Reboot Your Style with a Closet Cleanout

Your closet – it’s a treasure trove of memories, styles, and outfits that have seen you through the years. Yet, the time has come to breathe fresh air into your wardrobe and discover a new chapter of style and self-expression. As you mature with time, so should your wardrobe. It should evolve into something that suits your body and personality, giving you confidence and attitude that is a reflection of all you’ve achieved and become. So, let’s clean out your closet and reboot your style for ageless self-expression.

It’s very common for women who were once very fashionable and trendy to at some point stop focusing on that and just let it all go. Marriage, kids, work, sleep (and a million other things we do) all take priority and there just isn’t enough time or energy left to worry about what we’re wearing, let alone what the latest trends are. But don’t worry, cleaning out your closet and rebooting your style will do wonders for your mood. It’s a liberating journey that can leave you feeling more confident and vibrant than you have in a long time!

Why Clean Out Your Closet?

Your closet, once a haven of fashionable expression, can quickly turn into a source of stress. It’s become cluttered, mismatched, and overflowing with items that no longer inspire you. Instead of a reflection of your current self, it’s become a museum of the past. Aside from the few combinations you seem to wear over and over, it’s become impossible to see any other options. If this sounds familiar it’s time to take drastic action!

1. Find and Embrace your Style

As we age, we become more confident in our preferences – what we’re comfortable in and what looks good on our body type. We’ve already figured out our unique style, whether it’s classic, boho, a little edgy, or an eclectic look. But for many reasons that may be lost in the clutter and overflow. Now it’s time to not only hon in on that style, but really let it flourish!

2. Ditch the Fashion Rut

I don’t know any woman that hasn’t found herself stuck in a fashion rut occasionally. Unfortunately, these ruts can last years if we’re not paying attention. Cleaning out the old and embracing the new is the key to this dilemma, because it allows you to update or reboot your style and reignite that fashion spark.

3. Sustainability and Saving Money

As we get older, we tend to be more responsible when it comes to sustainability, recycling, and saving money. A well-curated wardrobe means fewer unnecessary purchases, and the ability to focus on sustainable merchandise or 2nd hand. One of my favorite things to do is shop in thrift stores and stop at garage sales. Some of my favorite pieces of clothing I’ve acquired this way. Not only is it easier on my wallet, but I’m keeping things out of landfills, and adding great pieces to my wardrobe that I would never have found in stores!

4. Simplify Your Wardrobe Structure

You may even want to consider make a drastic change to your clothing mindset and embrace the Capsule Wardrobe. This is a small collection of versatile, high-quality pieces that all coordinate together and can easily be mixed and matched. If you’ve got a busy lifestyle, tend to wear the same comfortable clothes all the time, and don’t feel like you need a closet full of clothes anymore, this may be just the option for you! A leaner closet means less stress and less time spent deciding what to wear, but can still give you endless possibilities to reboot your style!

Getting Started

1. The ‘Three Pile’ Rule

Everything in your closet needs to be put through the ‘Three Pile’ filter. One pile for keepers, one for items to donate or sell, and one for items to discard. Be honest and somewhat ruthless. Keep only what truly reflects your authentic style. The more coordinated your final wardrobe is, regardless of how many pieces you have, the easier it will be on you.

2. The Fit Test

Fit is key. If it doesn’t fit, it’s time to say goodbye. Ill-fitting clothes can make you feel uncomfortable and affects your confidence. I’ve always had clothes in my closet that were a size, maybe two sizes, too small. But I loved them and just knew I would fit them again one day. Now I can admit that those days will never come, and those clothes are long gone. And I did feel better once I got rid of them!

3. The Joy Test

Just as fit and style are important, so is joy. Does the item make you happy and spark some joy? It could be as simple as a favorite t-shirt that you love wearing because it’s just the right cut and soft as butter. When you wear it you feel confident, and it makes the rest of your outfit shine. It’s important that our clothes resonate with us, otherwise we won’t feel good putting them on and then why would we wear it? So, there must be something about the item that makes you feel good. If not, out it goes.

