Remember that scene in Sex and the City when Carrie opens the double doors to the closet that is truly, the average gal’s heaven on earth? It’s a great dream, but for most out there, it’s just that: a dream. Pristine white walls that go on for hours, luminescent shoe racks and endless closet space isn’t quite the reality.
It’s more likely that squeezing one more outfit into your closet requires warm-up stretches and strength training exercises. With spring just around the corner, it’s time to tackle the chaos. If the thought of going through your closet is more terrifying than cleaning a fraternity bathroom, listen closely. We enlisted the help of stylist and professional closet-cleaner Jana Stern to show how putting your unruly closet in order is good for you this spring.
The problem
Fact: most people don’t clean their closets in ten years or more. People like to always have new outfits, keep up with trends and look good ” but rarely do they go through the items they don’t need any more. Closets aren’t so much clothing storage areas as personal histories and stories crammed into one space.
How did it get this bad?
Cleaning your closet can be intimidating. Who knows what’s hiding behind those platform wedges that you just had to buy in 2004. The main reason closets get so cluttered is that people buy more than they need because they don’t really know what they will or won’t like, Stern says.
Holding on
Sure, that T-shirt may be the one you wore on your first date to Burger King in high school, but its stint in your closet has run its course. Be ruthless. Sometimes it’s hard letting go of items because they are attached to a certain memory, but its time to move on. Your grade nine boyfriend will forgive you, and your closet will thank you.
Enlist some help
De-cluttering your closet is no easy task. Stern says clients often think that the task is much more daunting than it really is before they even start. You can enlist the help of organizational pros like her, or even get an unbiased friend to help and make a day of it.
It’s good for you
Apart from being more organized, there are healthy benefits to clearing out your closet. Spring fashion embraces minimalism, and if your closet follows this trend, it will be easier to pick outfits. Say goodbye to those jeans you’ve had for six years; everything in there should be best of the best. Plus, the feel-good vibes if you decide to donate will give you an even better kickoff to spring.
Knowing that the stuff shoved to the back of a drawer for four years is helping someone else really brings a happiness that can only come from the gift of giving, Stern says. Getting rid of the excess stuff in your life is an incredible feeling.
So give it a shot, and give your spring wardrobe some space to breathe. This season is full of promise, anticipation, and warm weather, and there’s no better way to appreciate your new and favourite spring outfits than to give them a good home to hang in.
