Closet Cleanout: The Only 10 Pieces of Clothing You Need - Gardenista
Photographs by Zoe Quittner except where noted. I have only good memories of walk-in closets, except for the time I was rummaging around in the back of one–and suddenly came across a high-top sneaker with two kittens sitting in it. My closet was so stuffed with clothing that I hadn’t noticed when my cat gave birth to a litter in there several weeks earlier. How does a pair of blue jeans you had in college manage to surreptitiously elude the Salvation Army dragnet for decades to follow you as you move across the country, back and forth and back again, to each new walk-in closet? When I remodeled my house last year, No. By last week, every time I tried to walk in, a stray shoe would trip me. Step No. Note: If you hesitate over an item, for even a second, you don’t love it. Photograph by Michelle Slatalla. 2: Examine the items on the bed to see if a theme emerges. By examining the clothes you love in a vacuum–that is, without the rest of your wardrobe surrounding them and clamoring for attention–you will see a pattern. Or maybe you really only feel comfortable in black. Photograph via Ralph Lauren. Step No. Do you need a pair of the cutest rain boots in existence? 6: Repair, replace buttons, and iron every piece of clothing that needs attention. If not, get some squish bags; with vacuum-sealed Space Bags ($9.99 for a package of two from Container Store) you can suck the air out of the bag to store more clothes in a small space. Photograph by Michelle Slatalla. Step No. Put those back in your closet, on hangers or shelves where they are most visible and accessible. A four-pack of Basic Cedar Shirt Hangers is $9.90 from Container Store. For some of our mix-and-match modular units, see Stage An Intervention With Stylish Shelves. 9: Wear your ten favorite pieces, in as many combinations as possible, for a week. If you are missing a key piece, pull it out of the back of the closet; it’s not the end of the world if you wear 11 essential pieces of clothing. This proved harder for me than culling clothes. The challenge, I can see, is going to be keeping fewer items looking good: with more ironing, frequent laundering, and fewer stains from messy sandwiches eaten at my desk.