Ask Style: Got Closet Cleaning Tips?

I want to do some spring cleaning on my closet. What are some tips for choosing which clothes I should keep and which should get the boot?
—Katie, via the Ask Style inbox

Brave soul! Parting with your dear clothes can be tough work. If you're feeling sentimental, forget it! You'll end up clinging to every dress you ever made a memory in. To get emotionally and mentally prepared, we caught up with personal shopper Elana Pruitt for some tips on how to properly slash your wardrobe down to size.

As you sit in front of your closet on Judgment Day you'll have three piles to think about: Keep, Toss and Sell/Swap. No in-between and no excuses! Here's what should go in every pile:

Keep: "You only want to keep items that flatter your body, fit appropriately and work with your lifestyle and career. Think cute blazers for the office and strapless cotton dresses as a cover-up at the beach," says Pruitt. You should also hold onto any major designer pieces, because you never know when it might come back in style. Not to mention your future daughters or granddaughters will thank you!

Toss: This may sound brutal, but toss anything that you haven't worn in a year and a half. Pruitt recommends trying on each piece, so you can be sure you are letting pieces go that don't fit your style anymore. That plaid schoolgirl skirt that was so "Fergilicious" a few years back? Well, by actually putting it on you may realize you feel silly in it now or that it's too short for your pear-shaped body. Once you've weeded out the closet castoffs, Pruitt promises you'll feel so much better. Plus there's a hidden bonus in donating your old clothes. Hello tax write off!

Sell/Swap: Why not make a little bank while you're whittling down your wardrobe? Any brand-name duds you don't care for any longer will fetch you a pretty penny at consignment shops like Buffalo Exchange or Crossroads. Items that fall into this category are clothes you don't care for anymore, but are still nice enough that someone else may enjoy them. For any pieces that don't sell, you can host a clothes-swapping party with your girlfriends. You get to purge your old wardrobe haunts and bring in fresh clothes, all while hanging with your best buds. Does it get any better than that?

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