Updating Your Closet for 2025

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Today's post was prompted a recent reader comment thread: Let's talk about updating your closet for 2025! Yes, it's time for some spring summer cleaning for your work wardrobe and beyond. Seasonal changes make the perfect opportunities for purging your closet, because as you browse and pull things out that you haven't even thought about in months (it's almost like a bonus Christmas — surprise!), you'll have reactions like “Oh, I've always loved this shirt!” or “Wow, I'm still hanging on to this? Why?”

In the past, we've talked a lot about closet organization and related tips, like organizing your closet, closet organization hacks, shopping your closet (and creating a capsule work wardrobe), cleaning your closet in three ways, and purging your closet post-pandemic. (For the parents out there, over at CorporetteMoms, Kat's given some detailed advice on how to store clothes your kid has outgrown and how to organize kids' clothes.)

{related: where to recycle, donate, and sell your work clothes}

What Clothes to Get Rid of in 2025

Once you've decided to tackle updating your closet (yay!), the basic rules of what to purge are straightforward:

• Clothes with tears, holes, etc., that can't be fixed (but check out visible mending, though these repairs aren't always office-appropriate). Regarding sweater pilling, try a fabric shaver or sweater brick/block.
• Clothes you haven't worn in a long time, because you should be realistic: Unless you find a new way to style something, such as pairing it with new things, it's likely to linger there forever.
• Clothes that were super trendy and are now dated. If a piece screams, “I'm from [very brief time period] and only [very brief time period],” maybe it's time to retire it. However, if you just don't give a sh*t because you truly love the item and want to wear it forever (especially if it's not for the office), hold on to it!
• Clothes that just don't make you feel good — or at least feel “fine.” If you try on a piece and your reaction is just “eh” (or, to add a letter, “meh”), why keep it?

{related: how to make your clothes last longer}

Troubleshooting the Closet Purge

Beyond the basics, you may run into some tricky issues when you're updating your closet:

1. “These clothes are [too small / too big] now, but someday I COULD [lose weight / gain the weight back].” Especially if you're on a budget and/or the clothes in question are some of your favorites, you might lean toward keeping them. But if you're not worried about affording new clothes in the future, it might be better to say goodbye. After all, it feels good to browse your closet and know that everything fits well. (And while it may not be the healthiest strategy, donating clothes that have become too big for you can mentally help you maintain your weight.)

2. “I like this, but it needs tailoring, and … I bought it quite a while ago and still haven't had it done.” If it's been years (I'm guilty of this with a couple pairs of pants waiting patiently in the basement, etc.), seriously consider whether it's because you don't like it enough. If you do love the item, immediately put it in a bag and place it in your car (or in your work bag if you use public transportation), and put a date on your calendar to get it altered (and if you're like me, subsequently drive around with it for weeks).

3. “This isn't in style anymore, but it could be again someday.” In recent years, it's getting harder to be surprised about what trends have been revived (y'know, like giant JNCO-style jeans; jelly shoes; those stretchy chokers; and so on), but you can never quite know what'll come back. So there's no right answer to “Should I keep this, just in case?” but it should really depend on whether you actually loved the trend in the first place (plus the quality of the item, and how much you like wearing it).

As commenters here have noted, when things “come back” into style they are often different by just a little bit — for example, bootcut jeans are back but with a much higher rise than previously (and generally less distressing).

THREE BASIC TIPS for Decluttering Anything

To borrow a Kat phrase, for my two cents, here are the rules I use for decluttering, including clothes — sure, not groundbreaking, but helpful to me:

1. Do I actually use/wear this? If not, how long has it been?
2. Is it sentimental? (If so, take a photo before you donate.)
3. Can someone else use it?

Bonus tip: This is gross, so maybe don't proceed if you're eating lunch: I recently read an article in The Washington Post [gift link] that introduced the “poop rule” for decluttering. As a content creator explained to the reporter, “The poop rule is simple: While decluttering, ask yourself, ‘If something was covered in poop, would I still keep it?'” Ew — but could be useful!

{related: how to avoid fast fashion for work clothes}

Readers, did you do any spring cleaning in your wardrobe this year? What did you get rid of, and why? What did you make sure to keep? If you've RTO and your office dress code changed after COVID, did you donate the workwear you don't wear anymore?

Stock photo via Pexels.