Bye- Bye, Pack Rat! . . . Hello peace of mind.

To get rid of a mess, sometimes you have to make one. Set aside a weekend— or two evenings after work—to review and edit your wardrobe. Remember, your new mantra is p-u- r-g- e . Start by sorting your clothes into three categories: "Throw Away," "Give Away," and "Keep." The damaged-beyond-repair—a top that's missing most of its sequins, pants you burned with an iron, anything torn that cannot be repaired—should go into the "Throw Away" pile. No ifs, ands, or buts. The "Give Away" pile should contain anything that's out of style, too small, or (lucky for you!) too big. Donate these items to your local charity shop or clothing drive, consign them to a used-clothing boutique or vintage-clothing store, or give them to a friend. (See chapter 3, "The CDC: Consignment, Donation, and Collecting," for more information on donating versus consigning and the advantages of each.) "The Keep" pile should, of course, contain items that you have worn within the last year and that you will continue to wear.

Sometimes it is difficult to decide what items should be placed in which pile. If this is the case, asking a friend to assist you can help. The key to enlisting a friend-editor is to make certain not to ask anyone who will cause you great emotional duress during this important editing exercise (your brutally honest best friend, your mom, your boyfriend or girlfriend, or anyone else who will make you want to strangle them when they squint their eyes and say, "Hmmm, you look kind of pudgy in that . . ."). Instead, choose a friend who knows your lifestyle and your personality, who you think has good personal style, and who can make sure that you're not going to hang on to an ill-fitting dress just because it's black or you got it on sale.

People cling to clothing and other items for many different reasons, and many think: Why do I have all this stuff, and how will I be able to let go of it? The reality is that once you begin to purge your closet of clothing you're not using, you'll be able to think more freely and feel incredibly unburdened by clutter. "Editing my wardrobe is something I have always found very hard," says Emilia Fanjul Pfeifler, president, EF Communications. "Lately, I try not to buy very trendy clothes and instead, I opt for items that work season to season. Generally, if I don't wear something for a year, it has got to go."

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