Closet Audit and Cleaning (Detox)

Technical criteria for garment detoxification

The first step to efficient wardrobe management is not tidying, but editing. A functional closet is one where 100% of the contents are "active", i.e. usable in the immediate present. To achieve this, each piece must be subjected to a rigorous technical interrogation.

The first filter is physical condition: garments with pilling, indelible stains, unintentional tears or faded colors should be removed, as they degrade the visual image regardless of the quality of the rest of the ensemble.

The second filter is ergonomics and actual fit. Clothes should fit the body we have today, not the body we had five years ago or the body we aspire to have in the future.

Keeping garments that are the wrong size generates daily frustration and takes up valuable physical and mental space.

The third filter is stylistic consistency: Does this garment represent my current identity and lifestyle? If a garment is in perfect condition but belongs to a past life stage (e.g., corporate office wear when now working in a creative environment), it should be taken out of the daily circuit.

Logistical sorting: The four-box system

To avoid chaos during the audit, an immediate sorting system is implemented. Nothing should be rehung until it has passed the test. Four destinations are established:

Fix/Dry Clean: Garments that we love and fit well, but require technical maintenance (bottoms, buttons, dry cleaning). These do not return to the closet until repaired.

Circulate (Sell/Donate): Clothes in good condition that no longer represent us but have a useful life. It is vital that these garments leave the house quickly so that they do not re-enter the closet by inertia.

Recycle/Discard: Damaged textiles that cannot be donated with dignity.

Passive Archiving: Pieces of high sentimental value or extremely sporadic use (such as ball gowns) that should not occupy "prime" space in the everyday closet, but should be stored in preservation boxes or covers in high areas.

The emotional trap of the "just in case".

The biggest obstacle in organization is not space, but attachment. We accumulate garments "just in case" (in case I lose weight, in case fashion comes back in style, in case I get invited to a theme party). This scarcity mentality blocks the flow of style.

A garment that has not been worn in the last two seasons (12-18 months) is statistically unlikely to be worn again.

The advisor should guide the client to understand that empty space is a luxury and an o