Edit Your Life, Part 5: Your Wardrobe

Quick note: Every Wedneday is Simplicity Day on Zen Habits, and for the next few weeks, these posts will be a series called “Edit Your Life,” looking at ways to simplify different parts of your life.

I’m a former newspaper editor, and one of the things I learned was to edit brutally (no sarcastic comments about why I don’t do that with my blog posts). Cut out everything that’s not necessary, and you’ve got a more meaningful story.

I highly recommend editing your life.

Today’s edit: Edit your wardrobe.

Take a look at your closet — is it stuffed full of clothes you don’t wear? Do you have trouble picking out what to wear in the morning? Are there clothes you don’t fit, don’t like, or can’t wear because they are stained or torn? How about your clothes drawers? Overstuffed?

If so, your wardrobe may be in need of editing. Let’s be honest: most of us are in this category. And even though I’ve greatly simplified my clothing needs, every six months or so, I need to go through my closet to see if there’s stuff in here I no longer wear. I pull out a bunch of things and put them in a bag for donation. My closet is simpler, and my mind is more at ease.

To edit your wardrobe, here are some simple steps:

Pull out all the clothes from your closet. Put them on your bed. Now go through this pile, one item at a time, deciding what stays and what goes. Follow these rules:
1. If you haven’t worn an item in months, put it in the donate pile. There’s a reason you don’t wear that item — you’re probably not going to wear it again for a long while, if ever.
2. If you no longer fit an item, donate it. Yes, you plan to lose 10 pounds to fit into that outfit. Well, when you do, go to the thrift shop and get some better-fitting items. Until then, they’re taking up space in your closet.
3. If an item is stained or torn beyond repair, donate it. If you can repair it, put it in a bag and take it to be sewn tomorrow (or do it yourself). If that bag sits in your house or car for more than a week, you’ll probably never do it, so donate it or toss it. For myself, I often keep stained or torn clothing, if I really love an item, but I only wear it around the house. I save the good clothes for company. :)
4. If an item is out of style or doesn’t match anything else you own, consider donating it. OK, if you really love it and still wear it, go ahead and keep it. Butterfly bell-bottoms? You’re still cool.
5. When in doubt, put it in a storage container, label it with today’s date, and put it out of sight for a few months. If you ever really want to wear it, it’s still there. But if you open it in a few months, and you never needed it, donate it.
6. For seasonal clothes, such as winter or summer clothing, put it in a container and label it. When the season comes, break out that container. No use keeping it in your closet the whole year round. Where I live, there’s always tropical goodness year round, so this isn’t an issue.
If you still have a lot of clothes left, consider the following:
1. Keep clothes that are of the same color scheme, and toss the rest. This way, everything matches, and you don’t have to worry about what goes with your chartreuse blouse. Neutral colors like tan and white are great, with some color tossed in. I avoid bright colors, especially those that bleed in the wash. I don’t like to worry about that.
2. Keep clothes that are simple in design, and can be paired with anything. Jeans are a great example (not the kinds with bells and whistles, the simple kinds). You can put just about any shirt with jeans, and you’re good to go. Shoot for this kind of philosophy. Don’t have pants or a skirt that can only go with one or two other items. Be able to mix and match with ease and without some kind of complicated chart.
3. Make comfort a priority. Looks are important, but comfort is more important. You want to be at ease in whatever you wear, so keep that in the forefront as you edit your clothing.
Hang the clothes back in the closet nicely, in some order. Pairing by color is nice, and has an especially nice effect if you use the same color hangers. If you have fewer clothes, they look much nicer in the closet.
Repeat this process with your clothes drawers. Throw out the torn underwear and stained socks. Once you weed out a lot of the stuff, fold them neatly and put them back in your drawers nicely. Again, fewer clothes look much nicer in your drawers.
Edit your wardrobe every 6 months or so. It’s best if you refrain from buying too many more unnecessary clothes, but I know some of you are shopaholics, and even the rest of us accumulate stuff over time. Make this a regular event, and you’ll keep your wardrobe nice and simple.

Personally, I simplified my wardrobe years ago. In fact, new employers know that I dress very simply, usually wearing jeans or slacks with a T-shirt or polo shirt and sandals or Docs. I’m a simple guy, and if my employer doesn’t like it, they don’t have to hire me. I feel my talents are more than worth any casualness. And when I need to dress up, I do have some button-down shirts and ties for emergencies, but I’m not comfortable in them on a daily basis.

I still need to edit my wardrobe, though, on a regular basis. I know when it’s time when it’s hard to find stuff, and when I look through my closet and find lots of stuff I rarely wear.

Simplify your wardrobe, and your life will be much simpler and stress-free. It’s wonderful. Give it a try!

Related articles elsewhere:

See also:

Edit Your Life, Part 5: Your Wardrobe

I highly recommend editing your life.

Today’s edit: Edit your wardrobe.

