This is Part 3 in a 3-part review of The No Brainer Wardrobe by Hayley Morgan. Part 1 covers how to identify the core of your wardrobe, and Part 2 helps with purging those clothes that are more of a hindrance than a help. Now we’re ready to tackle the shoes!

My shoes tend to spill out of my closet. They refuse to be contained. This is a chronic condition, so I was excited to do some purging and organizing. Can you relate?

Following the No Brainer Wardrobe approach, I swept all my shoes in a pile. Here’s part of the pile.

I found some pairs hidden in the dark corners that I hadn’t seen in a long time. Well, hello, silver sandals!

The pile contained everything from shoes still new in the box to some very worn old soles.

Sorting out shoes is more emotional for me than going through clothes. These dainty sandals aren’t comfortable, but I wore them to walk the aisle at my wedding. How could I part with these?

These hurt my feet, but they are Guess brand and so appealing. How could I put these in the discard pile?

After much deliberation, I was able to weed out what I wouldn’t wear because they induce pain, and what I really didn’t need. How many pairs of silver sandals could I wear in one summer?

The result? Shoes neatly contained inside the closet doors (at least for now). The best part is that, with the unwearable pairs gone, I can choose what to put on faster, with less fuss.

All the thinking about shoes brought to my mind so many stories of people who have no shoes to wear. Some of my give-away shoes were new, so donation options were open. Here are a couple of suggestions, if you want to give away shoes you bought and didn’t wear. Of course, you can always buy and donate, too.

Shoes for Kids: Started by a young lady whose parents travel with Compassion; she saw firsthand in Kenya children who didn’t have shoes. She came home and did something about it. Check out how her dream to give away shoes has come true.

Soles 4 Souls: Collects shoes for those in need; my church sponsored a drive for this organization.

If you’re looking for new shoes, check out the growing number of styles offered by Toms. With every pair you purchase, Toms will give a new pair of shoes to a child in need.

I hope you’ve had fun looking at your wardrobe in a new way!

To order Hayley’s book, just click the cover image. Note: This book has been such a help to me, so I signed up to be an affiliate. First time I’m trying this because I believe Hayley’s suggestions will help you, too!

Raise your hand if you have plenty of time to do all you’d like to each day. No? Me neither. I’m always struggling to fit more of what I enjoy into each day. One place I spend too much time in is the bursting-closet-can’t-figure-out-what-to-wear area of life. If I could simplify getting dressed, shopping for clothes, and care of clothes, I would have more precious time to do things I really want to do.

Recently I discovered an ebook that’s really helped me. It’s The No Brainer Wardrobe, written by Hayley Morgan, a mother of youngsters who wants exactly what I’m after — more time to devote to what we’re passionate about, streamlining the parts of life that don’t move us toward that goal. Like pondering too long in front of the closet each morning.

“How many items do you own? Is your closet so stuffed you can’t even see the whole garment without taking it out? Is it so disorganized that you can’t find the shirt you’re thinking of ? Is it full of clothes that you never wear and doubtfully will again? (Now I’m raising my hand high.) If so, you are like many women.”

In simple steps, The No Brainer Wardrobe helps you pare down your closet to a more manageable level. The book is chock full of practical ideas. We’ll be looking at three steps I’ve followed so far. Try them and see if these will help you slash those “What should I wear today?” moments. I’m seeing an improvement already.

Step One: “Identify 10 pieces you love and wear often. Think about why these are your go-to clothes. Color, fit, fabric, style, a combination of these?”

I approached this step as “What would I take to a desert island if I could grab only 10 items from my closet?” Well, at least a desert island where I still do go to my office job. Surprisingly, this list came quickly. Here are my top 10:

“Then look for 10 items in your closet that you just don’t feel comfortable wearing. Why? Color, fit, fabric, style, a combination?”

Color is something I have down. My closet is red, pink, purple and blue with basics of black and gray. I own nothing green, yellow, orange, or brown. Your closet may be the opposite. You may own every color of the rainbow. These colors may all be found in just one dress. You may love to experiment with color.

This exercise made me realize I struggle more with choosing styles and fit. Here my success rate is not always great. Focusing on the items I love and those that I avoid showed me that sometimes I go for a trend that just isn’t “me,” wear the cute-on-the-hanger item once, and then pass it by forever after.

When you’ve figured out what works best in your choices, then you can more efficiently plan your future shopping. If one of your favorites is wearing out, keep an eye out to replace it. My flared black skirt is so old it’s literally falling apart; I can’t include it in my top 10 because it should be retired; so if I’m in a store, I’ll be looking for a replacement. Collect styles you like on Pinterest and figure out what it is you like about them.

Meanwhile, you can place your core items front and center to grab on those mornings when the coffee hasn’t quite kicked in and you need to dress in a hurry.

So, your turn!

Take a few minutes and jot down or mentally list your top 10 clothing items.

Bonus step: Add a second-tier 10 to get an even better idea of what pieces are your go-to clothes. This helped me see more clearly what to keep, what to purge, and what to add.

Then think about 5 items of clothing that hang in your closet that you continually pass over. Figure out why — color, fit, style, all of these? Give them to someone who will enjoy wearing them.

A few sessions of analyzing what you have now, what is only confusing you by hanging in your closet, and what you want to add someday will truly give you more time to enjoy life! Tell us in the comments how it goes!

Coming up:

Step Two: Purging Your Closet — the Clothes

Step Three: Purging Your Closet — the Shoes

To order Hayley’s book, just click the cover image. Note: This book has been such a help to me, so I signed up to be an affiliate. First time I’m trying this because I believe Hayley’s suggestions will help you, too!