My Secret Closet Edit System: The 5 Minute Closet Edit

Time to come clean. I never actually do a full blown empty-the-closet closet edit. The idea of emptying out and “considering” every piece is my closet causes me palpable anxiety, not to mention the anticipation of total exhaustion about halfway through. Which of course means my bedroom and closet will be trashed for at least a week while I summon enough energy to finish the other half. Eventually I end up shoving the pieces back into the closet promising myself I’ll finish it off “later”.

My solution? I stopped. I just don’t do a big overhaul — ever. And my closet (and my outlook) have never been better. Sorry Marie Kondo — the reality is there is no one way to keep your closet neat and up to date, instead we all need to find the system that works for us.

So what do I do? I think of it as breaking it down into bite-size pieces. Practical and manageable moments when I can try on and consider an item or two — often unplanned, and almost always while I am getting dressed. Trying on one extra top or jacket in the midst of getting dressed takes almost no time — literally less than a minute. And somehow this lack of structure makes it easier for me to make a quick and objective opinion about a piece. My biggest question is “do I want to wear this today?” or for a more specific piece “do I want to wear this to my next XX event?” If I don’t, that is a huge indicator. We all know the list of questions to ask about items for a closet edit but for my quick version these two usually suffice. And I don’t put pressure on myself to decide — if it’s a tough call, I can put it back and wait for a moment when I have more time. That’s the idea here — keep it simple and low stress and keep the closet from becoming overrun with pieces you already know don’t work.

Here’s how I go about it. Sometimes I am getting dressed and I put on a top, look in the mirror, and think huh, I don’t like this. My next step is a bit of introspection — am I in a bad mood this morning? Am I headed somewhere I don’t want to go and it’s tainting my mood (and my outfit). Is that why I now hate this top (let’s admit, this is real) Once I’ve negated these emotional reasons time to get down to brass tacks. There are usually indicators that we tend to ignore around certain items — instead embrace that inkling and give it a good look. Don’t over think it but do go with your gut.

What’s not working? If it’s old, damaged, or not fitting let it go. If you are simply tired of it and never wear it, let it go. You do want to be sure that the piece isn’t working, and it’s not the combination you dislike.

Here’s the other prompts I use for editing and for my seasonal swaps:

1. You put on an item and it’s not working. It’s already on so pause and see what’s not working before you change.

2. While dressing you notice and item you haven’t worn in ages — try it on first as you are getting dressed or pull it out to try on next time you change.

3. I do this for my seasonal swaps too. While pulling out your black jacket you notice the black heavy flannel jacket — the weather is warm and you have no desire to see it again until fall. Pull it out for the cedar closet or move it to the back.

4. also pull out anything I notice with damage or duplicates I didn’t realize I had.

For me, I always have a couple of items pulled aside and hanging on the peg for me to try the next time I change. Sometimes in the morning and sometimes in the evening before my pajamas.

I admit that as a stylist, I don’t need the professional advice provided in a closet edit to determine good fit and correct cut and color. The level of closet edit you need depends on your knowledge and the state of your closet. For some this system may be better as a closet maintenance tool but for others it can work as a perpetual and less stressful edit!