Conquering Closet Clutter

One of my favorite blogs around to read is a blog by Jen called I Heart Organizing.  There is so much awesome inspiration and organizing tips and ideas - I can literally spend hours reading her blog sometimes.  So this week she is hosting a link up party all about conquering clothing clutter.  A few months back we conquered our crazy closet and organized and simplified it to make it way more functional.  I know I've shared the closet redo before so here are a few things we did to help cut the closet clutter.

Sometimes the first step is always the hardest when conquering your clutter - especially when it comes to cutting back your clothing.  There is always the thing in the back of your mind wondering, what if I will need that one day?  I think the best rule when purging your clothing is - if you haven't worn in the last year - you aren't going to wear it again, so get rid of it.  Purging, cutting back and minimizing your clothing is a life changer.  For one, you will wear more of what you own - because you can see it easier and two, it makes it easier to choose what to wear when you have less to choose from.

Something I really realized when we moved was how ridiculous it was to have so much clothing.  There is no need for a ton of shirts, cardigans, shoes or jeans.   When we simplified our clothing it felt really good knowing that I wasn't over doing it and wasting money.  I think part of conquering your clutter is also conquering your spending.  You don't need seven black shirts - really you just need one.  Seriously, I could be sponsoring a kid through compassion (probably many) with the money I was wasting on clothing.  It was a perspective change for me.

By the way, I love these space saving clothing hangers (they are probably my most favorite thing in our closet).  I found mine at Homegoods - the best price I could find.  Also, it limits the number of items I can have in my closet at a time.  I won't add a cheapy clothing rack so if I don't have an extra hanger, then I don't need it.  Just a way for me to keep things in check.

These itso storage bins were perfect for this little space and it required no building for us.

More itso bins for Justin, which also doubles as a shoe shelf.

We really don't have a lot of storage space so this closet is just about it for us, adding these bins with doors made a huge difference when it came to organizing Justin's things and keeping them neat and tidy.

I love our closet space and the fact that it allows us to live a more simplified life.  Conquering your clothing clutter is absolutely doable, sometimes it's just taking that first step.

Make sure you check out Jen's blog - I heart Organizing and all of the awesome closet link-ups!