Goodbye clothes, hello organization

Despite delaying the move for now (I'm not ready to give up the townhouse amenities just yet), I figured it was a good idea to pare down and organize my wardrobe. So when the time to relocate does happen, I won't be lugging around a bunch of shirts, skirts and pants I haven't worn in two years. 

I tend to keep clothes based on emotion (Don't worry ... I won't be appearing on Hoarders anytime soon). But following these guidelines, I was able to fill two garbage bags full of stuff to donate and streamline the look of my closet. I apologize in advance for the not-so-pretty before photo, but we gots to keep it real around these parts.

Probably the most well-known and trusty guideline when it comes to organizing your wardrobe. If you haven't worn it in the past six months, chances are you probably won't anytime soon. This played a huge role in my keeping or relinquishing clothes.

This falls along the same lines as the six-month test. Yeah, you're feeling guilty because it looked hot on in the dressing room, but not so much now that it's at home. Definitely not a reason to take up precious closet space. Learn from your mistake next time, and it will be worth it.

Dressing for the weather in Arizona is definitely not the same as say New York, Kansas, Hawaii or Alaska. Having plenty of tank tops, shorts and sandals readily available in my closet makes sense. Letting bulky jackets and sweaters take up real estate is not. Switching your clothes out for the seasons is also a good way to keep inventory of your wardrobe and eliminate the urge to buy something you don't need.

Color-coding your clothes not only looks pretty, but it saves time. Grouping a wardrobe by style also streamlines the getting-ready process and frees you up for more fun stuff.

Maybe it's just me, but I associate clothing (and music) with certain times in my life. While going through my closet, I realized there were a ton of my college clothes still hanging around. Mind you, I haven't worn many of the outfits since I graduated a few years ago, but they reminded me of one of the best experiences of my life. I had to tell myself that all of those memories will still be with me even if the ensembles I wore then aren't.

This one is pretty self-explanatory. People are in need now more than ever given the economic downturn and slow recovery process. A boom in thrift/vintage stores means inventory is constantly turning over, so your used goodies may help keep a business operational. Just remember because you aren't wearing it anymore doesn't mean someone else won't love it like you did the first time you put it on.