25 Things to Declutter from Your Closet in Right Now!

Is your closet overflowing but somehow you still feel like you have nothing to wear? Today we're going to fix that. I'm walking you through 25 things to declutter from your closet right now so you can make room for the pieces you actually love to wear. This isn't about guilt, perfection, or pressure. It's about clearing space for a wardrobe that feels modern, fresh, and 100% you. And don't worry, I'm not just going to tell you what to get rid of. I'll also give you ideas for what to replace things with or how to style smarter with what you keep. Ready for a fresh start? Let's dive right in. First we're going to talk about outdated fits and shape. Number one on my list, pants that dig, sag, or bunch. We all have a lot of those that we've come across over the years. If they gape at the waist or pull across the hips or bunch up in the crotch every time you try to wear them, these pants are not the ones that you want to hold on to. So it's time to let those go. They're the kind of pants you put on every every once in a while. You think I'm going to give these a try. You put them on, you wear them around for a few minutes and you think, oh I'm so uncomfortable. These don't feel feel good. They don't fit well. Let me get them off. You put them right back in your closet and they're still hanging around years later. So those are the pants you should let go. Number two on my list is skirts with awkward lengths. And when I'm talking about these skirts, they are the ones that hit at the widest part of your calf. And what that's going to do is chop you right off, make you look chunkier, heavier. It's going to give your leg a heavier look and it just gives you a weighed down, crumpy look. So the way to combat that is to try a knee length or just above or below the knee or almost a midi to maxi length. So it's going to hit below that wide part of your calf, almost like a T length. You remember T length? That's what you're looking for. So you want right around the knee or you want T length or longer. Don't go for the ones that are going to hit right mid calf and chop you off. Number three on my list is tops that are too boxy. The reason why I'm calling out those tops that are boxy is because if you just wear them like that, they give you a very chopped up look, they're shapeless. But that doesn't mean you have to get rid of them. One of the things I recommend is giving it a little tuck in in the front. Just take maybe a hand's width and tuck that in, blouse it over a little bit. That's going to give the whole shirt some shape. So if you want to hold on to those boxier tops, that's fine. But this is just a little work around to make it look even better. And you can also, when you're shopping, look for tops that are going to skim your figure rather than have that boxy look. Number four on my list is dresses with outdated cuts. We're talking dresses with cold shoulder cutouts, baby doll dresses, and some silhouettes that just don't flatter your figure anymore. You're still hanging on to those? It's time to pass them on. Number five on my list is the clothes that used to fit if only. Now how many of these do you have in your closet? I know I just did some spring cleaning and I had quite a few of them. Loaded them up and got them out of my closet. What are those pieces? They are the maybe someday I'll wear them. Maybe someday I'll fix them. Maybe someday I'll lose the weight. Maybe someday my proportions will be better. The fit will be different. It's not going to happen. And you end up seeing all these clothes in your closet are the maybe someday. Maybe someday I'll have an occasion to wear it. That you're holding on to. They're taking up space that you have to see every time you go get dressed and you feel like a little bit of a failure or a little something's wrong with you because you have all these maybe someday pieces. Time to let those go. And I think a lot of us beat ourselves up ourselves up thinking well if only my body was this way it would fit. Sometimes the clothes are just lousy and they just need to be out of your closet. There are a lot of clothes that have bad cuts to them that just don't work no matter what kind of body you have. So it's okay to say no to those pieces and dress for the body that you have today. Keep the clothes in your closet that fit you today and you will feel so much happier every time you open your closet up. We've already gone through the first five and if you have tossed several pieces in this category already, great job. Focus on finding well-fitting basics like great fitting jeans, a button front shirt, or a flowy dress that make you feel amazing. Section number two is worn out staples. So now we're on to the next section of this list and we're talking about those basics that you wear every day. You don't even think about them. They might be starting to look ragged and worn out so let's go through them. The number six on the list is faded black tops. When black turns gray it's time to let it go because a crisp black top is going to instantly elevate any look as opposed to a washed out, used to be black, now it's dingy gray. That just isn't going to look pulled together, elegant, anything. Just time to say goodbye to that. Number seven on the list is yellowed whites and I'm talking about t-shirts, tank tops, button downs. Any of those that have lost their brightness, maybe they have yellow pit stains from deodorant, stains that just don't come out from spills, or just