The 5 Step Wardrobe Cleanse

As some of you are probably well aware by now *ahem*ahem*, I'm a really big fan of the fashion and social action blogger, Hoda Katebi over at JooJooAzad.com. And because so many of you really took to my last 'social action' post called 'The 5 Step Jewel Cleanse,' I'm trying my hand at it again-- but this time it's 'The 5 Step Wardrobe Cleanse.'


Before we get started, I feel the need to disclaim this for my own piece of mind, I do in fact have an ass. This seems random, but the last photo below makes my butt look flatter than an ironing board. I must have attempted to take this shot about 10 times, but to no avail, my camera was determined to make me have a butt flatter than Miley Cyrus'. However, I wanted to tell you that it exists and that angles can deceive you! 

Now that I got that off my chest, let's get started:

1. Separate, assess, then donate. I have been looking through my closet lately and separating the clothes I use, from the clothes I haven't worn in decades. I'm only 25, so slight exaggeration there, but you get my drift. Then, I determine which clothes I really can't rework into my updated wardrobe and throw them into the donation pile. I usually donate them either to a local thrift store (I have one nearby that is run by a local church) or recently, I've begun to bring them to donation dumpsters. Donation dumpsters have been popping up like crazy near shopping centers, so be on the look out for those. As long as you are able to either wash & dry or dryclean the items you want to donate, just put them in a bag, dump 'em in the dumpster (I'm punny sometimes) and you're good to go.
2. Take out the repeats. People have a teeny tiny tendency to buy the same kind of clothes... sometimes the exact same top, pants, skirt etc.. It's human nature-- you like what you like and ain't nothing wrong with that. But, when it comes time to wanting a slightly less congested wardrobe, think about it: is it really necessary to have 10+ pairs of jeans? I say this because my college friend actually had 10 pairs of light washed jeans sitting, neatly folded in her closet and I was just thinking, 'What in the hell...?' That is so unnecessary. There is no need to have more than 2 jeans of the same color in the same type of wash (i.e. light, medium, dark wash). And the same applies to tops, skirts, shorts, etc.. Try to minimize to 2 of a particular style, color and type.
3. Thrifted finds. I'm on a limited budget these days and have found myself perking up everytime I see the word 'THRIFT' out of the corner of my eye. I have been finding some really quality stuff in thrift stores lately and you know if its made it to the thrift store that it has long-lasting potential. Just the other day, I found a Michael Kors top for $4! If that isn't winning... Many times clothes (at similar price points) that you find at the mall are of much lesser quality than those you would find in thrift or vintage shops. This is so that brands and businesses can really turn a profit on the former, but it comes at a cost to the consumer: your clothes lose their luster pretty quickly and you end up purchasing so many more clothes than you likely would ever want. Thrifting is a great way to conserve your spending and of course, be a more smart shopper.
4. Borrow. Find people with similar body types to your own and borrow their clothes. And I don't mean strangers on the street. I mean actual friends, haha. And if they don't have a similar style to yours? Then, borrow their basics. You can always, always, always swap basics. The knit I wore here is actually one that my friend lent me. I wore it when I was out and about on several different days; doing so was a great way to diversify my wardrobe without breaking the bank or adding more clutter to my closet.
5. Think multiple. My friends IRL are under the impression that I have a shit ton of clothes and the truth is I don't. I have a shit ton of shoes, but that's a post for a different day... I actually tend to rework blazers and/or tops 3 or 4 different ways, and though it may seem as if I'm wearing a brand new outfit, I'm more likely to repurpose old pieces or just re-envision current ones. Often, my dad will ask 'Is this new?' and I'll laugh because I'm wearing a 4-year-old blazer and for some reason he doesn't realize I just wore it the day before. So take my advice: when purchasing, think multiple-- multiple outfits. Can you wear this piece in at least 3 different outfits? If not, then don't bother. In the past, I bought so many amazing tops and skirts even though I could only imagine wearing them once or twice. Now, they just collect dust in my closet. If that's you out there, then see 'Step 1.'

I hope you found this post helpful and of course, if you like my posts in general, go ahead and follow me over at Bloglovin'. I always love making new friends on here.

UPDATE: I have been testing out a few different ways to lay out my posts. At the moment, I am experimenting and semi-loving this current set up: my cover photo at the top, then my write up, the remaining photos below the write-up and finally, links to what I'm wearing below the final picture. Let me know if you like this better!

Forever 21 Shaggy Plaid Top, 

Express Jeans (similar here)

Photos Taken With: Nikon Coolpix P7700