • Anything too dated

And with all of this new-found space you’ve just created in your wardrobe, do not find another spot in your house to store cast-aways, be sure to donate them to help those in need. — Naveed Hussain

Archives related:
12 Steps to Style

Original publish date March 14, 2012

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