What Should I Purge?
Ooh boy, where do we begin…there’s always something to get rid of in your closet and wardrobe–remember that! And while you may want to save every sock and shirt of your child’s (because when will they ever be this small again?!), it may be time to let go of some of their baby clothes! Here’s what to look for…
Oldies: For each piece, ask yourself if you have worn the item within the last year. No? Give away.
Holey: Anything with holes you can’t fix, anything threadbare, anything that’s just falling apart at the seams.
Too Small: Those high school jeans of yours? Let ‘em go. Anything that’s too small for your kids that isn’t sentimental (things like an average pair of jeans, shoes, socks, underwear, non-keepsake t-shirts), get rid of them! If you notice your kid’s underpants are getting too small, swap them out for a larger size right away!
Things You’re Saving for Your Kids: If you’ve stashed a bunch of t-shirts or shoes that you could maybe, one day give to your child…let them go. If it’s something sentimental, like your wedding dress, a baby blanket, etc… put it in storage.
Bridesmaid and Formal Dresses: be honest…you figured you might be able to wear it again, but…you never did. Let them go–sell or consign them, or look for a local charity that provides dresses to underprivileged girls for prom!
Accessories: purses, wallets, scarves and hats that you never wear and never carry.
Old Bras: if they’re too small or broken, it’s time to let them go. Not only is a broken bra a dangerous bra (has your underwire ever snapped and tried to stab you? And people don’t think women have it rough…), but bras that are too small are bad for your health! Any bra that’s too tight can trap toxins in the lymph nodes under your arms and cause some serious problems (breast cancer or lymphoma).
Anything From Last Season: this especially goes for kid’s clothes and shoes–any summer stuff you’re holding onto for next year will be too small by the time they can wear it again. Dump it!
Clones: anything you’ve got several of, or many similar styles of. You probably don’t need four floral sundresses…just saying.
Remember that new and gently used clothes can go to women’s centers or the local Goodwill!
What Should I Keep?
Simple! For your kids, hang onto their appropriately-sized, appropriate-seasonal clothes. Good t-shirts, tough jeans, thick, kid-proof shoes and socks. Remember that they don’t need six different flannels or twenty t-shirts–minimize your kid’s clothing collection…and yours too!
Having fewer clothing items will mean that you’ll have to do laundry more often (probably once or twice a week), but you’ll have less to do!
Keystone Clothes
There’s a new trend out there that we absolutely love–where you minimize down to just a few items that are versatile enough to make several outfits. You can do this with your whole family’s wardrobe, too! Here’s what you need…
Black or White Tank Top–these can be paired with jeans, flannels, skirts and shrugs…even PJ pants! Having a black one and a white one is a must.
Black or White T-Shirt–same as above. You can pair these with darn near anything!
Sturdy Pairs of Jeans–dark, light, blue, black, it doesn’t matter! You can grab a few pairs of jeans for each of your family members and wear them on alternating days.
Sweater or Cardigan–great for spring or summer, can be worn with just about anything on this list!
Dress Pants, Skirt, and Button-Up Shirt–just for formal occasions! Or you can piece it out and pair that button-up with jeans, the skirt with your tank and cardigan, or whatever!
Flats and Pumps–these can go with anything. From shorts to jeans and skirts and dress pants…go with a grey or black, or maybe a navy or red, for a versatile splash of color!
Black or White Shrug, Scarf or Tie–for obvious reasons! Accessories that go with everything.
Nice, Cotton Polo in Black or White–a slightly nicer and more casual pairing for your work pants or even jeans! Also great if your work or child’s school calls for plain shirts.
The key is to pick things that can go with everything–like you can see here from these photos from Pinterest…
…choose multiple-use clothing! And yes, it works for guys too…
Cut down your cluttered closet and massively downsize your collection! You’ll be amazed just how much you can do with less–for you, your partner, or your kids!
