My morning routine used to be really simple. After freshening up, I stand in front of my wardrobe and scream… “I don’t know what to wear” several times while wading through a mountain high pile of clothes. This usually ends up with me picking up the same old pair of jeans and a black shirt and heading out the door.
Clutter isn’t pretty. It consumes you and you find yourself constantly trying to fit all your clothes into your wardrobe and you realise that you don’t even like or wear any of those clothes.
The Great Purge
This is a massive clearing. Try doing this on a day you have nowhere to go and nothing to do. Start early in the day because it may take a while. Try on the clothes as you go along to see what fits and what needs to be amended. Decluttering and life expert, Marie Kondo says you should only keep an item if it sparks joy. If it does not, toss it! You could do the purge by taking out all your clothes from your wardrobe into a massive pile. If that would be overwhelming, I suggest doing the purge in sections.
The Sorting
Sort your clothes into piles. And before you even consider any item, here are some questions you should ask yourself.
Does it fit properly?
Have you worn it in the last year?
Does it have a special meaning or special history?
Will it make you feel good and does it spark joy?
Does it go with other items in your wardrobe and can it be paired easily?
Is it easy and comfortable to wear?
Does it need to be fixed and will the cost of fixing be worth it?
The Piling
Sort the content of your wardrobe into four piles. KEEP. DISCARD. DONATE. SELL.
For each item, after you have asked yourself the questions above, it should be pretty clear what pile the item will go to. If it is something you wear regularly and is still functional and beautiful, then you keep it. If it has not been worn in a year, please don’t keep it. You will most likely not get around to wearing it again.
If it is something that needs to be fixed, but it in a separate box for fixing and make sure to get it done as soon as possible. Also, make sure the cost of fixing is worth it.
For items that don’t fit anymore or you just don’t like or use as often, if they are in good/great condition, separate them into the SELL or DONATE piles. You can make money off your clothes through your social media or through pages dedicated to selling items from decluttered wardrobes. You can also donate to people who need these clothes more than you do.
The Arranging
Sometimes clutter does not mean having a whole lot of clothes, it can mean that the ones you have aren’t well arranged. Try to hang things up in your wardrobe as much as possible. It is easier to wear your clothes if you can see what you have. Arrange your clothes in colours and textures for a fresh look. Also, get matching hangers for that extra oomph.
Use boxes to organise your drawers. Especially for items like socks, underwear, sleepwear and belts, storage bins/boxes help to sort everything out effectively for a clean, decluttered look. Shoes should be arranged in shoe racks to take up vertical space and save space around the home. If you have a lot of shoes in boxes, you can put a picture of the shoe in front of the box so that you don’t have to open up every box when looking for a particular shoe.
The Wardrobe Editing
You’re human and you’ll still want that cute top when you see it. Try to avoid impulsive buying from fast fashion brands. But when you absolutely have to purchase a new item, make sure you’re doing the editing method. It’s the one-in-one-out rule that states that for every new item that goes in your wardrobe, take one out. You may feel you need to add up to have options to choose from, but you should know that it is even easier to put together outfit ideas with less overwhelming choices.