Start with the bulky things. Like the sweat pants and sweaters, and sweatshirts. Do you really need a giant collection of sweatpants? Probably not. Keep the ones you use…and donate the rest. Same with sweaters, and the like.
Look at even your professional clothes. At one point, I realized I had 15 pairs of black pants. Really…I wore maybe 5. I picked the ones I liked best that were best quality, and I donated the rest.
Your goal is to empty one closet in your bedroom, right?
My personal opinion…don’t create more storage space (under your bed or wherever). Get rid of the things you just don’t wear.
I agree with @oldfort that if you have something of particularly nice quality, hang on to it.
I’m purging in my closet now…and it’s funny the things I’m finding. Like I have five white blazer type jackets. They are all nice, and they are all a little different…but I’m getting rid of 3 anyway. I have a really nice pink blazer…I don’t think I’ve ever worn it. Out!
Just look carefully at everything in your closets. Figure out what you actually use…and figure out what has been hanging there that you seldom or never use.
Think of the people who will benefit from receiving your donation of gently used nice clothes.
Yes…this happens. But you know…when things come back, they are always just a little different than what you have. Pants, for example, I got rid of my wide bottom pants. They were everyday brand names (Ann Taylor, for example) not designer. If they come back into style, I’ll buy a new pair.
Lots of good suggestions here. And another one…even though we don’t love the answer…stop buying!!!
Don’t allow yourself to buy any new stuff until you seriously take stock of what you have and what you can do without.
I think that impulse buying really stuffs our closets.
I didn’t actually throw out that much when I Kondo’d my dresser, but I did find that folding her way made for a lot more room. At least 1/3 more space. I do put summer tops and shorts in the attic off season. I definitely have a lot of clothes I never ever wear.
My SIL has always kept the rule of getting rid of an item when she gets a new item
Right about buying. I know someone who was paring down…and for any new item purchased, she got rid of two in her closet.
Another suggestion if you don’t already have them…those thin fuzzy hangers take up far less space than other types of hangers. When I rehung my dresses, for example, I had a lot more space.
yeah, good tip thump! I actually have the big thick wooden hangers - i like them because they don’t break or lose their shape… but man do they take up a lot of room.
I need to empty out one closet and one dresser (A 3 drawer dresser).
as for the sweatpants… do i need them all? No. Do i wear them all? yeah. I’m quirky and wear different colored ones all the time. I’m going to go through my stuff again this week though, as I think I definitely can pare down more on stuff based on the above. And try the folding thing on my other dresser, which may make room for my stuff to migrate over from those 3 drawers in the dresser I need to vacate.
For what it’s worth, I don’t typically buy new clothes. Things just accumuate over the years and I never get rid of anything. I have pants that are 20 years old that are still part of my regular rotation. 
I do occasionally pick up a new colored sweatpant or dress pants if I see a good deal. A lot of my clothing growth is from give away shirts, gifts from my mom, etc.
I don’t buy anything new without donating something old. Basically I have a fixed number of hangers and on principle won’t buy any more :).
If it hasn’t been worn in the past year, it gets donated as well.
When I had smaller closet space, I rotated seasonally.
Put half of your sweatpants (or a third or a quarter) of your sweatpants and tshirts in a box and out of sight. See if you truly miss much of it in the next three months.
I’ve had success grabbing the things I haven’t worn in x amount of time (2 seasons usually) and tossing them in a donation box in the basement.
The donation box may sit there for months before I make arrangements for a pick up. I don’t think I have ever retrieved anything out of the donation box. It’s remarkable (to me) how little I miss those items or even notice I’ve culled the closet.
We are in an old house with small closets & we do rotate our seasonal clothes.
I tend to grab the same clothes items over and over, so it makes the culling process a bit easier. Also, I do not have to get dressed up for work and have only a few basic skirts, etc.
Good luck! It’s freeing to par down!
I went through a few drawers and the closets during my lunch break - got rid of a few more things. Still have some more work to do. It’s progress.
I have one small closet and half a wardrobe. I put an organizer in the closet so that I can hang two rows of tops, jacket and such and good pants. There is space to hang my longer dresses. I don’t wear many. There are also shelves for sweaters. A little like this. https://smile.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-Configurations-Custom-Closet-FG3H8900WHT/dp/B00123800Q/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1X7M95VVVD0SR&keywords=closet+organizer&qid=1559067275&s=gateway&sprefix=Closet+o%2Caps%2C134&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1 Kondoed my jeans and they all fit in one drawer now. I also use under the bed to switch out winter and summer seasonal items. I have also pared my wardrobe by really looking at what I wear. The wardrobe takes the rest of my sweaters and shoes.
“At one point, I realized I had 15 pairs of black pants. Really…I wore maybe 5. I picked the ones I liked best that were best quality, and I donated the rest.”
I can relate! During my last closet clean-out I got rid of about a dozen black pants but I still have that at least that many still hanging in my closet. I donated several trash bags worth of clothes, but it was still not enough. I appreciate the good tips in this thread. Must do more paring down!
"when things come back, they are always just a little different than what you have. "
That’s been my experience. I have hung on to clothes but when I try them on again the look is just not quite right.
I’d like to try folding my tops like Marie Kondo does, but how do they not get hard creases from all the folds…especially when they’re packed tightly in the drawer the way she does it? Do you then have to iron every T-shirt just before wearing?
The worst-stuffed closet in the house is my daughter’s. At 5’1, I think she’s grown only 1/2 inch since sixth grade, but of course wants new clothes every season… while hanging onto every old T-shirt. Worse, she loves bulky things like sweatshirts and has to buy a sweatshirt (or two) every place we travel. Then, the memory of that place is attached so how can she scrap that? I’m going to have to seriously get “Kondo” with her soon…but bracing for her to decide that 90% of those clothes spark joy, lol.
Those soft under bed boxes with the clear tops are inexpensive and a great way to store things. You can fold kondo style so you can see what’s in them, but you can also put less used things in them.
If you feel like you never need to look under the bed or that when you look at what is in them, you are uninspired, you have your answer!
Well,I did it. I moved everything from 3 closets into 2, and from 2 dressers into 1. I kondoed the dressers. My boyfriend said he was impressed how compact everything is.
I used slimline hangers in the closet but now there are so many I can’t see what’s in the back.
I’m going to go through again and see if there are any more things that can go.
My donate pile is huge. I’ve actually been going through stuff in every room and hope to have a yard sale next weekend. Seems like a good time to have a fresh start. 
@gardenstategal , LOL. My bed is over a foot higher than its natural bed frame height with all of my underbed storage.
Congrats , @fendergirl!! My heroine of the day! I still need to get there. I’m dreaming of building two great big walk-in closers to our house!
@cptofthehouse , so much stuff to get through. Lol. I should get rid of more. If we ever buy another house, walk in closets are a must. Lol.
Great job @fendergirl! That was quite an accomplishment.
Doesn’t it feel great!!! Good job!