Clothing grants everyone the daily task of self-expression but for some it can be a struggle to actually exercise. In speaking to a friend about their wardrobe of clothes from their middle and high school years, they shared that they felt like their identity was nowhere to be found in their closet. Things have begun to pile up and rather than retire them to Goodwill or the basement, they kept wearing them like they hadn’t aged a day. We all know this feeling, it’s not impossible to relate to or even catch yourself doing. But the feeling you’re left with can be shifted with a few steps. 

1. Empty your closet onto your bedroom floor. Go through every nook and cranny that a wearable article of clothing could be hiding in and ask yourself if you really like what you’re looking at. Do you like this green and white striped blouse, or do you just think you need to keep it because you think it’s in style? Do you even like green? Or stripes for that matter? These questions don’t all have to point to keep or don’t keep, but what they should do is tease out how you actually feel about your clothes. 

2. Sort your clothes into multiple piles, the first of which should be your favorite. I found that after I went through my closet and highlighted my favorite pieces, they all turned out to be a mix of dark teal, grey, brown, maroon, and some pops of silver and green. Thanks to this pile, I now knew a category I could then sort my other piles through. Since I knew I love those colors, maybe there were some pieces I owned that I might’ve forgotten about but now might turn to because they are one of those colors. Even so, sorting by your favorites first will give you some sense of your true style. 

3. Reorganize your piles by what you want to keep: things that inspire you, match your color scheme, hold good memories; and things you want to bid farewell to their new life, that you no longer enjoy putting on, aren’t a color you really like, and could be someone else’s cup of tea. 

4. Invest in hangers! They’re not expensive and can bring your closet to life instantly. Go through your favorite pieces that look better hung up – they may be cardigans and skirts or dress pants and blouses. Hang them up by color and watch as your outfit options triple in size because when in doubt, a good color palette combo will always feel good. 

5. Donate or sell your unwanted pieces to a thrift store! If you can, Buffalo Exchange gives you store credits for pieces (though they’re very picky); otherwise, you can donate to Goodwill and get tax write-offs if you ask for a receipt. Depop and Ebay are also great places to sell your clothes and to thrift some new ones too. Additionally, if you’ve otherwise been uninterested in thrifting, donating can show you that, like your once loved clothes, there are lots of great pieces to be found at the thrift. 

Though we all have our own tastes and styles, some might just be comfort over all else, looking into your closet and identifying what you like to wear can teach you about yourself and what you feel comfortable and happy in. The most important part of wearing clothing is that you feel good in what you wear; if you’re not there yet, take some time this weekend to go through what you have purchased for yourself and contemplate why it’s still in your closet. The more you notice about the choices you make for your body, the more in touch with yourself and your outward presence you will be.