How To Clean Out Your Plus Size Closet

If you've made a resolution to organize your closet, I'm gonna need you to take a deep breath and step away from the garbage bags. When you're plus sized, wardrobe management is a different ballgame, so we shouldn't follow the same advice that works for everyone else. Let's make sure we're thinking clearly before we start chucking things into the donate pile.

There's A Good Reason We Hoard Plus Size Clothing

It's not that easy to replace. Plus size clothes cost more than standard sizes and aren't in many brick and mortar locations. And more than any other demographic, we're well aware that our size may change thanks to medication, stress, or illness. If you've dropped a size because you're too overwhelmed to eat or gained one thanks to a knee injury, you're in no condition to go clothes shopping. 

Don't let that scarcity mentality come between you and a manageable closet. There are some pieces that definitely don't deserve to stay. Anything that's still stained after all your best stain-removal efforts has ceased to be clothes. Ditto anything too worn to be repaired. Some fabrics can be recycled. Those that can't can be used as art supplies by your friendly neighborhood mixed-media artist or art teacher.

Other pieces need to be sent out into the world to fulfill their destiny. If you've left the corporate world, sworn off square dancing, or moved to a different climate you don't need to keep clothes that don't work with your current life. 

Obviously, you're going to hold onto anything in good condition that fits your body and lifestyle. If it doesn't fit your body but it's otherwise wearable and you like it, you may want to put it in storage in case your size changes.

If something is out of style but could be updated, it may be worth keeping. A few years ago, my sister-in-law convinced my mother-in-law to get rid of a dress coat that hadn't been taken out of the closet for decades. On the surface, this sounds like a great idea, but I was so traumatized that I still haven't recovered. All that coat needed was new buttons and it would've been fine.

Yes, it's clearly unlikely that my mother-in-law will need a dress coat since she went so long without wearing the one she had. But she has enough closet space to hold onto some big ticket items just in case. 

Vikki VI Classics are designed not to go out of style, so this may largely be a non-issue for you. But keep it in mind when you turn your eye to your accessories and non-Vikki Vi clothes. (It's OK - we don't expect monogamy.)

You'll probably come across a few pieces you haven't worn in ages even though they fit and are in decent shape. This is an opportunity for spiritual growth. No, really.

Think about why you don't wear those clothes. Do you keep buying prints and then chickening out rather than wearing them? There's nothing wrong with being all about the solids, but you bought those pieces because you wanted to step outside your comfort zone. Give it a try so you can decide once and for all if prints just aren't you or if they're not that scary after all.

Maybe you keep buying pieces that just aren't the right shape for your body. They're too snug in some spots, or too loose, or both. You haven't been wearing those items because they're exhausting on every level. Stop doing that to yourself. Not every style is made for every body shape, and that's fine. 

It's possible that some of these pieces are for special occasions. There's no reason not to hold on them just in case. Or maybe you want to treat some everyday occasions as special ones.

Your Closet Should Be A Stress-Free Zone

Remember that the goal isn't to have an empty closet. You're striving for a closet that doesn't stress you out when you open it. 

Check out our other plus size shopping tips.