Top 5 Tips for a Closet Clean out Featuring Rachel Jimenez Penca

Discover the top 5 tips for a closet cleanout by Rachel Jimenez Penca. Get expert advice on styling and organizing your wardrobe below from a top personal stylist. Rachel provides her knowledge and gives out tangible tips on how to edit your closet. We hope you enjoy and are able to do a seasonal clean out of your closet. We'll let Rachel take it away.

There’s no better way to hone in on your personal style than to dig into what you already own. As a Personal Stylist, knowing what’s in your closet will give me all the information I need to help get your style to the next level. Not only am I looking to edit out items that are simply taking up space and not serving the person you are today, but I'm assessing what needs to be added in to create the closet of your dreams. After editing closets for over a decade, here are my expert tips to guide you on tackling this project on your own!

Tip 1: First things first. Make sure you have the right equipment. You’ll need:

1. A rolling rack

2. A box of garbage bags.

3. Velvet or wooden hangers.

It's also a good idea to have a full length mirror close by because you are going to be trying on pieces during this edit.

Tip 2: To reduce the overwhelm, pull everything out of your closet by category. Here’s the order that I use to keep the process orderly and organized.

• Tops (Categorize them by tank taps, sleeveless, short sleeve, long sleeve, button down, then sweaters)
• Bottom (Shorts, skirts, jeans, professional/work trousers and pants)
• Jackets
• Dresses
• Outerwear
• Shoes
• Jewelry
• Accessories + handbags

Tip 3: Within each category below, make 3 sections on your rolling rack.

1. Hell YESses. These are your definite keepers. You love these items. They’re in good shape and classics that will stand the test of time.

2. Hard NOs. These items have had their time to shine, but now they belong in a Goodwill or better off as a dishrag. They may have holes or stains on them. They don’t fit properly anymore. They are outdated and don’t showcase the person you are today. As Ariana Grande would say, thank you - next!

3. Maybes? This is the pile that you are going to try on. These pieces are likely just taking up space in your closet or you don’t know how to style them and they’re waiting for the right pieces to have their full outfit moment. Remember, iff you don’t love it, LET IT GO.

You can also make a pile for dry cleaning and alterations.

After this part of the Edit + Audit, take a few minutes to write down what’s missing that you need to shop for. Maybe you have a great blazer, but just don’t have the right blouse or tshirt to wear underneath it. Be specific in your list to make shopping simpler later.

Tip 4: Hangers

Before you put your keepers back into your closet, I always suggest to my clients to change out their plastic hangers to velvet or wooden for their blazers and outerwear. This makes for a neater, more organized look with less slippage.

Tip 5: Now, let’s make your very own Closet-Boutique.

Put all your clothing back by category. I like to arrange clothing from lights to darks and sprinkle in the prints and patterned pieces within its color family. Merchandise your closet with purses, shoes and accessories.

Here’s a look at one of Rachel's client's Closet Boutique. She also has a few new pairs of Ally Shoes that are now in her collection!

If you want to learn more about Rachel J Styling’s services, you can connect with her at the below links:

www.racheljstyling.com

IG: @racheljstyling

LinkedIn: Rachel Jimenez Penca