Spring Has Sprung

The official arrival of spring this week threw me into a closet cleaning craze that finally ended this morning. There is nothing that I love more than an organized closet, and purging and sorting clothes is a means to that end. Here is how I like to do it.

1. I tackle sections of my closet at a time, instead of all of it together: shoes; workout clothes; dresses; jeans; tops. That means I can do a little bit every evening (usually with a glass of wine) and make the pleasure last!

2. I edit based on fit, style, permanent stains, and always think about when the last time is I wore a specific item. If more than a year ago, it goes (except for evening gowns and cocktail dresses).

3. I move those pieces that I know I should get rid of, but can’t really bring myself to, to the back of my coat closet – where I will not see them or wear them. After six months, I go back there and look again; I will usually have forgotten what is there, which means I am now emotionally ready to get rid of those items of clothing.

4. A couple girlfriends of mine and I have started a mail clothing swap. We randomly send each other boxes of clothes that we each no longer want or that no longer fit – and from there, we take what we want and ship the rest to another girlfriend. It’s a virtuous circle of recycling. Luckily for me, most of my girlfriends are the same size and have excellent taste! This makes it easier for me to be ruthless when sorting my closet – I know it will make someone I love happy!

5. An excellent seamstress and shoe repair angel are two must-have best friends. Closet cleaning always means there is a pile of items I need to bring to both, that will come back looking brand new and ready to be once again used.

Once I have gone through every item in my closet, it’s time to make sure everything looks and smells perfect:

1. No wire hangers! Nothing makes a closet look more chic than matching hangers. My favorites are from The Container Store.

2. Bad closet lighting does not make for fun dressing. I live in an old Georgetown row-house and wasn’t ready to spend thousands on new elecrtrical in the closets. Instead, I opted for this very easy and affordable option.

3. I am forever fighting moths, who go after all of my cashmere sweaters. The most effective and nice-smelling solution I have found is from apothecary brand Santa Maria Novella.

Finally, it is always good to listen to fashion experts… Specifically this past week, I listened to the advice of my most stylish friend Erin and did two things based on her recommendations:

1. Got rid of my platform heels …

2. Purchased a great new iPhone cover.

For me, the reward for closet cleaning is to purchase a few new items of clothing or shoes … and now the fun really begins!