Sugar Blaze

Those of you who tune in regularly have most likely given FAO (Find-an-Outfit) a go, at least with a few pieces in your closet. I confess, I’ve had fewer FAO sessions than I’d hoped since writing about it, but something has happened: I’ve found myself hanging on to clothes that don’t really suit me and telling myself, “I can’t get rid of that until I run it through FAO. I’ll do that soon.”

Then, I wind up busy, and sooner turns into later (or never). I do believe that FAO is a far better method of assessing clothes you love dearly, but wear rarely, than ruthlessly cleaning out everything you don’t frequently wear (what would happen to your formal attire, if you lived strictly by that rule?). But, I never intended for FAO to become an excuse to be a packrat.

If your list of items to complete FAO sessions with sums up more than a quarter of your closet, you’re not quite ready for FAO just yet. (If you have to think about whether or not this is you, then assume it is.) I suggest to you this: shorten your to-FAO list, and your closet will clean itself out.

Step 1: Walk into your closet with a roll of masking tape handy. Separate the clothes you do not wear often from the ones you do. (Quite an easy task for those of you who sectioned off the clothes when you read my first article on the topic.)

Step 2: Consider each piece, one at a time, and be completely honest when asking these questions:

- Do I truly love this item and have a desire to wear it?

- Does it fit and flatter?

- Is it in good condition or better?

- Is it unique to other items I own?

- Would I really miss it if it were gone from my closet?

If the answers to all five questions are yes, then you have a genuine to-FAO piece on your hands. Use that masking tape to mark the hanger and move on to the next item.

Step 3: Gather up all those items that didn’t yield a yes from all five questions. Take them off their hangers, bag them up, and get rid of them!

Resist the temptation to resell everything on ebay or in a garage sale-you’ll just end up hanging on to it all, if you do that. Fish out only the expensive items (by my definition, $100+) for reselling (via ebay, consignment shop, or other method), and donate the rest. My preferred method of donation is a good clothing swap, but if you want to keep more clothes from coming in, donating to Goodwill or a similar establishment is the way to go.

Step 4: Make it a priority to complete FAO sessions with the items you kept. Set a realistic timeline and hold yourself accountable. For example, if you have ten items, you might say, “I give myself three days per item,” which amounts to a month for all ten items. Be prepared to get rid of whatever you failed to run through the FAO process after a month has passed. Understand that if you cannot find time for something when you’re on a time table, you will never find time for it when time is of no concern.

Step 5: Enjoy your new wardrobe! At this point, every piece in your closet should belong to at least one complete outfit, and you should own nothing you are unsure of. Keep things this way by ensuring any new clothes you bring in fit in with your existing ones.