Fashion How to Declutter Your Closet, According to Jessica Alba By Jonathan Borge Jonathan Borge Instagram Twitter Jonathan Borge is a writer and editor living in New York City. His writing has appeared in Glamour, Refinery29, Forbes, and PAPER, among other publications. Plus, he's held staff positions at Marie Claire, InStyle, and OprahDaily.com. Currently, he's the Senior Entertainment Editor at Bustle Digital Group's Elite Daily, where he oversees digital covers, features and profiles, freelance essays, and strategy for the site's TV/Movies and Celebrity and Music sub-verticals.He primarily writes about pop culture and style, and has a passion for telling LGBTQ+ and Latinx stories. When he's not working, he's likely waiting for Lady Gaga to announce her next tour. InStyle's editorial guidelines Updated on November 24, 2016 Pin Share Tweet Email Photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic What’s the point of hanging onto something if you haven’t worn it since that one Christmas party three, four, maybe even five years ago? If it’s tucked far into the deep, dark depths of your closet, then it’s time to say buh-bye. That’s at least the fashion philosophy Jessica Alba unwaveringly abides by. “Three-fourths of my closet are my staples. I know my body shape. I know what my classic items are. I have my perfect blouses, my perfect flats, my perfect jeans,” Alba tells InStyle of what we’d find behind her wardrobe doors. “But, a quarter of my closet will be those more trend-oriented and season-oriented items.” It’s those pieces, of-the-moment favorites we’re all obsessed with, that you have to part ways with once the time is right. “I like to keep my closet pretty lean. It’s still big and it’s probably excessive and it’s exploding, like, any other girl’s closet,” she tells us, explaining that while you’d likely find every designer from A-Z in there, she keeps a tight edit on what stays. Her must-keep items? “My favorites are classics, like my Chanel, my little Chanel bag. I’ll always want my little tiny Chanel purses, in any color,” she says. “Knee-high boots, as long as they’re not too high and crazy. Everyone should be able to pull them out—I can wear them with a dress, I can wear them with jeans. That’ll always be OK.” PHOTOS: Jessica Alba's Changing Looks As for how she determines how to donate other coveted goods, it comes down to whether or not they’re timeless. “Anything that’s too statement, that’s usually fun for a season or two, but I will probably grow out of it," she says. "Timeless stuff, I’m gonna keep until I wear it to death." When it’s time to purge in a major way, Alba takes one particular approach. “All of the stuff that you haven’t worn in the last year—put it on, take a picture of yourself, and if you don’t like how it looks, and you haven’t worn it in the last year, you should probably get rid of it,” she suggests, explaining that it’s best not to hang on to items you’ll only wear “when I lose 5 pounds” or “when I go to Coachella.” “You have to love it right now and it has to be right for you today.” RELATED: Jessica Alba on Her Fitness Routine Selecting what to say yay or nay also has nothing to do with price. “You shouldn’t be so attached to material things ‘cause ultimately, the only thing that really matters is your memory, right?” she adds. “I have some memory items that I will never part with—and they’re not expensive.” Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit