Whether you are moving, starting a new school year, or looking to make extra space in closets and drawers, getting rid of old clothes can prove to be more difficult than imagined.
Like the main plot of Sisters, a 2017 comedy film starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, Maria Nicole was recently told to come back to her childhood home to pack up her room since her parents are selling their house to downsize and retire. (No "end of era" blowout has officially been scheduled at the time of this posting)
Maria's first task was going through all the clothes left behind after a move to Florida earlier this year. Many don't realize there is a high level of emotions that come up when deciding to part with items.
"It's hard to objectively look at certain pieces of clothes because they can either hold some sort of memory or a symbol of a goal that you never attained at the time, but still think you could reach sometime soon," says Maria Nicole.
Separating old clothing used to be so easy; either you kept clothes, or you got rid of them, however, with the creation of reselling sites and apps, making these "black and white" decisions become more complicated.
When going through old clothes to decide which category an item should go to, use the following parameters to help make the tough decisions:
Keep
Ask the following two questions about each item:
Does it spark joy? Channel your inner tidy goddess by posing the famous question from the Queen of Tidy, Marie Kondo.
When was the article of clothing worn last? If it has been over two (2) years, it is time to part ways with this article of clothing*. Assess the condition of the clothing and decide whether to try and resell it or if it should be donated.
*See below for ideas to keep older items that have sentimental value
Resell
The condition of these clothes is New, Excellent (Like New), or Good.
New: items that still have tags on them, in original box or wrapping, and haven't been worn
Excellent (Like New): items that have been unboxed/unwrapped and only worn and washed a few times with no visible damage to them
Good: items are gently used with minor signs of wear and may contain small nicks, scuffs, or manufacturing irregularities.
Donate:
The condition of these clothes is Fair
Fair: items show visible signs of wear, such as missing buttons or zippers, discoloration or fading, and noticeable defects.
*Bonus category*
Archive
These items haven't been used for 2+ years in any condition but hold an extraordinary place in the owner's heart.
Examples of clothing to be "archived" are wedding dresses, sports uniforms, items previously owned by a parent or family member, graduation cap and gown, sports jerseys, celebrity merchandise, etc.
Items can be archived or stored in garment bags, storage trunks, shadow boxes, sealed boxes, etc.
It is important to note that most all clothing, except for underwear, in Fair – New conditions can be either donated or resold depending on the amount of time and effort an owner wants to put towards posting items to reselling websites and apps.
To keep buyers from being scammed, reselling companies such as eBay and Poshmark highly suggest transparency in the item's description with many pictures to post if an owner is reselling any very used/fair items to potential buyers.
The cons of cleaning out a closet are it takes a lot of time, tons of effort, and be very emotionally exhausting. However, once a closet has been cleaned, organized and old clothes are gone, it's time to start re-filling the closet up with new items…that could be bought with the money made from reselling older items.
The ultimate pro for all the fashion girls in the World!
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