We’ve probably all heard the closet decluttering technique involving turning our hangers around. The idea is that when we wear something, we can hang it with the hanger facing the opposite way and then at the end of a certain period of time, get rid of all the clothes on the hangers that haven’t been turned. This has always seemed a little too drastic to me because I don’t want to be forced to get rid of clothes I like just because for one reason or another I haven’t reached for it in a while.

Then I heard the idea to just do the turning hangers trick as an experiment; a way to figure out what it is you really use. There’s no pressure to get rid of anything, but it would provide some useful information. I was always free to get rid of anything I clearly wasn’t using, but doing it this way made me feel more in control. I have heard it said that women generally only use 20% of what’s in their closets, and I was curious if that was true for me, so I gave it a try.

We are now 3 months in, so I wanted to check in on my progress. Backwards hangers have been used, regular-facing ones have not. Doing a count gives 60 turned out of 83. That means 72%. So not bad. Then I looked at what wasn’t turned. What I found was that some categories were almost entirely used, and some were hardly used at all. The unused categories included t-shirts, which even though it was winter, I thought would be good under cardigans or full-zip hoodies. Apparently I don’t do that very regularly. It also included dresses, most of which were sleeveless or short-sleeved. These should in theory work for winter with a waist-length cardigan, but I haven’t found a good one yet. Read more about my search here My Style Goals for Right Now. This winter, when I needed to be a bit more dressed up, I reached for long-sleeved shirts with long skirts or dress pants. Other than the t-shirts and dresses, also unused were blazers, which I find restrictive. Though sometimes the occasion calls for them, so I keep a couple on hand. Also, there was my velour tracksuit, and some tunic shirts that had been well loved, and let’s face it, fashion has moved on from both of those. They would be some good candidates to part with as I declutter.

I will probably keep the velour suit because I still like it, as well as other shirts from groups or events, that I no longer wear but still want to remember. They include souvenirs from Broadway plays I liked, and shirts from bands I used to be a part of (I play the flute). While I loved seeing those shows and playing music together with those people, I don’t still wear those shirts. Clothes can be memories and that is fine, but memories belong elsewhere. My closet should be focused on current use, so I need to move the memories out so they won’t get in the way of me seeing what I actually use.

One side effect of this experiment that I have been noticing is that in the mornings I check what’s on the hangers that haven’t been turned and wonder if there’s a way to use that item. In a sense it feels like cheating because I’m deliberately choosing that piece so I will use more of my wardrobe. On the other hand, I see it as an added benefit because using more of my wardrobe is the goal of this experiment. I don’t force myself to wear things I don’t want to, but if I can use it to make an outfit I’m excited to wear, then that’s great. Besides, if I wear that item and it bugs me all day long or I don’t feel good in it for whatever reason, then I can be sure it’s time to part with it.

Now that it’s spring, I’ve turned all my hangers back around. I also swapped out some winter clothes for summer things. I enjoyed this experiment and want to do it again for the new season. Have you ever tried turning the hangers in your closet to see what you really use? Maybe like me you don’t like the idea of having to part with things just because your decluttering method said so. Being able to see what you really use helps so much in making outfits you really love. Whatever your method, I encourage you to take stock of what you have and clear the space needed to enjoy what you really love.