From The Straits Times    |
4 easy steps to clean out your closet thumb


Don’t wait until your wardrobe collapses on you. Declutter now. © Bernd Vogel/Corbis

Repeat after me: I don’t need everything in my wardrobe. Good. Because this is exactly what you need to keep in mind when you start to clean out your closet. Whether your cupboard doors can’t shut because your mountain of clothes keeps growing or you still have dresses from your childhood hanging in your wardrobe, you need to declutter.

Why? Once you have cleaned out your closet and gotten rid of everything you don’t want and need, it will be less stressful and a snap to dress in the morning so you can get more precious minutes of sleep.

Still with me? Let’s go through each piece of clothing with these four questions that are going to make decluttering painless and stress-free.

1. DO YOU LIKE IT?
YES: You fell in love with the paisley-print tea dress the moment you spotted it. Move on to question 2.
NO: Every time you see the sleeve of this tie-dyed T-shirt, you have no idea why you bought it. Toss it please.

2. DOES IT FIT / IS IT TORN OR STAINED?
YES: The condition of those flare jeans is as good as new. Go to question 3.
NO: If what you fondly dub your “skinny” pants are tied to pre-puberty memories, they should go. For those working to lose some pounds, your motivation should not be pants from the past but brand new ones that are going to the reward when you hit your goal. Clothing with stains or are torn? Move to question 3 only if you will mend them. If not, they have to go.

3. HAVE YOU WORN IT IN THE LAST YEAR?
YES: Your trusty LBD is your go-to for events that have no specific or clear dress code – what is “cocktail casual” anyway? Go to question 4.
NO: The Manchester United jersey with David Beckham’s number seven hasn’t seen the light of the day since the football player left the English Premier League. Please toss it.

4. DOES IT PROJECT THE IMAGE I WANT TO PORTRAY / WOULD I STILL BUY IT TODAY?
YES: Your only regret is that you didn’t snap up every colour the silk blouse came in. Congratulations, it’s a keeper and a wardrobe staple.
NO: I’m going to assume you wore your beloved Backstreet Boys T-shirt to sleep in the last year – #nojudgement. But would you still snap up the same piece if you were out shopping today? Do you think it reflects the correct image you want to be known for? For your own sake, toss it.

You did it! You successfully decluttered your closet.

Now, for those still-in-good condition bits of clothing you don’t want, someone else can love them now by sending them to the Salvation Army or the New2U Thrift Shop.