Hi! I’m Sayaka Minami, a Japanese minimalist, and a professional organizer.

Are you tired of your closet overflowing with clothes?
By letting go of unneeded clothes, you can tidy up the closet, make it easier to pick what to wear, and there’s less laundry!
In this episode, I am introducing how to say goodbye to unneeded clothes in a minimalist way.

1. When is the best time to organize your closet?

The best time to organize your clothes is during a change of season. Take one piece of clothing at a time and think whether or not it is truly necessary for you.

Another good time is when you feel that it takes longer time to pick out your clothes in the morning, or it becomes difficult to store your clothes after laundry.
This shows that your clothes do not fit in the closet, or you do not know what you have in the closet anymore.

2. What are the criteria for letting go of clothes?

When you are sorting through your closet, you may wonder which clothes you should keep or not.
You can make a decision based on whether you actually “wore” or you just “want to wear”.

 
Personally, I ask myself these questions when I sort my clothes.

“Have I worn this outfit within the past year?”
“Would I wear this outfit again next season?”
“Does this outfit make me feel good?”
“Would I be embarrassed if someone I know saw me in this outfit?
“If I didn’t have this outfit, would I buy it again?”

When you ask yourself these questions, the clothes you need will stay with you, and at the same time, you will notice that you don’t have any opinions on some clothes.

For the outfits that you don’t have any strong opinions on, don’t put them back in the closet. Instead put them on “hold” and store them in a different location.
If you put them away for a while, you will know if you need them or not, and it will be easier to let them go.

3. What do I do with unneeded clothes?

It is important to find easy ways to let go of unneeded clothes.
If you don’t know what to do with unneeded clothes, you will end up accumulating them.

Find a way that works for you, here are some ideas.

✔ Trash or take to a local recycling center, if acceptable

✔ Donate or put them in an in-store collection box

✔ Sell to a second-hand store

✔ Sell on an online store

✔ Use as pajamas or loungewear

✔ Use as rags for cleaning, etc., before discarding

 
The benefits of reducing the clothes have a large impact on your daily life. You will have more closet space and will spend less time having to make decisions.
The time you read this article could be a good time to get rid of your unneeded clothes.

Author
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Minimalist & Professional Organizer
SAYAKA MINAMI
About / Instagram / Professional Organization Service