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Your Guide to Cleaning Out Your College Closet

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Victoria Targett
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Portland chapter.

Moving out of at the end of the year is always a challenge especially when it comes to cleaning out your closet. Add the fact that you’re graduating on top of that and you have a recipe for tears and stress. When you’re living in your room it doesn’t seem like you have that much stuff, but then as soon as it’s time to pack everything, your belongings seem to triple in quantity. Here’s how to help de-clutter the closet of your college clothing as you prepare for the world post-grad.

 

 

Step 1: Open Closet

Hey, you have to start somewhere and sometimes the hardest part is just actually starting the task at hand.

 

Step 2: Fashion Show!

Okay, this isn’t the typical fashion show you probably do before going out on the weekend. This is a try everything on in your closet in order to get rid of things fashion show. If it doesn’t fit, don’t keep it even if you think that one day you’ll fit into it.  If it’s stained, give it away.

 

Here are some questions to ask during your fashion show:

1. When’s the last time I actually wore this?

If your answer is to that one house party sophomore year, then I think it’s safe to say you can put that in the donation pile. It’s called college clothing for a reason.

 

2. What’s the reason I haven’t worn this in a while?

Has the weather just not been right for it? If that’s the case and you genuinely like the piece then keep it. If your reason includes that it doesn’t fit, you don’t like it, or it’s ripped, then just donate it.

 

3. Do I even like this?

If you say nope, then toss it into that donation pile of yours.

 

4. Do I feel comfortable and confident in this?

Nope, then why are you keeping it?

 

5. Is there something else in my closet that’s similar that I like more?

Do you really need 5 t-shirts that look almost identical? Unless it’s part of your uniform for work then probably not.

 

Hopefully, after reading this you’ll be able to get rid of at least some of your clothing from your college closet. Think about it this way, if you get rid of clothes then you can add some new pieces later. Post-grad wardrobe makeover?

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Victoria is a senior marketing major with a sustainability minor at the University of Portland. In her free time, she loves browsing the aisles of Target, exploring Portland and drinking chocolate milk. When in doubt her outfits are almost entirely from Old Navy and you can normally find her in Kenna Hall where she is one of the Resident Assistants.