The Only 3 Questions You Need To Truly Detox Your Closet

Well it’s officially closet cleanout season again (is it ever not?) and it’s safe to say that most of us have probably made some adjustments over the past year to our daily wardrobes. Kate here, and while I’m personally still trying to figure out what I want my day to day style to look like during this weird time, I think it still feels right for me to kick off a new year with a closet detox.

Exciting though the thought of a fresh closet detox may be, it can be super overwhelming approaching a project like this amidst the capsule wardrobe converts, the Konmari devotees and everything in between. While I definitely love and employ aspects of all of these methods, I also recently wrote about the downside of ‘Tidying Up’ and think that, like anything else, when it comes to closet detoxing it’s something for which you kind of have to make your own rules.

With that said, today I’m sharing what are, in my opinion, the only three questions to you need to ask yourself to truly detox your closet. I’ve shared these questions on the blog before, and even though a couple of them might feel like they don’t make as much sense during a lockdown where we’re all staying home most days, I’m still finding that these 3 questions help me exponentially more than anything else when whittling down what truly belongs in my closet and what needs to go out the door.

1. If I were going on vacation or traveling to a climate or function where this garment was appropriate, would I want to pack it?

As someone who has spent so much time living out of a suitcase for half her life, I can truly say that I believe what you actually want to bring with you when you travel speaks volumes. If you want to really know if you love a piece, the suitcase test is always a telling one. (Obviously, most of us are still adjusting our travel plans to what’s possible with the pandemic. But try to look past that and use the suitcase test to your advantage here.)

I have bought so many things that I really thought would be perfect for a certain type of trip or function - work or leisure - and then every time I have to travel or get ready for those functions the pieces never seem to make the cut.

For example, I have a handful of summery dresses that I initially bought because I thought they’d be perfect for a warm weather wedding. And then a few summer weddings show up on the calendar and I end up just packing something else that feels like a sure deal or going shopping last minute for something else. Chances are, if I don’t like those couple dresses enough to pack them for these weddings, I’m not gonna be excited to pack them for a wedding a year from now and out they go.

2. If I were to run into someone I admire today would I be glad that I chose this piece or outfit?

I don’t mean to imply here that any of us should base our outfit choices or closet components on impressing other people, because it should always be about dressing for yourself in an ideal world. But let’s face it - we all tend to use our style as a form of self-expression, and there’s almost always something that we’re hoping to convey to others with the clothes we choose to wear.

This is another example of a question that feels kind of silly to ask during quarantine, because sadly none of us are really running into anyone right now. But we all know the feeling and the concept is definitely not a tough one.

Whether that person you admire is a friend, a fashionable acquaintance, total strangers or someone you think is cute (or even I dare say your ex in the unlikely and possibly terrifying event that you should one day run into them at Trader Joe’s), asking yourself if you would be relieved to be wearing this item (aka a cute outfit) if you ran into that person today is a pretty good indication of whether or not you really feel good about it and feel like yourself in it.

3. If I walked into a store today and this same exact item was for sale at full price, would I likely buy it or choose it again?

This one is clearly pretty hypothetical, but it can really help if you want to be selective about what you allow to take up space in your closet. I love a great sale as much as the next person, but it’s always really helpful to weigh whether or not the piece is something I love enough to have bought if it weren’t on sale in the first place (and assuming I had an adequate budget for the full price version).

All of us get trapped into the allure of a bargain now and then, but just because something is a bargain doesn’t mean it’s necessarily worth taking advantage of or deserves space in your closet and life.

Some of my favorite things I own are actually items I have lost or worn out and RE bought - this doesn’t happen often since many labels turn over their styles every season, but I’ve actually loved certain pieces so much that I scoured Poshmark for an exact replacement after an unfortunate olive oil incident or something. That’s how I want to feel someday about everything in my closet - like I love each piece so much that I would at least try to replace it if I had to and could.

These questions have helped me clear out about 4 full bags of stuff so far, and I feel SO much better already. Do you have any favorite closet detox methods??