three women dressed fashionably standing side by side

You're lying in bed, about to get up for your day. You're trying to avoid eye contact with your closet, but you catch a glimpse out of the corner of your eye.

**As soon as you open that foreboding door, there's an avalanche of unfolded clothes just waiting to spill out.**

Help! What now? How do you make outfits out of this mess?

Grab our free Closet Editing Guide and learn more tips on how to make dozens of outfits you love!

LGY to the rescue. You're not alone if you've ever been swallowed by satin or eclipsed by cotton.

Downsizing Your Closet and Cleaning Out the Junk - The Name of the Game

As personal stylists, we talk a lot about clearing out old garments to make sure you have the right pieces and can bring in the correct new pieces.

However, if you don't clear your closet the right way, you're gonna end up having to buy the same things again. Or worse - get rid of things that have a lot of outfits still left in them!

You might even have to clear your closet out again a few years later!

It's normal to have to re-evaluate your closet throughout your life.

Clearing things out is a necessity, but if you don't know how to do it properly, you're still gonna get caught in a cycle of consumption.

Step One: Edit Your Closet By Confirming The Keepers

Right off the bat, pull all the pieces that you love and put them to the side.

These are the garments you find yourself reaching for consistently, at least once a week.

Ask yourself a few questions about them, now that you're looking at them all in one place.

What do all these pieces have in common?
How do they fit?
Are there any consistent colors?
What personal style vibe do they give off? (Boho, Sophisticated, Artsy, etc.)

This will help you lay the foundation for the rest of your purge.

These qualities will be your guide for what to look for in the rest of your wardrobe. You may even find some hidden gems you've forgotten about that become staples in your everyday look!

Step Two: Have More Of The Right Clothes! The Marie Kondo of it All

"Does it spark joy?" - Marie Kondo

This has become a quintessential piece of advice for any kind of closet cleanup, but we think it applies MOST to clothes. A blender may not spark joy, but that doesn't mean you should throw it away!

When it comes to purging your closet, if items aren't there to serve a purpose and be functional, "sparking joy" will be your compass.

Fashion is like wearable art, and art is completely subjective. We can apply a subjective concept like joy to this very easily, as opposed to focusing on utility. Utility is a factor in fashion, but it isn't everything.

Step Three: Toss The Bad Boyfriends and End The Toxic Relationship with Clothes

On the flip side of "sparking joy" is sparking side-eye. If you look at a piece and feel the urge to roll your eyes, take that as your body's cue that it's time to say goodbye.

If you've hated the fit, feel, or color of a garment for years, chances are that's not going to change.

Getting rid of things can create a weirdly strong feeling of anxiety and fear, but try to let that pass and focus on how much you've hated it.

You're not doing yourself any good letting pieces you hate sit around taking up valuable closet real estate! We need that space for stuff you'll actually wear.

Step Four: Getting Organized After You've Edited Your Closet

Now that you have a sense of what stays and what goes, you can start organizing.

For a lot of folks, this is the most intimidating part of the process.

The trick is to think as small as possible as you work. You should only be focused on where the garment in your hand is going, not how much you have to organize. If you think too much about all the time it will take to get your closet together, you'll never get it done. Take the process beat by beat.

This is your opportunity to make your life easier and create a routine that works for you. You're sacrificing one day or afternoon to help yourself be the best version of you.

It's a radical act of self-love, and you'll be so grateful you took the time to do it.

Studies have shown time and time again that a de-cluttered space is way more conducive to productivity.

Who doesn't want to be more productive?

A few tips on this part of the process:

Hang up as much as you can
If your closet allows, leave small spaces between the hangers so you can see each garment clearly
Sort your garments by color or style
Use cabinet organizers
Check out our Closet Organization recommendations

Pro Stylist Tip: While you were sorting your clothes, I'll bet you found some great pieces you forgot about. Try putting those front and center in your closet! This is a great way to revamp your wardrobe without buying new.

Ready to create your ultimate dream closet?