With Spring on the horizon, most women know that they should clean out their closets; very few actually will. For one thing, it’s a massive undertaking. Even if you’re among the fortunate few who know what should stay and what should go, you then have to answer the call to get rid of things you paid for, perhaps loved at one point, and certainly have some attachment to.

But you must. Having an closet overflowing with every season, every trend, every type of clothing kills the inspiration. The true ingenuity of style lies in pairing old things in new ways, and sometimes this is as simple as having a particular blouse hanging next to a particular jacket. If that blouse and jacket are surrounded by pieces that you don’t wear and don’t love, you’ll never see the possibilities of the pairing.

One of my most popular services is the closet repurposing, and it’s proving more popular than ever during this time of year. If it’s simply not in your budget to bring me in, here are a few tips to help with the big clean.

*The closet is for fashion only! I lecture my clients who (all of them) keep their workout/Patagucci/Boulder-wear hanging next to their beautiful tops and jackets and sweaters. Put the activewear in a drawer and the P’Gucci in the coat closet. This applies to footwear as well: Crocs and trainers all go in the hall closet or the mudroom or the garage. The closet is sacred.

*Keep your closet streamlined by moving the ‘other’ season’s stuff to another closet or into plastic storage boxes.

*Long before ‘skinny jeans’, we all had our skinny jeans. And still do. One or two items that no longer fit but might someday… is fine and helps keep the motivation. An entire wardrobe that hasn’t fit in years… is depressing and kills the motivation. Work your best style with what fits *now* and donate the rest.

*If you haven’t worn a piece in a year but still aren’t ready to part with it, put it in the back of your closet and give it 6 months. If it’s still untouched, it’s time to move on.