We’ve all heard that statistic that you wear the same 20% of your clothes, 80% of the time. And if you’re like me, you’ve probably felt guilty about it, especially if you have lots of clothes you love and a very small dorm closet.

Many old favorites are left at home for part of the school year, and some great pieces end up being forgotten for years. I’m sure you all know the feeling of finding something amazing in your closet that you’ve totally forgotten about!

After feeling this way repeatedly over winter break, I have some tips on how to get more wear out of your forgotten faves.

Table of Contents

1. Do a clean-out.

There are surely some (probably many) things in your closet that you don’t wear for a good reason. Maybe they don’t fit quite right, or for whatever reason they suddenly just seem “meh.”

The first step to un-burying hidden treasures is to get rid of things you will not ever wear. Donate as much as you can to charity.

If you want to get more organized, we have posts on closet cleaning and closet organization tips and tricks, both of which will help you get organized after you purge.

2. Move things around.

Often, when I spy something I want to start wearing more in my closet, I move it to a more prominent position so I remember to do so.

Naturally, the things we wear over and over maintain their positions front and center in our wardrobes. So move some great pieces that you don’t wear enough to the front. Even if you don’t get rid of anything, reorganizing your closet so you can actually see the awesome stuff you have is a huge step.

3. Bring them on trips.

If you’re going on a trip, be it a weekend visiting a friend or the beach for spring break, pack things you want to start wearing more. When we travel, we necessarily wear the same things repeatedly. Stashing an oldie-but-goody in your suitcase basically gives you no choice but to wear it. Plus, you’ll remember to dig it back out of your closet every time you look at your fabulous vacay photos.