megan kalan

You do, I promise. You just need a closet audit.

It’s not that you have nothing to wear, you just don’t know what you have or how to use it. Step one is gaining an understanding of what you have. The best way to do that? A closet audit- here’s how!

What is a closet audit?

In the simplest of terms, a closet audit is taking note of everything you have in your closet. Yes- everything. 

If this sounds tedious, you’re not wrong, but it is worth it. How nice would it be to never have that panicked feeling of, “I have nothing to wear?” By going through every time of clothing you have, you can clear out that noise and make space for the items that make you feel best to shine through. Once you know what you have, you’ll be in a better position to craft outfits and hone your style. 

So clear some time, put on some comfy clothes, and get ready to dive in.

How to do a closet audit?

There are 3 steps to a successful closet audit:

1. Take out all your clothes

Yup all of them. See, you do have plenty to wear 😉

As you take them out, sort them in to categories. Start broadly:

• Tops
• Bottoms
• Dresses
• Outerwear
• Shoes

Pick categories that make sense to you and feel free to break each one down in to more specific sub-categories. For example, “bottoms” can be broken down further in to:

• jeans
• slacks/trousers
• pants
• leggings
• skirts
• shorts

Sorted? Great! On to step 2.

2. Go through your clothes

A closet audit really only needs you to take note of everything in there. But chances are you’ll find pieces that no longer serve you, so I find it best to do a closet clean out at the same time!

Go category by category (or sub-category by sub-category). With every item of clothing ask yourself:

• Have I worn this in the last year?
• Am I going to wear it again?
• Does it fit?
• Does it need altered? Cleaned? Repaired?
• Do I like wearing it?
• Can I think of 3 places/times I will wear this in the future?

Your goal is for the closet to be full of items that bring you joy, that make you feel good, and that you actually wear. Take the time here to clear out the pieces that don’t align with this goal.

3. Put it all away while taking note

Next is the “audit” part- as you put away, hang up, fold all your items, write it down. This part can be as detailed as you’d like. Write it in a notebook or on a spreadsheet- whatever system will be most helpful to future you in deciding what to wear.

Why do a closet audit?

When you know exactly what you have in your closet, you’ll cut down on the number of time you cry out, “I have nothing to wear.” You’ll know precisely how many jeans you have, what t-shirts, what shoes, and so on.

This kind of knowledge will help you better understand you and your style. You’ll see the gaps in your wardrobe, and, most likely, you’ll notice patterns too. A closet audit is that first step to curating your personal style.

Knowing what to wear and how to put together an outfit doesn’t need to feel impossible. It starts with knowing what you have already at your fingertips.

Want to learn the key to always knowing what to wear? Sing up for more style tips and tricks from Something About Style!

Something About Style is a brand created by Megan Kalan for her Capstone Project