How to De-clutter Your Wardrobe

1.

Set out a time when you have a couple of hours to spend -- or couple of days, if you're a real shopaholic -- so you can relax and not be in a rush. There's nothing worse than trying to figure out which pair of patterned tights to keep and which to toss, than having to make the big decision when you know you have a lunch date with the girls in just 10 minutes.

2.

Start with your underwear, socks and hosiery. If you're an I'll-keep-anything-and-find-a-use-for-it type of gal, no doubt you've got knickers piling out of your drawers and hosiery full of holes. Even if you tell yourself they'll be useful for something, it's time to get rid of them. Pile anything old or worn into a bag and leave it to the side for now.

3.

Go through the rest of your drawers next. Try on any shorts and pants you're unsure of. If you have to pull the zipper up with a pair of pliers or triple-wrap a belt around your waist, it's time to lose them, OK? Put these aside in a "giveaway" bag. Any that are worn out or ratty go in the "toss" bag with your old undergarments.

4.

Work through the hung pieces in your wardrobe. For most girls, this is where the majority of their clothing pieces are. Typically dresses, jackets, shirts and other items are hung, so you likely have your work cut out for you. Go through by looking at each piece one by one, and if you think it's out of style or you otherwise just wouldn't wear it again, put it in the "giveaway" bag. Anything you're unsure of, try on. If you like it without having to make it fit, as in sucking in until you can't breathe or looking like your body shrunk in an oversized piece of clothing, that's right, the "giveaway" bag is its new home.

5.

Finish off by going through your accessories. Don't cry now; most girls are accessories lovers, and it's all about the shoes and purses. You aren't going to leave yourself with a single purse and shoe to get you by, but you don't need one for every day of the month... or every day of the week, for that matter. Keep enough so you have some for more casual outings and formal events, and from the rest, put any that are in decent shape into the "giveaway" bag and the sad-looking ones into the "toss" bag.