Entering a new year offers the chance for new beginnings, and while we typically assign ourselves to a long list of resolutions that, chances are, we just won’t stick to, one commitment worth fulfilling is – decluttering your wardrobe. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume or the unorganised mess that is your wardrobe then spending time clearing your wardrobe can be a transformative process too.
For me a mid season tidy and clear out helps me keep on top of my wardrobe and helps me re-focus my outfits for the coming weeks til Spring. But if your wardrobe is chaotic then it will make the process of getting dressed everyday much more difficult - sometimes the feeling of not having anything to wear is because you can’t easily locate what you have. Clearing out clothing clutter will also help you to identify what gaps you may have in your wardrobe – garments that you may need to purchase to get the full potential out of the clothes you currently have, enabling you to create outfits with ease and take the stress out of dressing.
In this typically quiet time of the year its a chance to really spend time digging into not just your wardrobe but bags or boxes of clothes you have stored in other rooms, the loft or under the bed. When you go through your wardrobe be realistic about what you wear day to day, what you like to wear and what still fits you. Not sure where to start, then read on for me tips on how to have a new year’s wardrobe detox.
TAKE EVERYTHING OUT
Whatever is in your wardrobe (and drawers or clothes rail) needs to come out. If you have a lot of clothes, you might want to tackle a section of your wardrobe at a time working from clothing through to shoes, bags, and accessories, to make the decluttering process less overwhelming. Seasonal items might be best left to one side to deal with once the weather is more appropriate. I like to make use of a clothes rail to shift items from my wardrobe onto while I look them over and try them on - a bed works just as well! However you choose to tackle your situation, make sure everything you own is turned out and individually considered.
TRY EVERYTHING ON
Everything. Trying on all the clothes you own will help you make better decisions about what to keep or let go of. Clothing on a hanger looks very different on your body, and pretty shoes might pinch your feet; making any decisions without trying it on is a big mistake. Even if you know you love a particular item, trying it on will feel good and help you to discover fresh new ways to style them. Any items you’re unsure of, test them out with the other pieces you own; figure out new ways to wear them and you might save something from being donated.
ASK YOURSELF 5 QUESTIONS
I've found five questions are helpful to consider when making decisions about individual items of clothing. I put them on and stand in front of a mirror to ask myself:
1. Do I wear this regularly? If not, why?
2. Is it comfortable? Do I feel good wearing it?
3. Does this item fit into my overall style?
4. Can I create various outfits with this one item?
5. Do I love wearing this item or do I just like the way it looks on the hanger?
MAKE PILES
This is the holy trinity of sorting, as you are working through your wardrobe making piles of clothes and being honest with yourself when doing so. You can be as clear cut as KEEP, BIN & DONATE, or you can have a pile that is out of season so needs to be stored, you could also have a pile that is ebay or resell and a another pile that is keep but not sure how to wear it or style it. that can be put back into your wardrobe. The piles are a way of making you think, clearing out the clutter that gives you structure and shows you what you wear regularly and what you don’t wear at all. My top tip is to bag up the donate and bin items as soon as you can so you don’t go back to it and so it doesn’t create more clutter sitting in bin liners in the house. If you have trouble letting go of the items you never wear, whether you have sentimental attachment to them or just like the look of it on the hanger; remember that by letting go of the clothes you never wear you're allowing someone else to love and appreciate them.
PUT EVERYTHING BACK
What is left is the foundation to build you perfect wardrobe from and by keeping your wardrobe at a manageable level it becomes wearable and accessible. Focus on on filling gaps you have identified to make the pieces in your wardrobe work harder for your style and resist purchasing unnecessary items. Make a list of things you think your existing wardrobe would benefit from and focus on acquiring these items the next time you go clothes shopping. Your goal is for a versatile and manageable wardrobe to fit in with your space and lifestyle.
THE RESULTS
After decluttering, you should have the room to see exactly what you own so you can reach in and grab what you need without having to hunt through the rails or piles of clothes. Everything you own should make you feel excited to wear it, or at least relaxed and comfortable. Having a well edited, organised wardrobe takes away those feelings of not having anything to wear; you know exactly what you own and how each piece works with the others.
If you need help detoxing your wardrobe then email me now for a consultation.