"I tend to be sentimental and I want to hold on to things," she said. "I know that I'm just holding on to the memories."

Her goal now: Empty the closets of what she doesn't wear and find clothes that suit her lifestyle today.

For many people, closet cleaning is a daunting task. Emotions get in the way. Memories muck up our thinking. Next thing we know, we've got jam-packed closets that are more of a walk down memory lane than efficient, workable spaces.

"The closet really should be a place that you love to go to," said Carolyn Gustafson, who has been helping clients clean out their closets for more than 20 years.

Since starting her Cary-based business Image Strategy for Men & Women, she's seen it all:

* The pack rats.

* The disorganized.

* The sentimental.

And there are more of them than ever. As American wealth grows, so does our desire to consume, collect and sometimes even horde. An entire industry has blossomed to help people sort through their closets, desks, garages and offices. Today there are more than 3,350 members of the National Association of Professional Organizers, some of whom get paid several hundred dollars an hour to help clients sift through and organize their treasures.

There's even a support group for the really, really cluttered: Clutterers Anonymous (www.clutterersanonymous.net). It's designed to help clutter abusers understand and get beyond why they're so controlled and consumed by their possessions.

"It seems to be a cultural epidemic with people having too much stuff," said Kerry Crocker, owner of Space Cadette, a personal organization service in Chapel Hill.

Among the most abused items are clothes.

Most people wear only 20 percent of their clothes about 80 percent of the time, Gustafson said. Only a few are sticklers about cleaning out the closet every season, getting rid of dated pieces, misfits and fashion disasters.

To help her clients simplify, she's created an "F" test for their clothes:

* Is it flattering to you?

* Does it fit you?

* Does it serve a function?

* Is it fabulous?

There are other criteria too. Would you buy it again the way it is now? What kind of comments do you get when you wear it? Would you feel comfortable giving it to someone else? Would you be embarrassed to give it away?

"You want your wardrobe to say who you are," Gustafson said. "You want to ask 'Is this really your style type?' "

As you ask those questions, start making piles, she said.

* A pile to give away.

* A pile to throw out.

* A pile that needs altering.

* A pile that needs something new to go with it.

* A maybe pile.

* A yes pile.

She says it's an easier -- and more fruitful -- task if you have a friend or family member join you to take a long, honest look at your wardrobe. Get out all the clothes, accessories and shoes, and start trying things on.

Kim Underwood, a Raleigh real estate agent, created her own system since she's been decluttering her Oakwood home to make room for a new husband and a baby due to arrive in two months. She likes to tell each item's story as a way of saying "goodbye" to it before throwing it in the Goodwill pile.

"I find it very overwhelming," Underwood said. "But being able to part with things was easier after telling the story."

So she recruited her new husband to hear the stories, like the one about the T-shirt from her soccer team's win 20 years ago or her favorite black suit that she would wear to work during her single, corporate days -- the one that was perfect for first dates after work.

For Beth Swartz, a reading teacher in Raleigh who just went through the cleaning-out process after having gastric bypass surgery, cleaning out her closet was a private job. "I needed to do it by myself," she said. "I needed to make the choices myself."

She dragged a garbage bag into the closet and got to work, weeding out clothes that she hopes will never fit again. "I'm scared to get rid of some of the things in case I gain weight again," she said.

But Gustafson said keeping clothes that don't fit is a waste of space.

"I tell my clients 'When you do lose the weight, we'll go and buy more clothes. For now, let's put it out of your closet,' " she said.

Gustafson has a plan for sentimental stuff, too. Instead of tormenting yourself over tossing it out, create a sentimental box and put it under the bed or in corner of the closet.

"Make your closet a working closet with things that fit," she said. "Get all the other things out of there."

Crocker suggests looking at your closet like it's real estate. That old prom dress? "It's not clothing anymore," Crocker said. "So don't let it take up prime real estate in your closet."

In fact, for clients who have trouble seeing the value of a spacious, clutter-free closets, Crocker asks them to calculate the square footage their crammed closets are taking up in their house. Then figure out how much of their rent or mortgage payment is going toward that space.

"What they're paying for is a massive storage space," she said.

Gustafson said once the piles have been made, put back what you're keeping, but make sure everything in the closet is as visible as possible.

* Hang the scarves and belts so you can see them.

* Buy clear plastic boxes for other accessories.

* Get shoe cubbies and dividers for shelves to seperate sweaters.

Keep that closet clutter-free by taking the time to identify your personal style. And when you do go shopping, buy only clothes that fit that certain style.

Or adopt the "one-in, one-out" system:

* Buy something only if you promise to give away something when you get home, Crocker said.

"It may be a little depressing at first," Gustafson said. "But you will feel exhilarated when you are done."