The 6 Months Rule

Do you ever find yourself in your closet completely overwhelmed by the innumerable amount of items in front of you, yet you still have NOTHING to wear! Don't worry, you're not alone in that. We all do it. Fashion is ever changing which means that our wardrobes are ever increasing. We must however do our due diligence to keep the screaming, crying, closet breakdowns at a minimum. I saw this idea on Pinterest over a year ago, and I fell in love! It is a simple and completely brilliant way to keep your closet organized and shows you what you truly wear. Thus I impart to you, the "6 Months Rule".

After you have worn an item from your wardrobe and you are ready to put it back in your closet, hang the hanger backwards so that the front of the hook is facing you. Do this every time that you put clothing back into your closet. At the end of six months, get rid of the items that are still hung up traditionally. If you have not worn an item in 6 months, it must not have an impact on your style. (Note that this does not count for special occasion pieces such as formal wear or seasonal clothing. I keep my wardrobe in my closet by seasons. All of my clothing is not in the closet, so for me, at the end of the 6 months, that is about the time I would need to swap out my wardrobes anyway.)

Now that you have cleaned out your closet, you've got to do something with the clothing. Being the stylish and fashionable lady that you are, anywhere would love to have your donations! Many places do offer monetary compensation for your clothing while others are simply donations (but can count as a tax write off). Need a reason to see your girlfriends and have a glass of wine? Have a swap party! Bring the items that you are set to rid from your wardrobe and swap pieces with your friends. Something that may no longer suit your tastes or you have simply grown tired of could be just the thing that one of your girls has been searching for. Plus, let's be honest. When we clean out our closets, we create space for new clothes. What girl doesn't love some retail therapy?!

I really do love this little trick. It makes my spring cleaning routine of my closet exponentially easier! It also helps me to find new ways to wear something. If I am approaching my 6 month mark and have something still hanging traditionally that I just can't bare to part with (for whatever reason) I find a new way to wear the piece, reinvent it in some way, and I get to keep it with a new sense of style and purpose for the piece.

I would also encourage you to do this same thing with shoes, handbags and accessories. Though it might be hard for you to display those in a way that is obvious as to what you are and are not wearing, you can be honest with yourself when going through your pieces, and get rid of the things that you do not actually use or wear! If I'm being honest, the shoes are the hardest thing for me to get rid of. I always claim that I'll wear them with that one special outfit, and we both know that I never do! (That's why I have over 120 pairs that take up an ungodly amount of space in my closet, and it's completely ridiculous! You may not be able to see it clearly in the photo, but the top rack of my closet is covered in shoes, there is a shoe rack and the bottom of my closet is lined in shoes.)

I hope this little tip helps!

Fashionably,
Kate