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When I was living in Miami, I had the ultimate walk in closet. It really wasn’t even a walk in closet. It was really a walk THROUGH closet. It basically was a hallway unto itself. Had plenty of room to hang everything, tons of shelf space, the whole deal. Since it was never cramped or overwhelmed, it was super easy to figure out what I was going to wear. Everything was all out in the open, making it the ultimate in putting together outfits.

Fast-forward to my little space in LA where the closet is more the size of a small dressing room at Target and putting together my cute little outfits isn’t so easy anymore. Everything is piled on top of each other, jeans all over the place and shoes strewn in the closet, in my bedroom, in the living room, you get the idea. Problem? Yes. Solution? Sure. It’s time for the thing every girl dreads - cleaning out the closet!

So with a few deep breaths and much anxiety, I walked into my closet, the shrine which held my look, my style, my taste … in a nutshell – me, looked around and realized we all have to evolve and it’s time for my closet to evolve as well.

If you’re looking to lighten up your closet and yourself, here are some tips to help you deal with letting go and opening the (closet) door for new and exciting fashion opportunities:

1. Go through your whole closet, yes, that means the stack of things that have been waiting for a trip to the dry cleaner’s for months, and create four piles: Things to keep, things to give away, things to trash, and a “I’m not sure” pile.
2. Get real about your wardrobe. If you haven’t worn something in over a year, get rid of it. You may think you’ll still wear it one day, but chances are you’re not going to. If you haven’t worn it in a year, you’re never going to. It’s called tough love. Same goes with your accessories: shoes, coats, scarves, socks, hats and belts.
3. Put them in your separate piles, getting rid of the clothes or shoes that are damaged, have holes, etc. and giving the things you don’t wear anymore but are still in good condition to a charity or church. Stuff that’s in your “I’m not sure” pile, go through it at the very end and see how you truly feel about those pieces. By the time you’ve gotten rid of a few items, you’ll be ready to really come to grips with the maybes.
4. The clothes you’re going to keep go back in the closet, but not before you separate those pieces by season. Put all your winter stuff in the back of the closet, fold sweaters on shelves and put those sexy boots back in their box for next season.
5. Now you’ll want to separate them by color which will make it easier to find pieces more efficiently and don’t forget to separate them by category: pants together, shirts together, dresses and skirts, etc. I always like to categorize my shoes as well by style and color.
6. If your closet is small, buy cute hooks to hang your purses and belts on. They’re an inexpensive and stylish way to store your accessories within eye view.
7. I like to think of my closet as a creative space, of sorts. I’ve put flowers on my shelves and hung posters and photos of fashion that inspires me. In other words, if you love Gwen Stefani’s look, hang a poster or photo of her in your closet. Or if you see a fashion layout in your favorite mag, put them on a bulletin board and keep that in your closet too. It’s a great way to get inspired when you’re putting your look together.
8. Don’t forget to decorate your closet. Use wallpaper, paint or those fashion layouts you love so much. By the time you’re done, you’ll want to live in your closet.

Yes, it’s hard to say goodbye. Our clothes are memories, an extension of who we are. But think of all the room you’re making for your new pieces, how great your closet will look when you’re done decorating it, how easy it’ll be for you to find things now and how you’re helping others by donating the things you no longer have use for.