4. The ‘Have I Worn It?’ Test

It may fit you, and it may make you happy and seem to be something you’d love to wear. But if it’s been in your closet and you haven’t worn it in the past year (or maybe ever – my old penchant for buying stuff that was a crazy good deal only ended up giving me clothes that I never did wear!), then you need to get tough and get rid of it.

Discovering Your Updated Style

1. Reflect on Your Preferences

Think about the styles and colors that make you feel fabulous. Your style should resonate with who you are now, not who you used to be. Getting older doesn’t mean compromising your style. It’s a chance to embrace your unique identity, one that’s become mature and confident.

2. Flattering Fits

As we age, our bodies change (isn’t that the truth!), and our style should adapt accordingly. One of the best things I’ve been able to do is finally accept my body for what it is. I’m certainly more concerned about being healthy than what size pant I wear, which makes it easier to stay true to what I know works on my body type. Learn to dress for your current shape and accentuate your best features.

3. Experiment with New Styles

Don’t be afraid to try new things, it’s a guaranteed way to lift your spirits, reboot your style, and make you feel great! Cropped pants, oversized suit jackets, long sweaters, or short boots – all of these can look very updated and stylish on mature women, yet still be very comfortable. Experiment with mixing patterns, layering, and playing with color. If it’s not something you’ve worn before, or the way you’ve worn it, give it a shot! Or indulge in something fun to wear around the house. I recently came across a couple of beautiful vintage silk dressing gowns (somehow ‘bathrobe’ just does not fit these pieces) at a garage sale, and knew I had to have them! I wear them around the house, and hands down I feel better than if I was in a t-shirt and sweatpants!

4. Take it Up a Notch with Accessories

Accessories are game changers. Scarves, statement jewelry, and stylish handbags can elevate your outfits and express your unique style. My wardrobe is very much a neutral color palate, mostly greys and blacks with some beige. But I have scarves in every color, which lets me easily add that uplifting pop of color to any outfit. Use this secret weapon to keep your wardrobe feeling fresh, updated, and on-trend. It’s a perfect way to reboot your style!

5. Look for Inspiration and New Places to Shop

Explore fashion blogs, magazines, and social media to discover styles that resonate with you. Collect ideas and adapt them to suit your personality. Remember how much fun it used to be to look through the newest fashion magazines? That joy and inspiration can still be found. And now there are so many other places to look for clothes and accessories. Think online stores (Amazon Prime with free shipping!); local 2nd-hand options like Facebook Marketplace and local Facebook groups; resale apps like Poshmark; thrift shops, consignment stores, vintage shops, and even garage sales in your area; and the old standard – malls. Keeping sustainability in mind, many of these options mean less money out of your pocket and less clothing in landfills.

Bring Your Inner Fashionista Out

Cleaning out your closet is more than just a physical act; it’s a liberating journey and a chance to reboot your style and celebrate all that you’ve become. Your wardrobe should be a source of inspiration, not frustration.

As we age, our style evolves and matures, reflecting the incredible journey of life. So, embrace the ever-changing, ever-stylish you. Explore, experiment, and above all, enjoy the adventure of fashion without ever feeling past your prime.

With a clean closet, a curated wardrobe, and an open mind, your style can evolve beautifully. After all, fashion is a form of self-expression that has no age limit. It should be an extension of you that conveys confidence, authenticity, and joy. It’s one of the biggest ways we’ll feel good about ourselves as we continue to get better with age!

Do You Need a Closet Cleanout and to Reboot Your Style?

I’m so curious to know how you all are doing in this area… this has been one of the best things I have done for myself that stopped making me feel older than I wanted to. I was really dressing rather frumpy just because it seemed easier. But I learned if I have frumpy clothes, I’ll wear them. So, OUT THEY WENT!

Let me know in the comments below where you’re at on this journey, and what’s the best thing you got out of this?