While packing up to move to Philadelphia, I wasn’t just getting ready to move to an apartment, but I also had to completely move out of my childhood bedroom.  Each time I packed up a shirt, I had to really justify taking it to Philly because I had limited space to begin with. I am known for having a lot of clothes, but since moving to Philly, I have had to purge a lot to make room for other things (and future shopping trips!). I thought I would share how I decided to purge or bring it to my apartment here in Philly!

Knock offs

Everyone can tell and it just looks cheap. If you want the Louis Vuitton handbag, then save up and don’t spend money on a fake. Since these knock offs are so cheap, including the similar style as designer handbags at H&M and Target, we buy a ton of them and they just take up room and they add up over time.

Anything from high school or college

Seems silly, but you are wasting so much room in your closet by holding onto things that you will never wear again. Last summer, I took everything out of my closet and dresser and was shocked to see how much Hollister clothing I still had left over. Don’t get sentimental, just get rid of it. This includes all of those free t shirts that you have received over the years. I had dozens of them in my closet because I would tell myself I would wear them when I would work out. I got rid of them and invested in a nice Nike workout clothes collection that actually helps me get in the mood to work out instead of wearing an old t shirt I occasionally sleep in!

Going out tanks

Most of my college wardrobe consisted of the “going out shirts” that I would wear on the weekends. Now when I grab a drink with friends, I actually dress for the weather. I still like to show some skin, however I could never leave my house in a lot of the clothes I went out in now. They just take up closet space, so get rid of all of them and invest in nicer clothes to go out in because sheer and chevron are so 2010!

Halloween costumes

You have them shoved in the back of your closet in case you ever need a last minute Halloween costume. Keep the ears and then purge the sexy kitten outfit.

Super fancy dresses to wear to weddings

I have a huge plastic container of fancy dresses for the “in case I go to a wedding” taking up room on the floor of my closet. I recently went through that bin and donated a lot and kept what I knew I was actually going to wear. If you have nice dresses that you wore to someones wedding or Sweet Sixteen, you can sell them on Poshmark for some extra cash.

All your denim purchased before 2011

We are all guilty on having a dozen jeans in our closet, but only wear the same pair over and over again. Some styles will never come back in style again (hello, low rise jeans!) and others went out of style for a reason (goodbye, bootcut!). Sell what you can on Poshmark, but you should really only ever have 6 pairs of jeans in your closet.

Anything you have not worn in the last year

Seems silly for me to have to say it, but we are all guilty on keeping onto clothes that we never wear. Spend a day reorganizing your closet and find out why you never wear that shirt. If it is because it doesn’t fit right, then donate it immediately. If it is because you just never see it because it is hiding in the back, then put it in front of your closet so you grab it next.

Anything that just doesn’t look right: any ill fitting or too big/small clothes

Don’t try to justify keeping it or thinking one day it will fit again- just get rid of it! There was a time in my life that I was a size small, but only wore medium tops because I didn’t like my body. Now that I am an XS, those shirts are never going to look right on me. You already know what shirts they are, so spend 10 minutes today and just take them out of your closet immediately!

Painful heels

Yes, they are cute but if you call them your 5 minute heels, then you need to get rid of them. Now that I actually wear heels to work, I want to make sure they are cute and comfortable. Get rid of those cheap heels and invest in a good pair.

Any shoes that are not designer

Okay, this may sound dramatic, but just listen for a minute! After graduating from college, I finally had the money to splurge and buy some Tory Burch shoes. One pair turned into five pairs of Tory Burch shoes and now that my feet have worn designer shoes, I cannot wear cheap shoes again. I invested in the Tory Burch Miller sandal and quickly purged all of my other sandals because I didn’t need a bunch of cheap ones when I had one great pair. Not only do they look nicer, but they last longer and are a lot more comfortable on my feet! However, I still from time to time will buy shoes at Target, but I make sure I check to see how well they are made and if they are comfortable!

Trendy clothes

I have a small budget when it comes to clothes and accessories, so I try to stay away from anything “trendy” because we all know that purse in the shape of a taco will be so last season next year. I keep a cap on my spending for trendy pieces and try to not spend more than $30 on something. My style is more classic, so I know that if I purchase it today that I will also wear it a few years from now.

Stop spending money on casual clothes and invest in work clothes

It is wear we spend at least forty hours of our week and when I get home from work, I almost immediately put on pajamas. Once I stopped buying clothes to just wear on the weekend, I found myself spending less money once I had to justify if I could wear it to work.