Just last week, I cleaned out my closet for the first time in awhile. There were plenty of fashion skeletons in there - college t-shirts with cheesy messages, ill-fitting blouses, and ‘the flood is coming’ jeans - yikes. Cleaning it out was a bear of a job, but it turned out to be the perfect timing - right at the beginning of fall. I was able to clear some space, and figure out what I need and don’t need this season. Below is my new and improved, monkey proof, 4-step de-junking plan.

Step 1: Get down to your last threads

The hub and I do laundry only when absolutely necessary - once the piles start making the cats nervous and we’re finally out of comfortable knickers. If your family is like mine, take this perfect opportunity to go through your closet. Chances are, if you are desperate for clean clothes, and you still won’t wear what’s on your hangers…. it might be time to rethink whether you need it or not.

Step 2: Pile it up

Take your unwanted duds and make two piles. Pile 1 for friends and family giveaways, and Pile 2 for donation.

Step 3: Giveaway etiquette - get rid of your old clothes, not your old friends

Like most things in life, there is a little diplomacy required when giving away clothes to people you know and love. You certainly don’t want to dump a bag of leftovers on your buddy’s doorstep with a note that says “these clothes weren’t good enough for me. love ya!”. Your peeps may not want your old scratchy striped sweater either. Before gifting anything, take a good hard look at Pile 1 and pick out specific pieces that you think your friend’s would like. Here’s an example convo my friend Kit and I had yesterday after a nice glass of organic wine. Fill in the blanks accordingly.

Me: Hey Kit, I was cleaning out my closet and I brought over four things I thought you might like, especially for your trip to _______ this weekend.

Kit: Oh yeah?

Me: Totally, and if they aren’t your style, just let me know and I’ll donate them to ______. The first one is this ______ - it’s super sassy, but it just doesn’t fit my _____ right. I think it would look great on you because _______. (repeat as necessary)

Kit: Hey thanks for thinking of me.

Me: Sure, and remember if they don’t work, you can give them back to me next time we go to ______.

Step 4: Donation time

Pile the rest of your stuff up for the donation center. You get a sweet little tax right off, used clothing stores make money for their org, and other peeps get clothing at a discount cost. I donated to the the Venice branch of Out of the Closet which is operated by the Aids Healthcare Foundation. And while I was there, I perused around for fabulous and eco-fashionably reused clothes that might fit perfectly into my new wardrobe.

I’m feeling pretty clean and green with my freshly decluttered closet. Knowing what I already have and love makes me less inclined to buy things I don’t need. Plus, donating stuff gives another life to functional clothes, diverting them from the waste stream.