Give Your Wardrobe a Spring Cleaning Makeover

As spring approaches, many of us turn our attention to the dreaded task of spring cleaning our homes. But have you considered giving your wardrobe a springtime makeover, too? Now is the perfect time to take stock of what you have, what you can part with, and what you might want to purchase to get your closet ready for the sunnier days ahead. Here's how to do a springtime closet purge to get ready for spring.

The first thing to do is to take everything out of your closet. Don't leave anything behind. Once you have everything pulled out into a giant heap, it's time to make some decisions. Sort your clothes into four piles: things to keep, things to store, and things to donate, and things to toss. For each piece of clothing in the pile, decide whether it is something to keep in the closet for spring (those items that can translate from colder-weather wear into spring, such as t-shirts), the things you still want to keep but that aren't seasonally appropriate (such as sweaters), things that no longer fit or that you simply don't wear for one reason or another (things to donate), and things that are torn, stained, or worn out (things to toss). Be ruthless! If you haven't worn it in six months, donate it. If the tags are still on it, donate it. If it doesn't fit, donate it!

Once you have all of the clothes in your closet sorted into these piles, try on everything in the 'keep" piles, both the things that are going to 'spring forward" into your next-season wardrobe and the things that you are going to store until the fall. If something doesn't fit, don't keep it. Only keep the things that make you look and feel your best today, not 10, 20, or 50 pounds from now. This way, you'll know that everything in your closet makes you feel great when you put it on!

Next, it's time to look for items that need a little TLC. Is your favourite blouse missing a button? Are your best dress pants losing their hem? Taking the time to do a few little repairs will extend your wardrobe and keep your favourite items out of the toss pile a little longer – saving you money! Autumn, give your wardrobe a makeover!

Below is a simple flowchart to help you decide whether to cull or keep undecided items.

Now that you've got your wardrobe culled and sorted, take a look and see where the holes are, those categories in which you might be lacking. For example, if you have lots of spring tops but no skirts or dresses, make a note of that. If you have lots of sneakers but not sandals, that's something to note, too. Once you know what you need to fill out your wardrobe, it's time to go shopping. By taking note of what you have and what you would like to have to complete your spring wardrobe, you can stop strategically, focusing on only the things you need. This will save you time and money, and the result will be a well-rounded spring wardrobe full of things that make you look and feel your best. This Autumn, give your wardrobe a makeover!

Image Source: Style with Cindy Melbourne