Resolve to Clear Your Closet and Your Head

Can clearing out your closet really change your life? I never get tired of telling people how and why it can. Most people tell themselves they'll "get to it" over the weekend. Then the weeks come and go and before you know it, it has been a year and your closet is still a mess. The number one thing my clients tell me (besides that they admire the style of Kate Middleton most) is that they can't believe it took them so long to clean/clear out their closets. What they really mean is that they can't believe how long they've taken to REALIZE THE BENEFITS of it. If they had understood before, they wouldn't have waited so long.

Since I had a baby 5 weeks ago, my closet has been looking like a client's before picture. Between managing my business while I'm absent (was that an oxymoron?), writing thank you notes and snuggling with the baby, I have not been able to prioritize cleaning out my closet. However, every morning when I go to get dressed, I am overwhelmed by the amount of clothes in my closet that don't work. Over and over again, I just reach for the same basic black items that I know will work. Being who I am, I was not willing to let this go on any longer (much less for the months or even years most of my clients had before they found me). Last week I ordered a bunch of new tops online (and on clearance!) in bright, happy colors; and a few days ago I FINALLY started taking the maternity clothes out before I put in the new, fun clothes that make me feel good.

The benefits? Now I can get dressed again! Also, I'm not hesitant to accept a lunch or coffee date because I know I can grab something out of my closet in a minute that works and energizes me. In addition, I'm more motivated to exercise and eat right so that I can get back into my old clothes. Do I only have a handful of pants that fit me right now? Yes. However, having two pairs of jeans that work freaks me out a whole lot less than having to find the only two that work, under a pile of seven that don't, in a ridiculously crowded closet. A woman with two kids does not have time to dig through her closet every morning!

The moral of this story is not that you need to buy new clothes, but that you can and deserve to have a stress-free morning (maybe you can't make the kids wear matching clothes, eat their breakfast or remember their lunch, but at least you won't be spending unnecessary time finding your own clothes). Buying new clothes won't help if you can't see the forest for the trees in your own closet!

You can find much of what remains to be said about how and why to clear the clutter in your closet in my past blogs. See below for the list of "greatest hits" to motivate you to clear your closet this year. In January. Not December.

Happy Clearing the Clutter and Happy New Year!

Do You Control Your Closet or Does Your Closet Control You? 

Lani Finally Buys The Closet She Deserves

To Buy or Not To Buy

To Keep or Not To Keep

The Container Store Did Not Pay Me For This One

The 5 Questions: Why You Should Clear Your Clutter

Do You Control Your Closet or Does Your Closet Control You?

Has your dream closet been within reach all along? Could there be a $10 solution to what seems like a million dollar problem? You are not as limited by your space as you think you are.

It is amazing to me how many people give up on their wardrobe due to perceived limits in their physical space. What is it that Oprah says?  "It was all in your control the whole time." Exactly!

I recently conducted a Closet Makeover for a woman with a typical NYC closet: tall and narrow, without enough hanging space. Being forced to fold most of her clothing (never a good idea!) meant that she had to sift through piles every morning when trying to get dressed for work. A woman with two children under the age of 5 is never going to have neat, folded piles on open shelves. This is why I avoid them at all costs except for easily identifiable items such as bulky sweaters or jeans.

Most New Yorkers without enough closet space think they’ll have to invest an extra million in a new apartment before they can enjoy a closet that works for them. Au contraire! The solution to this closet conundrum? The previous owner of the apartment had actually installed an Elfa system from the Container Store (25% off until Sept 4^th!) in my client's bedroom closet.  Our solution was removing some shelves, adjusting the placement of others, and installing a new hanging bar in the closet.  10 minutes and $10 later, et voilà! My client 's dream closet had been within her reach all along.

The client did commit to some major wardrobe editing.  Who doesn’t need to edit after two children and a career and country change? The results were a functional closet filled only with clothes that fit and flattered her, a targeted shopping list to complete her wardrobe, and an understanding of how to dress her “new” body type.  Most importantly, she found her dream closet!