I hate cleaning; it’s dirty, time consuming and pointless unless I have someone to show off to. One thing I don’t mind cleaning, though, is my closet. Here are a few ways you can purge your closet and feel good about doing so.
Why Clean Out Your Closet?
If you’re a recovering shopaholic, like me, then you know how difficult it is to stop compulsively buying things and let a few of your once loved possessions go. Before realizing other people actually wanted my old stuff, I thought my only two options were to throw it in the garbage and let it rot in a landfill or to hoard everything just in case I needed to use any of it again. Waste, pollution and having an unhealthy amount of belongings didn’t seem like the best route after a while, so I made the effort to make sure I loved what I put in my closet in the first place.
The clothes, accessories, outerwear and shoes you keep should be what you actually wear, otherwise they are just taking up space. Eco-conscious shoppers say you shouldn’t buy any piece of clothing unless you’re going to wear it 30 times. So, if you’ve only worn that dress from Urban Outfitters once in the last two years, you’re probably not going to put it on again. Keep what you use, and clean out what you don’t so that someone else can wear it.
What Do You Gain By Giving Things Away?
I honestly believe that you gain more by giving than you do by consuming, and this is still even true when applied to a wardrobe. One thing I want to be very clear about is that being able to sell or donate things after you don’t desire them anymore isn’t an excuse to buy more and continuously over-consume. Selling and donating is a part of a process where one realizes what material objects they actually need in life to be content, and then parting with the rest. By having less, you can appreciate your favorite shirt more rather than twenty shirts you only sort-of like.
A common idea in the fashion world is that your clothes are your second skin-- they are what you cover yourself in to uncover who you really are. By uncluttering your closet from all the things that you can’t wear like a second skin, you make it easier on yourself to show people who you are inside, underneath the all the clothing.
I’m always interested in making a few extra dollars, and with student loans, who isn’t? By selling clothes, you have the opportunity to snag some cash. If you’re selling what you bought, then you can at least regain the money you spent. In other situations, maybe you were given some hand-me-downs that you don’t like, your mom decides she wants to give you a bunch of things that don’t fit her anymore or a friend you don’t speak to anymore left her jeans at your house and they’re two sizes smaller than yours-- these are all opportunities to sell what you have sitting in your closet.
After looking through your closet for a few minutes, you can start to see just how much one person can wear, and how much apparel one needs. Throughout the four seasons you’re going to need sweaters, jeans, long-sleeves, short-sleeves, shorts, pajamas, socks, underwear, formal wear, outerwear and not to mention, tennis shoes, boots, hats, scarves, mittens and everything else to stay comfortable in any weather. Anyone, from your neighbor to someone who lives in the next town over can and will use clothing like you do. Donating allows you to keep only what you need, and gives others what they need, too.
Where Do I Go?
After becoming more conscious about my consumption, one of the biggest stressors I ran into was where to give away all of the things I didn’t need anymore. In the last year, I estimate that I have sold and/or donated five garbage bags full of clothes and accessories. Over time, I got better about making sure I loved what I put in my closet, and I also figured out where I could put what I didn’t love anymore. Whether it’s in person or online, there are a few places that I would recommend giving your clean-out pile to:
To Donate:
Joseph's Coat (Saint Paul)
Dress for Success (Saint Paul)
Hallie Q. Brown Community Center (Saint Paul)
Ready for Success (Minneapolis)
Arc's Value Village (Several Twin Cities locations)
Goodwill (Several Twin Cities locations)
To Sell:
Buffalo Exchange (Minneapolis)
Everyday People Clothing Exchange (Saint Paul)
Style Encore (Eagan)
Fashion Avenue (Edina and Wayzata)
Via's Vintage (Minneapolis)
Clothes Mentor (Several Twin Cities locations)
Plato's Closet (Several Twin Cities locations)
