I confess: one of my favorite guilty pleasures is the show "What Not to Wear" on TLC. Each week, the experts on "WNtW" help a fashion-challenged guest jettison the clothes, looks, and habits that don't work and find his or her own true style. One of the central pieces of the show involves the hosts sorting through the guest's wardrobe and tossing items that don't fit, are out-of-date, don't flatter the person, or are otherwise examples of, well, what not to wear. The guest then gets some image tips from the hosts and heads out to find clothing and accessories that are truly flattering. The result is a slimmed-down wardrobe that emphasizes quality over quantity.

You don't have to be a guest on "What Not to Wear" to apply the show's principles to your own closet and dresser. Use the guidelines below to sort through your wardrobe, weed out the undesirables, and organize what's left.

Guideline #1: If it doesn't fit, get rid of it
One of the biggest blunders the show's fashion experts run into is guests wearing clothes that simply don't fit: oversized shirts, undersized pants, too-tight sweaters, shapeless dresses, and so on. These clothes are usually the first to hit the show's trashcan.

I would venture to guess that most of us (yours truly included!) have items in our closets or drawers that don't fit us well. Wearing clothes that pull, tug, bunch, ride up, billow, or sag isn't exactly a confidence booster, so why do it? Take the time to try on the things in your wardrobe; if they don't fit comfortably and make you feel confident wearing them, let 'em go. (If you feel strongly that you must hold onto clothes that once fit but no longer do because you intend to lose weight, store them neatly outside of your main closet and dresser; having these things staring at you each day is more likely to be depressing than motivating.)

Guideline #2: Does it flatter you?
Another common fashion error is clothing that doesn't flatter the wearer, either because of the fit (see above), or because of the cut, style, pattern, or color. I recently realized that as much as I love all shades of green, the lighter ones, which tend to have yellowish undertones, make me look washed-out and pale. So I've been weeding the light green items from my wardrobe and replacing them with colors that complement my complexion.

Take a look at your clothes and pull out any that aren't flattering to your complexion, body type, age, or profession. These are prime candidates for donation or disposal.

Guideline #3: Is it in good shape?
It's time to bid them adieu: the jeans with tears in conspicuous and inconvenient spots, the shirts faded from one too many washings, the undergarments that don't cover or support what they're supposed to, the socks without mates, and the shoes with holes in the soles. This doesn't mean you need to get rid of the stuff you wear to lounge around the house when no one will see you or the clothes you don for painting, gardening, or other dirty jobs; it does mean letting go of the things that are so past their prime that they're no longer comfortable to wear.

Deciding what to wear
Once you've rid your wardrobe of clothes, shoes, and accessories that aren't comfortable, flattering, and in generally good shape, take an inventory to see what (if anything) you need to add to your clothing collection. If, for example, you've let go of multiple pairs of ill-fitting black dress pants, you might replace them with one or two high-quality pairs that suit your body type.

Don't use this as an opportunity to refill all the space you've just emptied; rather, view it as a chance to replace quantity with quality. It's more efficient to have a few nice things you're able to wear often than it is to have many pieces of clothes you wear rarely, if ever.

Keeping it organized
Finally, get your closets and drawers in order. Decide on the most efficient system for you--clothes divided by color? by type? by when you wear them?--and stick to it. Hang things that are quick to wrinkle and stash small and casual clothes (like undergarments and t-shirts) in drawers. If your closet and dresser are stuffed to the hilt, you probably need to either weed more or find alternate storage for off-season or less-worn items.

Each week (laundry day is an opportune time), take a few minutes to put away anything that has migrated out; once every few months or so, take a more in-depth look at your clothes and repeat the processes outlined in the guidelines above.

You don't have to be a fashion plate to have a wardrobe that fits and flatters your body and your life; you simply need to focus on quality over quantity and give precedence to the things that make you feel put together and confident. Your closets and drawers will thank you.