have gotten dingy over the years in the wash and from all that wear. They need to go. Say goodbye to them. Start looking for the replacements. Number eight on the list is pilled sweaters. Now when we talk about sweaters, you can try a sweater shaver. I have one. I love it. I used it all season long on my cashmere sweaters and it was a game changer. It took off that little layer of fuzz and pilling and made my sweaters look so much more elevated and elegant. But sometimes it hits a point where the pilling has gone just crazy and it's time to let those sweaters go. A shaver isn't going to do them any good, especially if you shave it and it still looks worn out. It's time to let that go. Number nine on my list is misshapen camis or slips. Now this isn't something we talk about very often. We hardly ever talk about slips anymore. If you're still wearing those pieces and they are getting worn out and they've lost their shape, they're not going to be that refined base layer that you're looking for to give a smooth elegant silhouette. Especially when the elastic is shot or the pieces don't lay flat anymore, or sometimes if it has lace on it, the lace gets all stretched out. So if it's not laying well, get those pieces out. Number 10 on the list is worn out jeans. It can take a while, but jeans can and will wear out. And you know, if they're saggy in the butt, if they're saggy in the knees, they've bagged out in all the wrong places, they're just not flattering when you wear them anymore. So that that's a sign it's time to say goodbye to those. And you know, when we're talking about all this, what to get rid of, you don't need to just go out and buy more stuff. You need the right stuff. Pieces that look and feel good on you every time you wear them. So now let's get into section three, which is shoes that hurt your feet or that date you. So continuing with our big list, number 11 is uncomfortable heels, that you won't wear them. And if you do, you're going to be suffering in pain. So as beautiful as that pair of heels might be, if you don't wear them and they hurt your feet, take them out of your closet. Number 12 on the list is worn down flats. Flats can wear down surprisingly fast because there's not not always a ton of sole material. So if they're scuffed, bent, or the soles are cracked, if you can't repair them or take them to a cobbler to have them fixed, it's time to let them go. Because worn out, scuffed up, broken down shoes are not going to do your outfits any favors. They're not going to give you that polished, pulled together look you're going for. Number 13 on the list, heavy looking sneakers. Remember a few years ago when those dad looking sneakers were all the rage? Bigger, bulkier, chunkier shoes the better. Well now that look is starting to look dated and what it does is it actually weighs down your outfit. So what you want to replace them with is a sleeker, more modern pair of sneakers. Number 14 on the list, old flip-flops or slides. Now both of these flip-flops and slides are making an in trend for this season. However, that does not mean you pull out your 10 year old flip-flops and slides that are usually worn to the pool or to the beach. They've lost their shape and you're kind of trudging along in them. They don't look good. So if they're in good shape, fine. But if not, keep them for the pool and the beach and opt for some fresher modern pieces that are going to make your outfit look elevated. Now we're on to section number four, which is accessories you've outgrown. This is a section we don't always talk about. We forget about accessories a lot. They change so quickly that it's an easy way to see if an outfit is up-to-date and modern or not based on the accessories. So number 15 on our long list is belts that are cracked or don't fit. If they're worn out, they're too wide or too skinny or the buckle's wonky or the holes aren't working anymore, the holes are torn or don't fit your shape or if they cut you in the wrong part of your body, it's probably time to let those belts go. And I bet you've got a lot of them tucked away somewhere in the back of your closet. Number 16 on the list, statement jewelry from at least a decade ago. Because you know with jewelry, some pieces are trendy for a hot minute and now when you wear them, they just look kind of out of place and completely dated. So if you're going to bring in new pieces, aim for timeless pieces, chic pieces, quality pieces, as opposed to those quick inexpensive jewelry items that are out of date almost as quickly as you wear them. They only last like a season or two and then it was like, oh that was so 2020. You know, get those pieces out of your closet. I like to think of them as the junk jewelry pieces because they just don't have the staying power. Number 17 on the list, novelty or overly sparkly handbags. You know, if you have a big rhinestone clutch in the bottom of a drawer, it's not serving you anymore, why are you still holding on to it? Try looking for classic textures, wicker for the spring and summer, leather or canvas. Number 18 on the list, scarves you haven't styled in years. Now scarves are actually making a very big trend this season. We're seeing them everywhere, absolutely gorgeous scarves, but sometimes the patterns on them can get a little dated or even if you have scarves and you go to put them on and something just feels off, it just might not be the right scarf for right now. It's sitting in your drawer and you have a bunch of them collecting