Edit Your Closet in 4 Simple Steps
In honor of our 1 year anniversary as a brick-and-mortar store, I want to share some tips on how to edit your closet. Since wardrobe styling and closet editing is how Council was born in 2014, I want to give you my 4 simple steps, or stacks rather, on how to simplify and edit your closet. I know it can seem like an overwhelming process, and while a few pieces may hold emotional attachment, most of it is a quick, knee-jerk reaction to each piece.
Go through your closet piece by piece. Gauge your reaction to each piece. And here's the tricky part- go with your gut, get a mirror if you need to! Your face will tell if even the pieces you wear often make you roll your eyes with disgust. Sounds funny, but I'm not kidding. Life is short, don't wear clothes you hate.
Make 4 stacks!
1. Clothes that fit well and I know I want to keep, but need to be styled into outfits.
2. Clothes I love but don't fit just right, so need to be altered. Also in this stack, Clothes I love for the memory, but don't want to wear- i.e. your grandmother's sweater or dress you wore on your first date with your husband in 1988 when giant puff sleeves were in.
3. Clothes I do not like (don't fit my style anymore, don't fit well and not worth altering) but a nice piece- send to consignment.
4. Clothes I do not like and are not in wonderful condition, but are okay- send to donation.
After you've made your stacks, organize your closet in the way that serves you best. I like sleeveless to long-sleeve and lights to darks within those sleeve lengths. That's just how I find my clothes easiest. Some of you may prefer organizing by outfits, or a friend recently told me she organizes by the rainbow - ROYGBIV (bless her OCD heart! You know who you are. LOVE YA!) Whatever helps you find pieces more quickly when getting dressed is the ticket.
If you live in an older home you probably have smaller closets (I feel your pain), so seasonal clothing should be put away in the attic or a cedar closet to maximize space in your everyday closet. I'm talking wools, heavy fabrics put away. Don't put everything you consider a sweater away. You will need those light layers no matter how warm your local climate. The AC in restaurants during the Summer is almost colder than a Georgia winter!
I hope you feel light and free after editing down your wardrobe! Stay tuned for posts on how to style those pieces in #1, and keep watching our insta stories for daily inspo!