To edit your wardrobe, here are some simple steps:

Pull out all the clothes from your closet. Put them on your bed. Now go through this pile, one item at a time, deciding what stays and what goes. Follow these rules:
1. If you haven’t worn an item in months, put it in the donate pile. There’s a reason you don’t wear that item — you’re probably not going to wear it again for a long while, if ever.
2. If you no longer fit an item, donate it. Yes, you plan to lose 10 pounds to fit into that outfit. Well, when you do, go to the thrift shop and get some better-fitting items. Until then, they’re taking up space in your closet.
3. If an item is stained or torn beyond repair, donate it. If you can repair it, put it in a bag and take it to be sewn tomorrow (or do it yourself). If that bag sits in your house or car for more than a week, you’ll probably never do it, so donate it or toss it. For myself, I often keep stained or torn clothing, if I really love an item, but I only wear it around the house. I save the good clothes for company. :)
4. If an item is out of style or doesn’t match anything else you own, consider donating it. OK, if you really love it and still wear it, go ahead and keep it. Butterfly bell-bottoms? You’re still cool.
5. When in doubt, put it in a storage container, label it with today’s date, and put it out of sight for a few months. If you ever really want to wear it, it’s still there. But if you open it in a few months, and you never needed it, donate it.
6. For seasonal clothes, such as winter or summer clothing, put it in a container and label it. When the season comes, break out that container. No use keeping it in your closet the whole year round. Where I live, there’s always tropical goodness year round, so this isn’t an issue.
If you still have a lot of clothes left, consider the following:
1. Keep clothes that are of the same color scheme, and toss the rest. This way, everything matches, and you don’t have to worry about what goes with your chartreuse blouse. Neutral colors like tan and white are great, with some color tossed in. I avoid bright colors, especially those that bleed in the wash. I don’t like to worry about that.
2. Keep clothes that are simple in design, and can be paired with anything. Jeans are a great example (not the kinds with bells and whistles, the simple kinds). You can put just about any shirt with jeans, and you’re good to go. Shoot for this kind of philosophy. Don’t have pants or a skirt that can only go with one or two other items. Be able to mix and match with ease and without some kind of complicated chart.
3. Make comfort a priority. Looks are important, but comfort is more important. You want to be at ease in whatever you wear, so keep that in the forefront as you edit your clothing.
Hang the clothes back in the closet nicely, in some order. Pairing by color is nice, and has an especially nice effect if you use the same color hangers. If you have fewer clothes, they look much nicer in the closet.
Repeat this process with your clothes drawers. Throw out the torn underwear and stained socks. Once you weed out a lot of the stuff, fold them neatly and put them back in your drawers nicely. Again, fewer clothes look much nicer in your drawers.
Edit your wardrobe every 6 months or so. It’s best if you refrain from buying too many more unnecessary clothes, but I know some of you are shopaholics, and even the rest of us accumulate stuff over time. Make this a regular event, and you’ll keep your wardrobe nice and simple.

I still need to edit my wardrobe, though, on a regular basis. I know when it’s time when it’s hard to find stuff, and when I look through my closet and find lots of stuff I rarely wear.

Simplify your wardrobe, and your life will be much simpler and stress-free. It’s wonderful. Give it a try!

Related articles elsewhere:

See also:

Posted on 5 April 2007 in Simplicity |
Digg |
Del.icio.us |
Stumble |
Print

Comments (19)

Brian Lee Says:

April 5th, 2007, 5:36 am

Great advice! I’ve always thought that physical clutter was a sign of mental clutter.

Leo Says:

April 5th, 2007, 6:26 am

Thanks, Brian. I’m not sure if it’s a sign of mental clutter, but I think physical clutter can definitely be a cause of distraction and stress.

Aidan Says:

April 5th, 2007, 7:29 am

part 5?

good advice as ever

Leo Says:

April 5th, 2007, 7:37 am

@Aidan: lol. Thanks for the catch … I’ve fixed it now. I think I need to do a post called “Edit Your Post, Leo!” Either that or learn how to count.

@everybody: any requests for the next in the Edit Your Life series?

Henrik Edberg Says:

April 5th, 2007, 7:54 am

Thanks for the tips and the reminder. I really need to edit my wardrobe and remove the clutter.

TesTeq Says:

April 5th, 2007, 8:13 am

You wrote: “If you haven’t worn an item in months, put it in the donate pile. There’s a reason you don’t wear that item — you’re probably not going to wear it again for a long while, if ever.”

Do not do it with your ski jacket and ski gloves or your swimsuit. They may be needed next year :-)

Kristin Says:

April 5th, 2007, 8:43 am

LOVE your blog!

However, I take issue with this statement: “If an item is stained or torn beyond repair, donate it.” If an item is stained or torn beyond repair…why would someone else want it??? If the item is so damaged that you don’t want to wear it, then make it a rag or throw it away. No one wants to be on the receiving end of your garbage.

Back to loving your blog and agreeing with everything else in this post. It is important to remember that you can only wear one outfit at a time! So how much do you really need? The answer: a lot less than you probably have. Thanks for this and all your excellent posts!

