18 Jan How Cleaning Out Your Closet Can Help You Define Your Personal Style

I know, that title sounds a bit counter intuitive, right? Cleaning out your closet can teach you something and even benefit your style? Absolutely! Last year I donated a fourth of my wardrobe. It was a weekend long project, but it was totally worth it.

First, need tips to clean out your closet? I have a few posts just for you: 5 Tips to Effortlessly Clean Out Your Closet and The Laundry Hack that Makes Cleaning Out Your Closet Easy. Trust me, I know the thought of cleaning out your closet can seem daunting, but it’s a manageable task.

Also, defining your personal style is so important because it helps give you better direction when you go shopping. You need to know what pieces work best for your lifestyle and body type.

Ok, lets get back to the closet…So now once your closet is all cleaned out, take a minute to step back and you might notice common themes with the stuff you no longer want/need and with what’s left in your closet.

What You Donated
Take a look at the clothes and accessories you decided to get rid of. Do they have anything in common?

For me, I got rid of a ton of duplicates in my closet. I had about eight denim shirts and most of them looked the same! Also, I donated a bunch of sparkly dresses and uncomfortable shoes I swore I’d get around to wearing.

The common theme for me was buying stuff I thought was so cute and fun, but I never actually got around to wearing them, either because they’re uncomfortable or impractical.

And you might notice some common themes about the clothes you’re getting rid of. Maybe you buy a lot of stuff you never wear because it was on sale but you didn’t really love the piece. Do you purchase clothes that don’t exactly fit your lifestyle? Have you had to ditch a ton of gear because your body has changed drastically? Are you getting rid of 5 pairs of black skinny jeans because you already have 8 pairs of them?

Take all of this into account, as this can be your guide as to what NOT to purchase in the future.

[bctt tweet=”Want to define your personal style? Clean out your closet. Here’s how! “]

So moving on to what remains in your closet…

What’s Left Behind
Seeing what’s left in your closet is the perfect opportunity for you to get a snapshot of your personal style.

For me, I have a lot of jeans, button downs, chunky sweaters, girly dresses and the occasional glittery, sparkly number. I always thought my style was casual chic and my cleaned out closet confirms that. But I don’t have some basic wardrobe staples every woman needs.

If you define your style as casual, but you’re left with a ton of dressy clothes, then you might want to rethink how your closet truly reflects your style. Maybe you need to define your style differently or you need to add items to your closet that truly reflect the look you’re going for.

[bctt tweet=”Clean out your closet to define your style, learn what to buy & avoid in the future.”]

Again, I know cleaning out your closet is a time consuming task that no one looks forward to, but it really, truly is necessary. Especially if you want to revamp your style or feel you buy a lot of stuff you never really wear, this is a great solution to rectify that!

Have you done a closet purge recently? What tips do you have to clean out your closet? Have you noticed anything interesting or eye opening about your personal style since cleaning out your closet?

photo: 1, 3