The Time Has Come: Clear The Closet

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Most closets are cluttered with stuff that hasn't seen the light of day in a very long time, says Jackie Conlin, a personal style consultant in San Francisco.
Most closets are cluttered with stuff that hasn't seen the light of day in a very long time, says Jackie Conlin, a personal style consultant in San Francisco.

by Samantha Crtichell

NEW YORK (AP) - Any way you hang it, that strong-shouldered jacket from the 1980s is never going to quite look like the `80s-inspired jackets popular now. Same goes for the `70s maxi and slinky disco-style dresses.

That means the time has likely come to get rid of them.

Adam Glassman, fashion director at O, The Oprah Magazine, says anything you haven't worn in two years should be booted from the valuable closet real estate. He used to say one year, he explains, but he is allowing for a little more flexibility in size fluctuation, popular colors and immediate trends.

After that, though, the items unless they're expensive, top-tier designer pieces in beautiful fabrics with precision cuts - should go. It's romantic to think that other items, even pricey ones, could wear that vintage'' label someday, but, in reality, very few things do.

Most closets are cluttered with stuff that hasn't seen the light of day in a very long time, says Jackie Conlin, a personal style consultant in San Francisco. Timeless pieces are real gems, she says. I like the idea of timelessness, but the way things change so rapidly, a look is going to change and your look is going to change.

Conlin puts a white blouse or man-tailored button-down on the list, but Glassman warns that those can be tricky to keep because, even protected in the closet, they'll yellow over time.

They do agree that keeping traditional handbags, clutches and totes, for instance, and high-heel pumps (probably just the round-toe ones) makes sense as long as they're in good condition. Heavily embellished accessories, however, might be perfect donations for a little girl's dress-up box.

Professional closet designer and organizer Melanie Fascitelli says she sees stacks of purses and boots collecting dust. People have a much harder time parting with them. There's something weird about boots that no one wants to part with. They'll be run into the ground and be Band-Aided to death, she observes. Yes, there are some leather items that look good worn-in, but some don't, and boots are one of those things.

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