Tips for a Kondo Clean Out + a Little Real Real

I love purging stuff. But I also love things–beautiful clothes, shoes, jeans–I have so many jeans and like Sofia Coppola recently stated in a WSJ article “No matter how many jeans you have you’re always looking for another pair.” So true. At least for me. That said when I hear about people, like one of my daughter’s college professors who owns exactly 25 items of clothing that includes 3 pairs of underwear and 2 pairs of socks (which we decided wasn’t enough), I am enamored with the idea of having such a simplistic, almost monastic aesthetic.

Since I have over 50 pairs of shoes (they accumulate and some are at least 20 years old), I will not be leading that kind of life. But recently I have started to get rid of those extraneous “maybe I will wear them” pieces, and you know what? I don’t miss them. And, like the adage from the photo here, I am becoming extremely choosey about what makes into my closet, because it’s true, few things last. That is why buy less but buy the best you can afford is always my motto. Anything that’s classic, and maybe makes me cringe before I buy it because it’s an investment, usually ends up being a piece that I return to again and again.

Need some prodding to tackle your closet? My I suggest…..

1. Watch the queen of cleaning out, Marie Kondo’s new Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Honestly, sometimes you have to guilt yourself into doing the right thing. Because as much as I like to purge, I’m mediocre at best–so I plan on watching a couple of episodes before I get out the trash bags.
2. Make at appointment, online or in person, with The Real Real. If you aren’t already shopping this site for the Celine boots you missed out on, or using it, like I do, to sell that Narciso Rodriguez pencil skirt you needed when you were an editor and doesn’t see the light of day now, I highly suggest you do so. While you don’t make a lot of money unless you are selling pristine, covetable designer pieces, I sent 22 items my first time and they all sold. I just recently put up a few things but kept others because I couldn’t let them go. But I’ve made my 3rd appointment (this fantastic woman who used to work in fashion p.r. comes to my house–it is so convenient and fast) to finally part with the holdouts and a few more items.
3. Take those non-designer items (The Real Real has a list of who they take) to Goodwill. Those pieces of clothing that are too yuck for anyone else to wear? Some H&M and Other Stories stores will take your old clothes to recycle and give you a discount coupon. I learned this from an old Lucky editor, Deb Schwartz, who suggested you hand that discount coupon to someone standing in line to purchase something. Love this idea.
4. Recycle your old sneakers (I need new running shoes every six months, so this has become a habit). Many stores like The Running Stores in NY have bins in-store where you can toss them.

I am going to try to be a little more daring in my closet clean out this month than usual. I hope you are inspired to do the same.