Session 2
1. Remove everything from your closet
Begin by taking everything — yes, ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING — out of your closet.
Include shoes, but ignore accessories and coats
Basically, if it’s clothes and it belongs to you, get it
Don’t forget to look in drawers and track down any stray laundry baskets
Pile it all into one big pile
2. Separate the “Big Pile” into 3 piles of clothes
PILE 1, “Love” ONLY for the things that you LOVE and WEAR ALL THE TIME
PILE 2, “Meh” For everything else
PILE 3, “Replacements” For items you love but that need to be replaced
As you sort, hold each item and ask yourself:
Do I LOVE this?
Do I WEAR it all the time?
Is it in good CONDITION? Do I need to REPLACE it?
If the answer is “YES”, it goes in PILE 1.
If the answer is “NO” or even just “Maybe”—it goes in PILE 2.
Anything that would be in PILE 1 if only it were in better condition, put that item in PILE 3.
3. Spend some time with Pile 2
Once your clothes are sorted, take a closer look at PILE 2 – the clothes you don’t love. Hold up each item one at a time and ask:
Why don’t I love these clothes?
Why makes them not “me”? Is it the color? The fit?
Take out your Capsule Planner PDF and make a list of what you don’t like about each item.
4. Move Pile 2 out of sight
Once you’re done examining Pile 2, grab a box, container or trash bags and store all of Pile 2 out of sight.
It can be in another room, as long as it’s out of your closet and out of sight
No pressure to do anything with these items yet
We recommend giving yourself at least 2 weeks before donating, recycling, or repurposing
Just move Pile 2 out of sight - we’ll show you the best options on how to remove the clutter for good in a later session
5. Spend some time with Pile 1
Now let’s move onto PILE 1 – the clothes you love. Hold up each item one at a time and ask:
Why do I love this?
Is it the way it makes you feel? The fit?
Record an answer for each item in your Capsule Planner PDF. Having just finished with Pile 2, you might be seeing some themes. Make note of these in your Planner. (Important: A capsule is a seasonal wardrobe, so look through PILE 1 and also remove any items that don’t fit the current season and put them into storage.)
6. Spend some time with Pile 3
Okay, now for PILE 3, those things you love and wear, or at least would if they weren’t in such bad shape.
Again, hold each item and ask “Why do I love this?”
Write these items down in the planner, and later we’ll add them to a shopping list
But for now, store these items in the same place you put PILE 2 for future donating, recycling, or repurposing
7. Put Pile 1 back in your closet
Now, take PILE 1 and put each item back in your closet, one at a time.
Organize by categories first: jackets, tops, pants, dresses, skirts, and shoes
Then, sort by color (e.g. all of your white tops together, then grey tops, etc.)
Then, move onto the next category and sort by color again
8. Take a look at your new closet
Now, take a step back, and look at your closet…
Does it look like it can breathe?
Is there space between hangers?
It looks pretty good, doesn’t it? Feels like freedom.
We have a few more things to do before we’re done, but now is the perfect time to snap an “after” photo and count how many items you’re down to. Record this number in your planner next to your first count before the cleanout.
9. Commit to NOT shopping for clothes until session 6.
This is important. Write it down somewhere if you need to. Tell your friends. Buying new clothes before we’re ready undermines all the hard work you just did!