Discover What Happens During A Closet Clean Out

Tina, here.

It's October. It's time to switch out your closet if you haven't done it yet. Yep, I just planned your weekend for you. What, you don't want to clean out your closet? Heck I don't even want to clean out my own closet. Yours? Yes. Mine? Nah. It's so much more fun to get rid of your stuff. (Just kidding - I loooove purging my closet. You'll see why if you keep reading.)

Speaking of our famous Closet Clean Outs, they are pretty life-changing. Just ask anyone who has had us over to purge the old, reinvent the new and create a hit list of what needs to be added. Cathartic is the word I most often use.

Well, guess what? Today you get an insider's look at one of our Closet Clean Outs. Our stylist Amy Croker is helping Natasha, of the great hello!Happiness blog, clean out her closet. Natasha will also get the shopping and styling, so stay tuned...

Here's an excerpt from the Closet Clean Out: (for the full article click here)

The AMAZING Amy!

Amy came to my house and we immediately got to work...her goal was to show me what pieces are right for my age, shape, coloring, personal taste and lifestyle...in addition, she made sure to note that she isn't interested in the latest trends, but does want me to be current and modern. I showed her the ins and outs of my closet (how I store everything, preferences, what's in my drawers, etc) and then she advised me on all sorts of tips and tricks to help the initial purging process:

Four Things You Need

1. Full Length Mirror...needs to be 1/4 inch thickness, too (COMPLETE)

2. Camisoles...they provide the right foundation for your clothes to lay on top of. They will drape better, shirts stay tucked in, and there is no gaping across the chest. So she said to be sure to look for camis with finished seams so that when it shows it doesn't look like you are showing your underwear. (DONE AND DONE...I actually purged a bunch I had because she said you only need three colors: black, nude, and vanilla/white)

3. Matching Hangers...aesthetically it makes everything feel calmer and look cleaner. Everything will hang at the same level. Huggable hangers are great because they are non-slip, they also reflect the slope of the shoulder better than the wire hangers you get from the cleaners. They also don't take up as much space. (I'm working on this one, slowly but surely...you don't realize how many clothes you have until you have to buy all new hangers..TJ Maxx has been a great resource for finding these inexpensively)

4. No Plastic Bags...use canvas or cotton garment bags. Plastic releases toxins, prematurely yellows your garments and breaks down the fibers over time. (need to stock up on some of these still, but I have removed my plastic dry cleaning bags!)

Showing progress of my hanger change out...

left = random assortment, right = black velour hangers...WIN!

Amy was great and took notes throughout our purge.... which will then be a part of the custom wardrobe report she creates for me to keep after we are done and helpful so I can be sure to put all of this knowledge to good work!

Next came the real cleaning AKA purge:

...We then took items out that didn't work for my body, weren't a good color, were worn out, etc and divided them into piles...a giveaway pile and a consign pile. Their philosophy is fewer, but better pieces, and they want to remove barriers you may have in using what you have and only bringing back into your closet what is absolutely necessary! It was scary at first to see how many clothes we were eliminating, but refreshing at the same time, and it made me see certain pieces in a new light.

In addition, Amy said that the goal of good dressing is to create balance and proportion between the shoulders, the hips and the feet with a waist in between. So, scoop and v-necks are more flattering because they open you up and seeing that triangle of skin draws the eye to the center of the body and creates a long lean line (now that totally makes sense...bye bye crew neck). Further, our shoes should have an almond shape or pointy toe but not a "witchy" point toe. We even snapped a picture of me with two types of shoes on, and you can tell this "rule" is indeed true...

Pardon my giggling facial expression...rounded toe on my right foot, almond/pointy on left-pointy wins!

Amy was kind enough to show me how to create new outfits with what I already have. It totally made me seeolder pieces in a new light and I have some fresh choices I never knew existed. Great ensembles for transitioning into fall!

Once we were done, I donated a ton of items to Goodwill/ARC/other local donation companies, consigned other items, and feel extremely happy about the progress we have made so far! The goal is to empower everyone to help us know how to shop, dress, and avoid costly mistakes. And just as Amy reminded me, this is a process, not an overnight fix...it's going to take a while to get accustomed to my new "system." Next up, our shopping adventure in a few weeks to add some new essentials to my closet...I CANNOT WAIT!

Thanks Natasha! We have loved helping you so far, and Amy is chomping at the bit to show you how to shop, and you'll get our in-store discounts up to 20% off, as one of our Tina Adams Wardrobe Consulting clients!

So now are you ready to clean out your closet? Seriously don't attempt it alone. We'll help you, and give you the star treatment like Amy gave Natasha. Your life will improve dramatically, we promise. And you'll get our in-store discounts! Email us at [email protected] for more info, or explore around on the website.