Do you know that we use 20% of our clothes 80% of the time? The rest just hangs up there, taking up our space and energy… So if you have a wardrobe overflowing with clothes yet feel you have nothing to wear and waste time getting ready, it’s probably time for a little decluttering exercise. But I know from personal and professional experience that letting go can be difficult.
From overwhelmed to empowered: Declutter your wardrobe
Step 1: Reflect
Reflect on:
- your lifestyle
- your style preferences
- the clothes that fit your body shape, and
- the colours that complement your skin, hair and eye colours.
If you have no clue, keep a log for a month and analyse how you spend your time and what type of clothes you wear (work, casual, smart, leisure, exercise, special occasion, etc.).
Observe what type of clothes you gravitate towards, which clothes make you feel good, etc.
Related: Building a Wardrobe that Fits
Step 2: Consolidate
Gather all the clothes you own from all around your home in a single location. Don’t forget the clothes stored in a different room, the laundry basket and the ironing pile.
Step 3: Categorise
Pick one item at a time and assign it to a category. The best way to build your categories is based on what would be the first thing that would come to your mind if you wanted to retrieve the item.
Categories could be clothes type (T-shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, etc.), occasion (office, casual, evening, winter, etc.), colours, etc.
To start with, keep your categories as broad as possible so that you don’t spend too much time assigning an item to a category and so that you can easily remember your categories. You can always break down a category into sub-categories, e.g. blouses into black blouses, flowery blouses and the rest. Or pants into formal, casual, jeans, etc.
Step 4: Purge
Clothes that are not in good condition
As you sort, you’ll come across items that are not in good condition – out of shape, torn, faded, stained, etc. Honestly, there is nothing you can do about them, and they deserve to be tossed. That’s what I call the no-brainers.
Clothes that no longer fit you
Once you’ve sorted all your items, go through each category and get rid of the items that no longer fit you. I can hear you say, “It doesn’t fit me right now, but I may lose weight and it’ll fit again.” Well, the reality is that it doesn’t fit you today and that there is no guarantee that it’ll fit you tomorrow – you may lose less or more weight than what you’re targeting. You may not like the item tomorrow.
Fashion trends change. Fabrics deteriorate. Colours fade. So keep only what fits now. Letting go of an item that doesn’t fit you is a good way to let go at the same time of the guilt that typically goes with not having lost the weight so far. And once you’ve lost weight, go and buy new clothes, you’ll really have deserved it!
Now, if you have a few items that you really love and have problems parting with, either get them altered or put them aside on a higher shelf or in a box. In both cases, give yourself a deadline – maybe 2 weeks to get the alteration done or 3 to 6 months to be able to fit in. If you haven’t had the alteration done or lost the weight by your deadline, get rid of the item.
At this stage, you’ll be left with clothes that are in good condition and that fit you. It’s already a great achievement, but trust me, you can do better!
Clothes that weigh you down
I’m referring to those clothes that:
- are not comfortable wearing (or shoes you can’t walk in), with too much cleavage to your liking, with a strap not staying in its place, etc.
- don’t make you feel good, even if other people tell you you look good in them.
You want your clothes to empower you, not weigh you down!
Clothes you have too many of
The next thing to consider is how many pieces of clothing you should have based on your storage space and lifestyle. And that’s when the lifestyle analysis you’ve done earlier and the sorting into categories are going to prove useful, because it’s only when you look at a category as a whole that you can appreciate how much you have and also decide how much you should have.
Let me give you an example to illustrate my point. One of my clients was sorting her clothes according to office pants, office dresses, office blouses, casual pants, evening dresses, etc. At some point, we realised that 80% of her blouses were black so we decided to create a sub-category for them. When we finished the sorting, she was surprised to count 20 black office blouses that admittedly looked pretty similar. She quickly came to the conclusion that she didn’t need so many and managed to let go of more than half.
I am not giving this example as a benchmark, ultimately, it’s up to you to decide how many you should have. But if you have more items than you need in a category, keep only your favourites and get rid of the others.
Clothes you can’t pair with other items in your wardrobe
Another question to ask yourself before putting your clothes back in your closet is whether you can pair the item with any other items in your wardrobe. If the answer is no, either get rid of it or create a list of items you need to complete your outfits. But again, give yourself a deadline, and if you haven’t bought the item by then, I can assure you it will never happen.
Clothes you don’t wear but you feel like keeping because they were expensive
That’s a common objection I hear, but whether you realise it or not, keeping this item is costing you more than you think…
- Because it’s costing you valuable space that could be better used for the things you use or love.
- Because it’s costing you time and energy to retrieve the things you really use amongst all you have.
- Because it’s a nagging reminder that you spent a lot of money on something you don’t use.
So… let it go! And keep in mind that if it was expensive, you should be able to sell it and get a good price out of it.
Your quick start to a blissful wardrobe
We all deserve to have a wardrobe that makes us feel empowered instead of overwhelmed. It’s wonderful to be left with a wardrobe full of clothes you love and that you can easily put an outfit together.
If you’re inspired to declutter but feel a bit overwhelmed by the idea of doing it on your own, please know that you’re not alone. The secret is to start with a simple, confident step that gives you momentum and clarity.
And that’s exactly what my free Quick Wardrobe Fix guide is for. It’s designed to give you those first easy steps to declutter your clothes with confidence, build lasting habits, and start creating a wardrobe you genuinely love.
Ready to start feeling the peace and confidence of a truly organised wardrobe? Download your free Quick Wardrobe Fix guide here!
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