dust, maybe it's time to let those go. Donate it to someone who will actually love it again. And while we're talking about all these accessories, remember the whole goal of accessories is to elevate your look, not weigh you down and scream five trends ago. Section number five, impulse buys that never got worn. Number 19 on our long list, things with tags still on them. Now I wonder if you can go through your closet and count how many items you have with tags on it, put that in the comments because so many of us have clothes with tags still on them, didn't work for one reason or another. It might have been an impulse buy, it could be the fit is off, you just don't have anything to go with it, it doesn't suit your lifestyle, whatever the reason, if you're still holding on to those, it's time to let those go. For some reason it wasn't right for you. Number 20 on the list, pieces that don't feel like you. Maybe you purchased a wild print blazer or a fringe vest and you don't look at it and think it's your style in any way, shape or form. If you don't feel amazing in it and it doesn't feel like you, it's time to let that go. Number 21, sale items you settled for and I think this is one that we as women just get sucked into again and again. Our favorite brands are having a big blowout sale and we have to go get something. We go in, wow the deals are absolutely amazing and it was such a great price, you buy it, you think oh it's so cheap it doesn't even matter, I'm gonna buy it and you bought it because it was on sale, you bought it because it was a good deal, not because it was really meant for you and not because you loved it. You end up having a closet full of filler when you buy those pieces instead of clothes you actually really love to have and love to wear and what I want for you is for you to have a closet full of favorites, not a closet full of fillers. Number 22 on the list, things you're saving for the right occasion. I had someone tell me recently that she had bought a lot of really fancy clothes because they were for her dream life but she doesn't actually wear those pieces every day and she doesn't actually have occasions to wear those pieces but maybe it's time to start making those occasions. If you're not going to take them out of your closet, create ways that you can wear them. You might have a fancy dress but if you throw it on and pair it with cute sneakers and a denim jacket it's going to make that whole outfit look very casual and fun and relaxed and you can go about your day wearing that dress that you absolutely love and give it a whole new look and just like we do with our china, our fine china, we think oh I can only take it out Thanksgiving or Christmas or when company's coming. Start wearing the good stuff. That's why it's here. You've probably spent a lot of money on it and if you're not going to get it out of your closet, start wearing it now. Now we're on to section number six which is color or print regrets. Number 23 on the list, loud prints that just feel off. You might have thought this item was really cool when you saw it in the store, on display, on the model. It looked really great then you get it home and it's just not your vibe. Pattern might be too loud or not the colors you like or just too busy and if that doesn't align with your current style, it's time to let it go and you can do that guilt-free. There is no guilt here. Get those pieces out of your closet that aren't working for you right now. Number 24 is colors that don't flatter you. If the colors make your skin look dull or sick or you just never reach for it, it might be time to declutter it and if you're wondering, I don't know what to do. My hair has changed, I've turned gray, the way things look on me is different. I recently created an entire video on how to choose the right colors for gray hair. You can check it out. We talk about all the best colors for you. There's lots of ideas in there so go check out that video before you declutter because of the colors because it will help give you some guidance in that area. Number 25 on my list, pieces that don't go with anything else. Maybe you bought something in a boutique or a different store that you know from where you normally shop and it just is totally out of your vibe and it doesn't work with anything else in your closet, then it's not really serving you, is it? If you have to go, if you just bought a new shirt and you have to go buy an entirely new outfit to go with that one item, it's probably not your vibe and it probably is just going to sit in your closet for a long time. So get those items out of the closet that don't serve your current style or your current vibe and you have my full permission to release that item. Now that you've cleared out the clutter, the next step is to make your wardrobe work for you and I've created a free guide to help you get started. It's called the Ultimate Style Refresh. It's a free PDF download. I will link it in the description and it's filled with tips on how to rebuild your wardrobe with pieces that flatter, fit and feel amazing. Like I said, I'll link it below so you can grab your copy and if you're craving even more style support, come join me inside my online style community Style Encore. We're all about real-life style for women over 50. It's fun, supportive and packed with inspiration. Now which one of these tasks are you going to tackle first? Let me know in the comments. You know I love hearing from you. Stay gorgeous and I'll see you in the next video.