I covered the four steps to decluttering your whole house here, and briefly touched on tackling your closet. Let’s dive in a bit deeper, shall we? It's time to be brutally honest with yourself, and maybe earn a bit of extra money while you’re at it!

I have a bit of an obsession with clothes. I love pinning different outfits and recreating them (I have hoards of pins on my pinterest board if you’re interested!) The problem that I then have is too many clothes that I don’t love. It’s hard to part with items that you’ve spent good money on, worn a couple of times, and don’t care for it. I’ve started selling on Poshmark, as well as through a local consignment store in Edmonton. Items that won’t sell, I either give to friends or to Goodwill.

To make your closet feel like a boutique shop, I can’t stress enough how big of a difference matching hangers and cute baskets with labels make! If you have the space, why not have some fun with styling your shelves? Display your hats and bags, put scarves in a clear vase, and lean some pictures against the walls!

While I love the Marie Kondo ideology, I find it overwhelming to take all items out of my closet and heaping them into a big pile (not to mention, wrinkles). Instead I take stock of each item, and ask myself the big 4 questions (and you can thank your clothes for their service a la Marie Kondo if you’d like):

1 Do I like it; Is it the style I’m trying to achieve?

I’m finally figuring out what style I’m most comfortable wearing that I feel great in - this has helped me be more selective! Try and figure out which styles and pieces you’re always reaching for - there’s likely a reason!

2 Have I worn it recently? If it’s not recent or seasonal, and isn’t for a special occasion, I set it aside.

I was going to hold onto my wedding dress - what if I have a daughter and she wants to wear it several decades from now?! Not only will that never happen, but the amount of space it takes up is not appealing to me!

In terms of seasonal wear, I live in Canada. While I try to choose clothes that can be worn year round, shorts will not work in the winter.

Also, think about the comfort of each item. I jumped on the snakeskin ankle boot trend, finally finding a pair I thought I loved. They are hideously uncomfortable. My husband also pointed out they are too big on my ankles. I’ve worn them once. Yes, I regret that purchase.

3 Does it serve its purpose? Is there another item that serves the same purpose that I prefer?

Last year before moving, I was going through my coats. I had 5 different spring coats. Three similar trench coat styles, and 2 warmer styles. I kept my favorite trench coat and my favorite warmer casual jacket, bringing me down to 2 jackets I actually wear.

4 Is it stained, ripped, or otherwise in need of repair? Am I willing to spend the money to repair it?

I’ve answered yes to this question before - I had pants that were too big in the waist, had them taken in (not the cheapest alteration), and still never wore them because I didn’t like the fabric. When will I learn!

Alright, enough about my shopping woes. Let’s get to it:

1 Clothes: if it doesn't fit, it goes. Either donate or sell. If it's torn, fix it or toss it. If you haven't worn it recently, it goes. If you have special occasion dresses/ workwear, consider donating to charities such as Cinderella's closet (for prom dresses) or Suit Yourself/ Dress for Success for workwear.

2 Same goes for shoes. How many of us ladies have heels that look fabulous but we can only sit in them? Time to bite the bullet and let these go.

3 Purses and bags: if they're no longer in good shape or you don't use them, put them in the sell, toss or donate pile. Mend any broken straps or zippers on bags you will still use.

4 Accessories/ Jewelry/ belts: If they've been sitting in a drawer, unused for longer than 6 months, you likely will not miss it. If you have sentimental jewelry, but don't wear it at this point in time, consider keeping them tucked away in special jewelry bags or have a jewelry box to store these pieces.