How to Clean Out Your Closet

Hi Ladies:

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and an amazing new year. Can you believe it's 2010? Every New Year comes with new beginnings and new resolutions. But I think it is easiest to move forward if you start with a clean slate.

My first order of business this year: cleaning out my closet. Literally. Over the past few years my closet has become a bit overcrowded. While at home in Miami over the holiday break I came to the realization that a size 12 had no business being in my closet, as I am currently wearing a size 18 or 20. I know I am not the first woman to do, this but I think it is especially common for plus-size girls like us to irrationally hang on to clothes we won't soon be wearing. It is easy to become attached to certain items, especially when they are in the size you wish you were or used to be. Truth is, these pieces only take up space, make it difficult to navigate through your closet and can serve to make you extremely frustrated or discouraged.

My best advice is to dress the body you have now. Go through your entire closet and try everything on. Be honest with yourself about fit. If it doesn't fit, give it away. You can do a great deal of good in 2010 by passing on the outfits that don't fit you to a local church or charity. While you're at it, organize your closet by color and silhouette; it will make getting dressed much easier. As for keeping items in a size much smaller than you are at the moment: keep only one or two garments that can serve as inspiration to get to your ultimate goal. Once you have sorted what you'll keep and what you'll toss, figure out what pieces need to be updated or replaced. After giving my closet the once over, I had filled 3 garbage bags with outfits and pieces that were decidedly too small. The flip side: I have a very organized closet and a good excuse to go shopping. So I propose to go out with the old and in with the new. Let me know how it goes!

-Ashley

Your BIG GIRL IN A SKINNY WORLD

Email Ashley here!