It's been six months since I've begun working from home and largely existing in loungewear and while this year has really tried us all in countless ways, I think I've just found one

silver lining: the ability to totally gut my closet in a way that I've never been able to do before. It turns out that when the majority of your clothes (especially those fancier going-out items) remain untouched for the better half of a year, you come to realize which items mean a lot to you and which are simply deadweight.

As you've gleaned, I recently came to this realization and in the process gutted nearly 40% of my closet. (Yes, 40%). I was long overdue for a closet cleanout anyways, so I got to work whittling down every category of my closet, from jeans and tops to shoes, bags, and jewelry. One Saturday afternoon and several donation-bound bags later, I felt like a new woman. As for what I got rid of? While it would take too long to detail everything, I figured I'd share the six items that felt the most satisfying to part with. These are the pieces that weren't just occupying my physical space but mental space, as well.

So with that, keep on reading to see the highlights of my massive closet cleanout and find out the alternatives I decided to keep.