Copyright Trashy Diva.comI make it a point to regularly go through my closet and get rid of things I haven’t worn in a while. A good general rule is to get rid of anything that you have not worn in the last year. There is one small caveat to this general rule, however. Do not get rid of an item that is a classic piece that is well made and still fits you well. Otherwise, the rest should go. You should sell any brand name or unique items that are still somewhat in style on ebay or to a consignment store. See my consignment store tutorial to find out when to sell on ebay and when to sell to a consignment store. Items that are completely out of style or those items that would not be worth your time to sell on ebay, should be donated to a charitable cause such as the Lupus Foundation, Goodwill or the Salvation Army.
Check out the following websites for more information on where to donate:
donate.lupus.org
When donating to a charity, be sure to get their receipt proving that you donated items. You can write off the value of your donation on your taxes. Remember, the value of your donation is the current resale value of the items (think garage sale prices) not what you actually paid for the item.
Consider having a swap party with friends. You can bring items from your closet to trade with others and even if you don’t all wear the same clothing size, you can at least score some cute jewelry, handbags, scarves and other accessories for free! Its like going shopping and you can hang out with friends at the same time. Also, you aren’t spending a dime to spice up your wardrobe!
Cleaning your closet helps you keep in touch with items that you do have and that you don’t regularly wear but that you may have forgotten about. It also makes room for new fabulous fashion finds. Do not hold on to things forever, unless it is something like a Chanel purse that is classic forever. Cleaning your closet makes you feel better and you might also find that you can buy some new clothes with the proceeds from your old ones!
What have you done with your unwanted clothing and accessories? Send me your answers! Or even more exciting, how have you repurposed them to make something even more fabulous? Email me pictures and I will post the best ones! [email protected]