Leo Says:

April 5th, 2007, 9:15 am

Thanks for the comment, guys!

@Kristin: you’re probably right. Sometimes I think that someone else might still be interested in the clothing, but that’s probably just wishful thinking. I have to agree with you on this one. Thanks for setting me straight, and thanks for the nice comments about Zen Habits!

Debbie Says:

April 5th, 2007, 11:03 am

If you have too many clothes, you may also be able to prioritize things that can be machine washed over dry-clean only clothes and clothes that need little or no ironing over clothes that need lots of ironing.

Also, and this is probably more true for women (since men always get pockets), you can prioritize clothes with pockets.

You can also get rid of clothes that don’t flatter you and clothes that you no longer love.

Adding to TesTeq’s suggestions, also keep suits (you may need 3 for interviews if you have that many at one place and they can also be handy for weddings and funerals), one formal outfit, one semi-formal outfit, and one outfit for messy things (car repair or house painting — this is where you get to keep something you love, love, love that is ratty, ratty, ratty!)

I admit that I like to keep a few boxes in the garage labeled “smaller-sized clothing” and “clothes that need matches.” Well, at least my closet and dresser are still easier to deal with.

shawna Says:

April 5th, 2007, 13:00 pm

Great advice. I do this every so often myself, but have found that I hold onto things with the reasoning that I don’t have a washer/dryer in my apt so I need more clothes or I’d be doing laundry more often. The funny thing is, I don’t wear the ‘extra’ stuff that I keep so it doesn’t matter! Thanks for reminding me to clean out my closet this weekend!

ps - Found your blog via Frugal Law Student, I’ve been missing out! Got lots of posts to catch up on :)

mental_surfeit Says:

April 5th, 2007, 14:13 pm

I’ve heard that some thrift stores take old, ripped clothing/fabric (rags) and send them off to textiles recyclers. Old t-shirts are repurposed into industrial rags, I think. I would check with the store and see what their policy is, before ruling out donation.

Also - lots of crafters are interested in old, unwearable jeans… they can be made into quilts, denim rag rugs, funky patches, etc. I freecycled a whole bag of mine to someone who was glad to have them.

mental_surfeit Says:

April 5th, 2007, 14:15 pm

Also…a clothing exchange with your friends/neighbors can be a great way to part with some items you’ve been hanging onto, but which don’t really work for you. Sometimes it’s easier to give it away if it’s to a friend who you know will wear it and love it. And you can get some great “new to you” clothes! My friend organizes one of these parties twice a year, when the seasons change.

Alex Shalman Says:

April 5th, 2007, 15:59 pm

It’s definitely good to keep your house organized. I find it a bit easier if I just clean as I need to instead of waiting until things pile up. When I’m in the habit of washing the dishes right after I eat and putting clothes away (laundry basket, etc.) right after I use them, I feel motivated to do other things as well.

paulkdad Says:

April 5th, 2007, 16:51 pm

Great suggestion, thanks. After the closet is cleaned out, I find it helpful to adopt a “one in, one out” rule for clothes shopping (can also work for electronics, books, etc.). If you buy a new article of clothing, you have to take something out of your closet and get rid of it. This changes the way you look at clothes in the store, because you always have to justify your purchase by thinking of something you want to get rid of. This rule has saved our family hundreds of dollars over the years, and it keeps those nice, organized closets from cluttering up again.

Matt Says:

April 5th, 2007, 17:15 pm

A good motivator would be to throw away those clothes that fit now, leaving only those clothes that will fit once you lose those extra ten pounds–talk about serious motivation!

Leo Says:

April 5th, 2007, 17:52 pm

Great comments and suggestions, guys. I appreciate you adding to the article.

@paulkdad: I like the “one in, one out” rule and in fact have used that with kids toys, books and other similar things.

@mental_surfeit: Freecycle or an exchange with friends and neighbors would be an excellent way to recycle your clothes and other used stuff. I tried to start a freecycle in my area, but I live in a relatively small area and not enough people seemed to be interested, and it kinda died out. But I know it’s very active in other areas, so I recommend that everyone check it out.

homeinkabul Says:

April 5th, 2007, 20:02 pm

As one who has worked for small non-profits, please don’t donate your stained clothes to them. Small non-profits don’t have the capacity to clean or alter any clothes. Just tear up the old clothes and use it as a rag, or as the other commenters mentioned, make sure that the donations can be used.

Riva Says:

May 17th, 2007, 13:08 pm

I like the idea about color scheme/keeping things mostly goes-with-anything neutral and throwing a few items with color in. Will keep that in mind while I’m editing my things to move out of my college dorm (we have a great program where donations are collected at the end of every year to be sold during move-in week the next fall; proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity)

KJ Says:

June 14th, 2007, 12:45 pm

For clothes that are stained, ripped, worn out or damaged beyond repair - don’t donate them. They can go into the rag bag or into the trash. Old knit shirts make good rags for cleaning, painting, waxing the car, etc.