How I use Future Reference to refresh my closet
As summer comes to a close, I find myself staring at a closet brimming with my best summer pieces: straw totes, every possible item in white linen, and my gorgeous baby blue vintage Pucci dress that I scored for $80 (I know, a total steal!). But as much as I adore these items, I know they likely won’t see the light of day for months. While this realization tugs at my heartstrings, I’m also excited to unearth the cozy, warm pieces that the incoming cooler weather demands.
This brings me to the perfect seasonal ritual: the closet clean out. I aim to do a productive clean out at least once a year, but this time, I decided to take a new approach by using Future Reference’s digital wardrobe function. Not only did Future Reference make the process loads easier, but I also found it more rewarding. Let me walk you through how it works and how it helped me refresh my wardrobe.
My 6 Step Method to a Mindful Closet Clean Out
Step 1: Reflect on My Current Style
Before diving into the clean out, I took a moment to reflect on the changes in my life. Have I experienced any lifestyle shifts? Perhaps my new remote job or a more active, outdoor lifestyle has altered my wardrobe needs. Maybe there’s a color or style that no longer excites me. Defining my intentions helped guide my clean out process, ensuring my closet aligns with who I am now.
Step 2: Digitally Archive and Evaluate
To make this process easier, I used Future Reference to review my past purchases. With just one click, they synced all my purchases from Gmail into my digital wardrobe, pulling in key data like brand, category, price paid and even images.
With my wardrobe synced, Future Reference is an additional visual resource to evaluate items. I can filter by category and price, and sort by oldest to newest to help me quickly identify which items may or may not resonate with my current style. This gave me a clear view of my entire collection and allowed me to strategically decide which categories to tackle and which pieces to keep, sell, or donate.
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Step 3: Empty My Closet into One Giant Pile, Category by Category
With my digital wardrobe in hand, I was ready to tackle the physical clean out. I emptied my closet into one giant pile—yes, using the TikTok-famous "panic clean" method. As overwhelming as it was to see my entire wardrobe in one place, it motivated me to sort through everything quickly and decisively, avoiding the temptation to delay the task.
Step 4: Sort into Keep, Sell, and Donate
As I go through, I sort my clothes into three piles: keep, sell, and donate. For the items I chose to keep, I could easily see how they fit into my current style, ensuring that my wardrobe felt cohesive and aligned with my life right now. A key rule I followed during this process: If I hadn’t worn something in the past year, I need to heavily consider letting it go. It’s easy to imagine I might wear that top again someday, but if it hasn’t seen the light of day in 12 months, it’s clear that it no longer resonates with me. I trusted that my style had evolved and gave myself permission to move on.
For The Items Where You’re On The Fence
For the pieces I was on the fence about, I make sure to try them on, as well as consult Future References estimated resale value. The value is based on past sales from across resale marketplaces like Poshmark, Vestiare, and The RealReal. (I also heard soon they are going to incorporate live listings to help us better gauge demand, stay tuned).
The app’s resale value estimates helped me understand which items could bring in the most value if sold, and are sometimes the push I need to commit to rotating for something new. For example, there’s a dress I’ve worn to at least 5 weddings that I’m pretty sick of, and I saw it was still reselling for $300. I decided to list it, and when it sells I can use that to re-invest in a new dress or rental. The addition of insights into the clean out processed has transformed it from simple organization into a purposeful, value-driven exercise.
Additional Reasons to Let Go
Other items I chose to part with included clothes that no longer fit, pieces I had multiples of, items that no longer suited my style, and those hard-to-style accessories that never seemed to work with anything else in my closet. I also let go of anything I’d been telling myself I’d repair or alter but hadn’t—accepting that if it wasn’t a priority now, it probably never would be.
For items that don’t hold resale value, I donate to a local shelter or recycling service. I recommend using Trashie, For Days, or you can also search ‘Clothing Donation Center near me’ if you would rather contribute to your local community.
Step 5: The Sell Pile
Future Reference’s digital wardrobe played a crucial role here. For the items I decided to sell, the app had already stored all the necessary details, including Brand, category, color, and MSRP. With the data digitized Future Reference then helps me to list them on resale platforms with just a few clicks. It’s best to take photos of the items while you have everything out.
Once I’m done taking photos and listing, I then store my items out of my closet, in an easy place to find in cae they sell. This keeps them physically separated, so I don’t go back to items I’ve already decided to move on from.
Step 6: Organize with a System
Once I made my decisions and established my keep pile, I organized my closet with a system that reflects my lifestyle. I typically arrange by type, then color, but you can also arrange by occasion. This is personal preference, but its important to have a system in place made getting dressed more convenient, inspiring, and joyful.
Why It Matters
Using Future Reference transformed my closet clean out from a daunting task into a streamlined, rewarding process. It allowed me to make informed decisions about what to keep and what to let go, all while considering the future value of my wardrobe. As we move into the cooler months, I now have a closet that feels fresh and inspiring, and hopefully some extra cash for one or two new pieces soon.
If you’re looking to make your next closet clean out more efficient and insightful, give Future Reference a try. It’s a game-changer for anyone who wants to refine their wardrobe with real insights and visibility.
