Clearing out our wardrobe can be a more emotional than decluttering the rest of your house. We can develop emotional attachments to various clothes – the outfit you wore for your first date with your husband. A jumper that has appeared in all your daughter’s baby photos. A blouse you wore when you got your dream job.
Even though decluttering your wardrobe may seem like a tough task, the satisfaction you’ll feel afterward can outweigh any initial emotional discomfort.
Timing is key.
This is another task that should NOT be done when you are tired, or when you don’t have much time. I always suggest to clients that instead you should schedule a job like this into your diary. Allocate a good chunk of time to do it, otherwise it’s one of those things that gets half done and is then even more overwhelming!
Creating space.
The thing to remember when you are decluttering your wardrobe, is that by creating space, by clearing out the unworn, it has a significant impact on your day-to-day wellbeing. You aren’t rummaging through clothes you never wear. You’re not presented by endless guilty purchases. Clothes that don’t fit won’t be there to constantly make you feel rubbish!
For detailed help on how to declutter your wardrobe, head over to my shop and download the workbook. It’s packed full of tips to ease the anxiety and overwhelm.
To get you started –
- Allocate a chunk of time to tackle the declutter – this could well be a full day.
- Be prepared – have bags/boxes at the ready for those charity shop donations.
- A supply of vacuum pack bags is always useful for those things that are seasonal and can be stored away.
- DON’T do this if you are feeling under the weather in any way – it’s not a job that you can do if you are feeling a bit fragile.
Once you’re ready, you are going to sort your clothes into three key piles (more info on this in the workbook). These are:
- Wear every day and feel comfortable/good in (despite the season)
- Occasional wear – weddings/formal etc
- Things you haven’t worn in the last 6 months to a year
Now go through each pile and ask yourself lots of questions!
- Is there anything that needs chucking because its past it’s best?
- Are there clothes that need mending or a trip to the dry cleaners?
- Will you really wear that floor length ball gown that cost you an arm and a leg ever again?
Always be honest with yourself.
Be honest, be brutal and only keep the things that make you feel good about yourself. As for the clothes that still have the tags on – if you haven’t worn it in the last siz months, you’re unlikely to wear it now, regardless of how much you’ve spent.
Recycle, resell, regift.
Clear out and enjoy being able to wear the things you love without being surrounded by guilt or those clothes that no longer serve you well. It’s hugely liberating!
