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The quickest way to declutter your wardrobe

That sequin dress from 2011? You probably don't need it anymore.
/ Source: TODAY

It happens slowly: You buy a few shirts here, a couple pairs of shoes there. You move your winter clothes to the top of your closet, and then break out your summer clothes again. Before you know it, you find that you don’t even have enough space in your closet to put away all your clean laundry.

Not surprisingly, most of us tend to have too many clothes, organizing expert Jodie Watson told TODAY. “It’s way more fun to go and buy clothes than to clean out what we have,” she said.

The quickest way to clean out your closet? Get rid of those clothes that aren't you anymore.

“It’s important to base the current clothes we have in our wardrobe on who we are today,” Watson explained. That means that if you’ve lost or gained weight over the years, you should get rid of clothes that no longer fit you. If you’ve changed jobs and no longer need those power suits, then get rid of them, Watson said.

Otherwise, you’ll hold onto things that are no longer relevant to who you are and what you’re doing in your current life ... and the clothing will just keep piling up.

But what about if you, say, want to make a positive lifestyle change, and exercise more? Should you buy more workout clothes and build that ideal person from the wardrobe up?

Not exactly. “Put the ones (workout clothes) on that you have and start using them,” Watson said. “As your need increases, then increase the type of clothes for it.” If you want to move closer to that ideal exercise fiend, start with action, not wardrobe — because your wardrobe can always follow.

And remember that the clothes you’re getting rid of are most likely ones that you rarely wear anyway. And hopefully other people can get good use out of them, Watson said. She advised that you bring those clothes to a donation station, open your heart and let go of things you no longer need. Then, every piece in your wardrobe will be something that both makes you feel great and is relevant to who you are today.

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