The other morning all I wanted to wear was a specific shirt that is my favorite because it is so unbelievably comfortable. The problem was I couldn’t find it anywhere and had class in five minutes. Unfortunately, my tiny room is overflowing with massive amounts of clothing I don’t want to part with. It’s a gene I inherited from my mother, a habitual rummage sale shopper and extreme deal hunter. For her, it’s any odd ends she may buy; for me, it’s my clothes. 

I am waiting for my roommates to one day put me on the show “Hoarders” as a joke. After 15 minutes, with no comfy v-neck for my day, I decided it was time to start a new resolution: To clean out my closet. Join me in figuring out the best tips and getting advice from Jess Zaino, celebrity style expert, on how to get your closet in tip-top shape and make searching for your clothes a much easier process.

First step in our journey is to commit to yourself that you will be tough in determining what pieces to keep. I believe people tend to keep things because they might come back in style eventually. The truth is, if you don’t wear it now, you probably will never wear it and it’s just taking up space. After you’ve committed to clean up your act, repeat with me the mantra, “out with the old in with the new” frequently.

Next, I have to try on everything in my closet. This, though tedious, helps me to figure out what I have and what looks the most flattering on my body. According to Zaino, “If you are not sure of an item of clothing, have a friend take a picture of you in it… then you can really decide if you will ever wear it.”

The first pile of clothes I create is the “money” pile. This will be made up of clothes still in good condition but you’ve come to see they just aren’t your taste or don’t fit anymore. You probably spent a good amount of money on them in the first place, so this is a great way to make some of that back. Aim for brand name pieces and those that are still of good quality because otherwise the store may not buy them from you. Also, Zaino recommends if it has tags on it, get rid of it! You haven’t worn it yet for some reason and that reason is enough for you to toss it.

The next pile is the ever dreaded “go” pile. If you are just keeping it in hopes you will fit into it again or it’s a somewhat embarrassing gift, put it in this pile. It isn’t worth having around you for months or years if you don’t feel comfortable wearing it. This is my biggest trouble pile. Sometimes I really just don’t want to part with that shirt I wore on that fun date with that cute guy freshman year. But you have to ask yourself, “When is the last time I wore this”? If you don’t know the answer or it’s been over a year absolutely get rid of it. If you think you want to keep those skinny jeans just in case you fit into them again, toss them. If you want to keep that green hat just in case it comes back into style, toss it. 

Have your friends look through this pile or donate it to a thrift store, like Goodwill or St. Vincent de Paul here in Madison. Put it in a box in the back seat of your car so you remind yourself to take it to the donation center. Then I always try to remember to keep the donation receipt for tax purposes.

For those items you still can’t see go, place in the “questionable” pile. Seeing as you don’t wear them very often, pack them away in a plastic storage bin for when you do need them.

The last pile to create is the “save” pile. This is for the clothes that just need some alterations or tailored a bit to fit you correctly again. A good tailoring on your favorite clothing item can do wonders for how it flatters your body. “Take it to a dry cleaner, take it to a tailor, fix up the stitching, don’t wash it too much…you can extend a piece if you really want to,” Zaino said.

Finally, once the dust is settled, it’s time to reorganize what you have left. I decided to store together like colors and pieces. Then I set my hangers all in the same direction so I could easily look at the front of each item. A recommendation I decided to finally follow is having all the same hangers. Zaino recommends to invest in nice uniform hangers to give your closet that department store feel. 

“You won’t believe what a difference seeing your clothes hanging all at the same height does for seeing what’s in there,” she informed me. Though I never wanted to dish out the money before, now looking at my closet it really makes a difference, but stay away from metal hangers, which can change the shape of your clothes.

After I’m finished cleaning, my efforts are paid off in that I know what I have to choose from and can finally find everything I want to wear. I look to my planner and mark six months from now to clean out my closet again. Never underestimate what you can do in small spaces. A few tiny adjustments and effort to organize your closet can do wonders for how you feel about picking out your outfit in the morning.

Gina Jensen is a senior majoring in retail and wannabe Carrie Bradshaw. Send fashion faux pas and column ideas to [email protected].