I always look at January as a month of detox. I tell myself to spend more time at the gym, eat more vegetables, give away any stagnant items in my apartment, and clean out my life a bit. This process usually begins with organizing my room and my closet. I tend to surround myself in white accented by pops of color {typically pink, orange and gold}, and this clean slate keeps me calm and brightens up my work space at the same time. My bedroom is my office, so there is no room for clutter in my tiny shoebox!

Tackling my closet is step two, and typically my favorite way to start a new year. It is easy to keep clothing that we consistently tell ourselves we might need down the road, or those skinny jeans that we will definitely fit into in a few months because our new years resolution is to lose 10 pounds. Trust me, I tell myself the same thing but items like this just become daunting and stagnant in your closet and it is best to just start fresh. You will never feel comfortable in those jeans that are too tight {and unflattering}, so let’s just put those in the giveaway pile {I did!}. When I was in college, I saved everything. I then realized that it typically took me an hour to decide on what to wear because my closet was filled with items that I hated, that is why it is important to surround yourself with pieces that you love + that make you feel confident. Now, I don’t switch out my closet from season to season, my closet is not filled with clothing, but it is filled with pieces that are wearable, timeless, and easily mixed + matched. {Think about this when you are shopping! How will new pieces fit into what I already have?}

Here is my suggestion: Go through your closet, have a conversation with yourself and get rid of the clutter. Then, organize your closet by style {ie: dresses, skirts, sweaters, button down shirts, dressy blouses, basics, etc.}, then if you’re anal like me, separate these by color – this will help you to identify exactly what you’re looking for, help you “shop your closet” for items you forgot you had and make it much easier to piece together an outfit. You can start 2012 with a whole new wardrobe without dropping a dime! I like the sound of that.

{images via my Pinterest and Bailey’s Chicago closet}