Some closets just get away from you. That is how Ashlynne Eaton felt as the weather turned cold. Nothing seemed to fit. She had been through three different sizes in one year, her sweaters and cold-weather pants were still packed away, and she kept sneaking in to pull pieces out. On top of that, there were plenty of things that technically fit but that she simply was not wearing.
Her fix started with a dramatic step: she pulled out every single piece of clothing she owns and piled it all on the bed.
Three Wardrobes in One House
Clothes were on the floor, on the dresser, in four drawers of stored items, in two bins of off-season pieces, and even some sweaters up in the attic. Looking at the mountain, she reminded herself that she really has three wardrobes: pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and postpartum. Each stage was a different size.
She has a good rule of thumb for moms in that season of life. When your body is changing from year to year, you do need to hold on to a little more than you would otherwise. But she is realistic that another baby is probably at least two or three years off, so she planned to be ruthless with the maternity pieces, keeping maybe one or two favorites and passing the rest along.
Her Process, Step by Step
First she grouped everything by kind: pants, shorts, lounge sets, undergarments, short sleeves, long sleeves and bathing suits. Only then did she start deciding. For every item she asked whether it fits, whether it is right for the season, whether she is actually wearing it, and whether she still loves the way it looks on her. Each piece went into one of three piles: keep, store or declutter.
The questions got more personal than “does it fit,” and that is where the real work happened. Does it fit who she is now? She is in a very different stage of life than a couple of years ago, and she knew some pieces from her pre-mom days are simply impractical with a toddler and a baby, and may never be practical again.
Dresses were the easy place to start. Several of them showed how many ways a piece can fail you without being a bad piece:
- A dress she did not love as a dress, but adored for the print, went into her sewing pile to become a skirt.
- A pretty gingham dress was too short and fussy for chasing little ones. She loved it, so she considered storing it rather than donating, since she will not have toddlers forever.
- A jumpsuit that was perfect around 20 weeks pregnant and four weeks postpartum was no longer flattering at her current size.
- A jumpsuit she loved was about three inches too long. Instead of giving it up, she set it aside to be hemmed.
- A maternity dress she liked but did not need right now was something she would offer to a friend to borrow.
Notice that in several cases the answer was not “get rid of it.” Sometimes the answer is fix it, store it or lend it. That one idea can save you from both clutter and regret.
Sorting Out the Rest
Pants, shorts and tops got the same treatment. She tried on anything she thought might be loose, set painting shorts aside, and put a wrinkled pair of shorts into a “to work on” pile because they needed a good ironing before she would wear them. Bike shorts that were cute but too short for toddler duty went. A maternity set she only liked when pregnant was stored, since she does not know if or when she will be expecting again. Shirts she only wore for a few weeks postpartum were passed on.
The last step before everything went back was switching over her wardrobe. Out came the fall and winter pieces: sweaters, jeans, and a thrifted sheep sweater her toddler is bound to love, since he is obsessed with animals. She did not re-sort those, because she had already gone through them in the spring.
The Finished Closet
Everything went back organized by sleeve length and color, which she says makes finding things much easier. Off-season clothes are stored up high. Undergarments and socks are tidied into their own bins. Tees, jeans and pants have a place, and so do lounge pants and casual sweaters, which she says she lives in most winter days. Athletic wear has its own side. And nothing is on the floor, with every surface clear.
The best part, in her words, is that everything fits, everything is in season, and when she walks in she actually wants to wear what she sees. She did all of it in one nap time.
What To Do With What You Let Go
She makes separate piles for selling, passing along and donating. Her favorite option is to sell clothes in good condition, especially good brands, because getting paid helps recover some cost and tells her it is going to a good home. Donated items might also end up in a landfill, she points out. She has used Poshmark, but where Vinted is available, it has become her go-to, with low seller fees and easy shipping. Maternity items she likes to pass on to other mothers through a local Buy Nothing group. Leftovers get donated, and anything with holes goes to a clothing recycling facility.
Try It Yourself
- Gather every piece in one place before you decide anything. You cannot judge a wardrobe you cannot see.
- Sort by type first, then decide, so you compare like with like.
- Ask four questions: does it fit, is it in season, do I wear it, do I still love it?
- Make a “fix it” pile for hems and ironing, but give it a deadline so it does not become new clutter.
- Sell, lend, donate and recycle in that order, and be honest that a bag in the trunk is not decluttering until it leaves.
If your closet feels daunting, her message is that a few focused hours can change a lot. Pull it all out, and give yourself permission to let go of the sizes and seasons that are not yours anymore.
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