J.Crew cardigan | Mother denim | ATM tee | Prada shoes | Poppy Finch necklace | Mug
I tossed half my closet … here’s why!
We’ve lived in our house for over 20 years, and believe it or not, my closet space has always been a disaster! It wasn’t a high priority when we built the house, and it just got worse over time. So, you can imagine my excitement when I started dreaming of a new closet, and The Closet Factory in Portland and their talented designer Veronika put my design ideas (and hers) into a beautiful and functional plan. The closet has exceeded my expectations, and I’m very impressed with the quality and how it all came together. It still needs some finishing touches (like beautiful knobs and a light fixture), but today I thought I’d give you a sneak peek!
Because my clothes lived in the hallway for what felt like a year (!), I had a lot of time to think about what I would toss and what I would keep. It felt so good to take my time and carefully put each item back into my brand new, gorgeous closet! Purchasing matching hangers – talk about a game changer – I highly suggest doing it, even if you’re not re-doing your closet. My dear interior designer friend Heidi helped pick the gorgeous wallpaper, Antelope carpet and light fixture, and last week she popped by to make it extra pretty. I’ll share the final closet photos next month when it’s complete!
Today’s post is about what to toss and what to replenish. I highly recommend doing a full closet refresh, because most of us have way too many things — and this makes getting dressed WAY harder! Trust me, it feels so good, and I really wish I would have tidied it up way before now 🙂
Sneak peek photos
The Closet Factory | Zara pink dress, last year | Gucci cream bag | Balenciaga canvas bag | YSL black tote | Burberry scarf
Tossing:
Denim with a low-rise, stained white denim, any poorly fitting styles.
Keeping/Adding:
All mid-high rise denim in white, faded blue or gray wash
Veronica Beard jacket | Dickey hoodie | Frame denim | Prada shoes | ATM tee | Givenchy bag | Sunglasses | Initial necklace
If you’re like me, then you’re most likely rotating through 3-4 pairs of jeans at any given time. That’s why it’s best to toss anything that’s dated. This includes low-rise denim and anything that’s ill-fitting. Since denim is the backbone of our closets, the ones you do own should fit perfectly! Here are some favorites I’m loving right now:
Tossing:
Dingy bras and panties, anything that hasn’t been worn in a year
Keeping/Adding:
Bliss thong panties, Chantelle one size panties, Wacoal bras, Natori Feathers bras
Halogen cardigan | Wacoal bra | Vuori joggers
I’m pretty sure we all have stretched out bras and some panties that need to go — unless you’re Marie Kondo 😉 Nothing feels better than new panties and bras. Below are a few of my favorites. Not pictured are the Chantelle Soft Stretch, one size fits all panties — they’re the best under dresses!
Tossing:
Tees with holes or stains, graphic tees I’m no longer wearing
Keeping/Adding:
New white tees, any Anine Bing tees
J.Crew cardigan | ATM tee | Mother denim | Shoes, similar here | Givenchy bag | Sunglasses | Initial necklace | Poppy Finch necklace
I’m still puzzled as to why holes appear in strange places on our tees, but when they do, it’s time to toss! I still love ATM tees (I just refreshed my own), and I have my eye on this Anine Bing one after seeing it on my friend Danielle.
Tossing:
Mismatched pj’s, ratty robes
Keeping/Adding:
New sleepwear (feels so good), and this new robe
Wow I didn’t realize how many pj’s I had accumulated over the years. I literally threw half of them away, and can’t wait to add a few new sets!
Tossing:
Old swimwear and coverups
Keeping/Adding:
Classic coverups and one piece sophisticated swimsuits
Halogen hat | Tom Ford sunnies | Initial necklace | Hoop earrings | Coverup | Dior sandals | Red swimsuit
Since it had been awhile since I’d gone anywhere sunny, I realized I didn’t have much to wear over my swimsuit with the exception of this coverup. I recently added a few new ones since travel is once again on the horizon!
Tossing:
Shoes I haven’t worn in over a year
Keeping/Adding:
Lower heeled sandals
Reformation blouse | Mother Rascal denim | Schutz sandal | Gucci bag
For the first time ever, I took all my shoes out of boxes, and now I can see all of them — which is so exciting! Except … I didn’t want to see the old ones I’ll most likely never wear again. So, goodbye old shoes!
Tossing:
Dated dresses not worn in two years (not saving for a “just in case!”)
Keeping/Adding:
Casual dresses for lunch dates and around the house
Anthropologie dress | Zara sandals | Gucci bag
This is another category that needs a refresh in my own closet. Any dresses that haven’t been worn in a couple of years didn’t make the cut. It could be a good excuse to add a new one or two 🙂
Thank you for reading! xx
I needed to hear/read this. Thanks for all of your fun but useful posts!
So nice, thank you!
Your closet looks fabulous! I need to clean out my shoes since my foot has expanded half a size:( lol Have a great week!
Ha ha funny how that happens!
I am pretty good about keeping up with tossing ripped & tatty tees and underwear, plus bras with sad elastic, but I really need to go through my purses and shoes to reduce the number by at least half. The problem is that I love all of them but I tend to wear the same 2-3 purses over and over, and I haven’t even done that in the last year because I seldom leave the house other than for walks in the neighborhood. For my shoes, I have such lovely pairs that I used to wear regularly when I could be in public, but only the most casual pairs have made it off of the racks since I started staying home. I think I need to go full Kondo: hold each pair or bag and see if it truly “sparks joy” or if it’s just filling a space in our closet.
TOSS IT MY WAY NEXT TIME!!!
Ha ha I will!
Hi Susie,
I found that the holes in my t-shirts and sweaters were all in the same spot…at the sharp corner of the waistband on my jeans! Problem fixed, I no longer wear untucked sweaters and t-shirts that rub against the waistband of my jeans. A French tuck works well!
Stay safe,
Eileen seidowitz
Susie,
Thank you for your relevant style/clothing pins for those of us desiring to dress comfortably and (more importantly) fashionably in the midst of the “who,what,wear, etc.” fashion maze! You help me stay “focused” on current styles/trends that most approximate my lifestlye and what I’m seeking when I browse blogs, websites, etc. for age appropriate pieces. I so enjoy your selections and often purchase same. Once again, thank you for sharing your expertise and talents with us. Regards
Thank you! I wrote you directly:)
I just got a NEW CLOSET TOO!NOT as pretty as yours but I did invest in HANGERS……..ALL PINK for the CAFTANS that are my STAPLES!
I was nodding my head to all your reasons…………I did a “CLEAN OUT” THREE TIMES and still have too much!Once when I moved it all OUT of the old closet Once putting it back into the NEW closet and than editing as I still need MORE ROOM as I share the space with THE ITALIAN!However, it is a GAME CHANGER TO SEE ALL ITEMS……….DISPLAYED by COLOR!
It totally is and I’m having SO much fun with why new closet! Game changer:)
Thanks for inspiring a closet purge. Mine need it!
It’s a good feeling for sure! I hope it goes well 🙂
This gives me so much inspiration to purge my closet of all the things I’m not wearing. Less is definitely more! Thanks!
You’re so welcome – and yes less is more but we all seem to have more!