Keep It or Toss It

There were a great many helpful articles in March's "O" magazine. The theme of the issue was de-cluttering all areas of one's life. I appreciated the simple, concise piece by Catherine DiBenedetto which can release you from your "should I keep it or toss it" dilemmas.

Here are the main points which mirror the criteria I use in my Wardrobe Wisdom work:

Toss it if:

You have twice as many as you need.

It's a gift you don't love. Just yesterday I was working with a client who told me she was keeping a particularly hideous dress her mother-in-law had given her. We decided that this client never wore the dress, her mother-in-law never asked about it, and it was just taking up space in her closet. Good-bye!

It's not worth repairing. If your item's current value is less than the cost of repairing it, then toss and replace. If you don't get around to repairing within six months, let it go.

Your gut says lose it.

You don't know what it is. You'd be surprised how many things I uncover in people's wardrobes that they cannot identify!

On the other hand, below are some guidelines for when to keep items. Keep it if:

It's sentimental gold. I keep my beloved grandma's butter dish and wooden spoon, not her old, musty dresser that had terrible drawers that would not easily slide.

It fits your life TODAY. Your possessions should support who you are right now, not who you were five years or five pounds ago.

You think it's gorgeous (even if no one else does).

You'd buy it again. I think this is great advice. When you come across something in your wardrobe that you are unsure of, ask yourself if you'd buy it if you saw it in a store.

You'll find a place for it. Any item worth keeping is worth creating a space for.

Of course "toss" may mean consign, donate, give to friend, etc. It does not necessarily mean throw in the trash bin!