Everyone loves cute spring clothes, but no one loves spring cleaning. Still, it's a necessary evil to shake out all the cobwebs and rejuvenate your space. Don't stop at the walls and floors, though. After cleaning under the sofa and washing the curtains, you need to hit up your closet. It deserves a spring cleaning, as well.
Getting rid of items you no longer want or wear will free up space in addition to showing you what you have and what you need. With our help, you can have a blast editing your closet and treating yourself to new items to replace what you toss. Are you ready to do a spring fashion edit?
Empty Out Your Closets and Drawers
Spring cleaning is a bit more entertaining when you turn your attention to your closets and dresser drawers. In the beginning, it might seem like you're just making another mess but trust us. It comes together in the end, plus you get to buy cute spring clothes to fill in the gaps.
What you need to do is to empty out everything, including your socks and underwear. This is a full-scale spring cleaning. The idea is to know exactly what you're working with so that you can edit your wardrobe appropriately.
Take Stock of What You Have
With all of your clothes spread out, it's time to take stock of what you own. It helps if you organize items as you remove them from the closet and dresser. Put all of your shirts in one place, your bottoms in another, and your statement pieces in a different location. A bit of organization goes a long way toward ensuring that your spring fashion edit is a speedy and even pleasurable process. Remember, at the end of it, you get to pick out new clothes!
Ditch Anything You Haven't Worn (Within Reason)
Here comes the fun part. You get to start editing down your wardrobe now. As a general rule, you're better off getting rid of anything that you haven't worn in a while—say six months to a year.
There are exceptions to that rule, however. For instance, perhaps there's a little black dress that you only wear to fancy events, and you haven't been to one in a while. That's fine. There's no reason to ditch your stunning LBD. Simply avoid the temptation to make an “exception” for every piece you can't bring yourself to get rid of right now.
Otherwise, there's no excuse for holding onto those holographic pleather pants or that lime green cropped sweater. While picking out clothes to toss, pay attention to any patterns. You may notice yourself throwing out trendy items that never found their way into your wardrobe rotation. There's a lesson to be learned there: trends don't always withstand the test of time, they're not practical, and you may be better off avoiding them in favor of cute spring clothes and timeless style staples.
Toss Items That Don't Fit
Similarly, you should get rid of clothes that don't fit during your spring fashion edit. Yes, you might be able to wear those jeans that are two sizes too small at some point, but who knows when? Don't punish yourself by holding onto clothing. Having a goal dress or pants is one thing. Hanging onto items that haven't fit in years while is something else entirely. Wouldn't you rather make room for new and stylish clothes that fit you like a dream?
Save Functional Pieces That Go with Anything
We've talked about what to throw away as you clean your closet. Now let's discuss all of the items that you get to keep. It comes down to functionality, practicality, versatility, and wearability. Keep in mind those four factors and you'll do fine.
This is the point where you're likely to find all of your hidden basics. The object of this step is to choose the most versatile pieces in your wardrobe. Naturally, your jeans fit into that category, provided they fit well, of course. Neutral bottoms and tops, cardigans that you can layer, and button-down tops are included, as well.
Your main aim is to save back pieces that you can easily mix and match with the rest of your clothing. You don't necessarily have to create a capsule wardrobe at this juncture, but it's smart to follow along with the philosophy of a capsule closet. You increase your wardrobe potential when you can mix and match. You always have an outfit at the ready and you're never at a loss for something to wear.
Create Outfits with What You Have Left
After you've pinpointed the clothing you want to keep but before you go shopping for cute new spring clothes, you get to indulge your creative side. Take a step back, survey the clothes that made the cut, and start to imagine all the outfits that you can put together with what remains.
For instance, let's say you have a black pencil skirt. You can pair it with a white button-up for a crisp workday outfit. Wear it with a cute blouse for a date night ensemble. Style it with a camisole and a cardigan for an effortlessly stylish outfit that's fit for running errands or enjoying lunch with the girls.
In general, every item in your closet should go with at least three separate outfits. Those one-off trendy pieces take up valuable real estate without offering anything in return, especially if you rarely if ever wear them.
Splurge on a Shopping Spree to Fill the Holes
Now that your spring fashion edit is complete, are you ready to go shopping? It's time to replenish your wardrobe! You should now have an excellent idea about what's lacking in your closet. Go buy the basics to round out the rest of your clothing. You can—and should—still choose statement items, such as an eye-catching sweater or a mini skirt. The trick is to pick out pieces that will go with everything else in your closet.
When's the last time you cleaned out your closet? After you're done spring cleaning, sign up with Obsessions Boutique to save on all the cute spring clothes you need!