How to Get a NEW Wardrobe for FREEEEEE!!

OK girls it is time to REDISCOVER your closet!!  I know you were wanting to shop for free well it is sort of like that except you won't be leaving your home.

Grab these things before you go in:

1.  three large bags or sacks - labeled mend, charity, or resale.

2.  pen and paper

3.  a friend that WILL tell you the truth - kids and husbands/boyfriends won't be as honest

Give yourself from 1-3 hours of time, this will depend on how many clothes you have.

Now it is time to get busy.  

I want you to go through each piece by hand.  Check your emotions at the door!!  Now it not the time to start saying to yourself - "oh I got this dress when I had my first date with my husband 12 years ago...." You get the picture.  This also helps with having an honest friend to help you through this.

CHARITY or TRASH/RAGS

You are going to immediately put clothes in the charity pile(or maybe trash/rag pile if they look absolutely horrible) that have the following problems:

1.  Stains of any kind - spit up and pit stains are a NONO!!  Time to go!

2.   Tears, rips, or they have been hanging on the hanger so long that they have lost their shape completely.

3.  Pills that you can't remove in a few seconds - these are showing toooo much wear so get rid of it.  

4.  Clothes that are faded - blacks that look gray or whites that look yellow.

*If in doubt then that means it needs to go - this is when you use your friend - they will tell you the truth here*

MEND IT

This pile is going to need some TLC:

1.  Hems that have come loose

2.  Buttons that have come off

*If it is something that is relatively new and it has a tiny tear or rip that a tailor can mend then OK but if it is over 2 years old it needs to go in the TRASH pile*

TRY IT ON 

I want you to try on ALL of your clothes in front of your friend - I know how mortifying well get over this and use them as your fashion advisor.  You are too get rid of the following:

1.  Clothes that are toooo tight!!  Skirts and pants that ride up in the front - shirts and blouses that stretch too tightly across your chest. 

2.  BUTT sweaters (the kind that cover your butt - we all know your butt is there that sweater is not hiding it)

3.  Any kind of top, sweater, pant (GOD forbid) that is a theme - Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Charlie Brown, Disney Characters....we are adult women not 7 year old girls - they MUST go they are UGLY!!

4.  Pants that are too short - this is a huge pet peeve of mine- and I could have an entire blog on pant length...let's just do the basic today .....try them on with heels and if they come to the top of the heel where your foot is on the back of the shoe then they are too short.  Check the hem if they can be "let out" then put them in the men pile.  If not it is time to go.  

5.  Jeans that are too high (more then an inch above your belly button), show your crack when you bend over,  too tight or too loose, too light in color, white washed, have those awful cat whisker marks, or holes in them.   Again if in doubt give them away.   * I will have an entire post on jeans later this week, if you have questions*

* I am not there to tell you if you should keep it or not - use your friend if she says it looks bad, fits wrong, too matronly, or is too "young" looking for you then it MUST go!! * 

OK THAT WAS A LOT OF WORK!!  

If any of these clothes that you tried on look like you could sell them at a resale store then put them in that bag.  Note on resale shops - items must be in really good condition and not out of style.  I have made a decent amount of money by doing this over the years.  One good one for these stores - clothes that you forgot about and still have the tags on them.  These stores have been overloaded in the past few months because of the economy so you may not have as much luck.  

Now the items that you are keeping let's take a look at them.  They all should fit well, be shaped appropriately for you, and make you look awesome!!

Put the bags going to charity in your car immediately and take them to your favorite organization.  Find a great seamstress and make it your goal to take these clothes by the end of next week.  

You should also do the exact same things with all of your drawers.  Panty hose, lingerie, workout clothes, t-shirts etc.  It is fantastic way to stay organized and too never buy an item you already have.

****STAY TUNED THIS WEEK FOR MORE INFO ON JEANS, A LIST OF ESSENTIAL ITEMS FOR YOUR CLOSET!!!****