Ask Harry: How Do I Clean My Closet Going into a New Year?

We often find ourselves making similar promises and resolutions to ourselves at the onset of a new year, with a thorough wardrobe cleanse being one of the most common.

In this post-holiday period when we’ve acquired a few special new pieces and indulged in the richness the season has to offer, it’s only natural to feel like a good refresh is in order. In with the new, out with the no-longer-necessary.

Here’s our advice on how to clean up your closet for the year ahead.

Auditing Your Wardrobe

The first step in a comprehensive wardrobe audit is to separate your clothes into seasons: Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer. Visualizing these independently helps us take more accurate stock of what we have and need for that time of year.

From here, the obvious method is to immediately cull any items that no longer fit you — or realistically will in the near future. There’s no sense hanging onto anything that you can’t fit in to.

Then, sort your Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter piles into three subsections; the core essentials, the flair or accessory pieces that bring joy, and the dubious items that may be surplus to requirement.

Once you’ve got the basics in place and consolidated your selection of snazzier, special pieces, everything else goes up on the chopping block.

Being Decisive

If an item no longer sparks joy when you see it, feel it, or wear it, it’s time to say goodbye. Those decisions are easy. Unfortunately, not all are that straightforward.

When it comes to deciding whether or not you want to keep an item, you’ll often find it necessary to adopt a cut-throat approach.

If you’re having trouble answering questions like these, take that as a good sign it’s time to move an item to the ‘to go’ pile:

• When was the last time I wore this?

• When will I be excited to wear it again?

• Does this make me feel great when I put this on?

• Is this consistent with what I want my long-term wardrobe to look like?

Items to Gift

Sometimes it can break your heart to say goodbye to a great piece, especially if it imbues a sense of sentimentality. When the time comes, however, one of the most fulfilling ways to off-hand those items is to gift them to someone you believe would truly appreciate them.

In our opinion, the best way to get rid of your best wardrobe pieces is to ensure they find a happy new home.

If you’ve got a friend, relative, or acquaintance you know appreciates quality clothing and great style, your wardrobe reset could be a win-win situation for all parties involved — including that old Shetland wool sweater.

Items to Donate

For those pieces that you can’t foresee yourself gifting or going to the effort of selling, the best-case option is to donate.

This is where institutions like Value Village, The Salvation Army, and local charities come in handy. So do various thrift stores and public donation bins.

Donating your clothes is usually effortless and comes with a certain feel-good factor — despite you never knowing if they end up going to a person in need or to a teenager creating a Halloween costume.