January is a month of reinvention for many – from starting a new fitness regime to trying to eat better, it’s the month of the detox, the goal setting and plan making. If this time of year is making you think about spring cleaning your closet and tackle your ever expanding floordrobe, then here are my tried and tested tips for de-cluttering your clothes.
Empty Everything
Drawers, wardrobe, rail – the lot. Instead of trying to take unwanted items out, start with an empty space and that way, when you’ve finished organising your outfits, you’ll only be putting clothes back in that you really love and want to wear.
Phone a Friend
If you’re anything like me, you might need to call in the cavalry for a serious de-cluttering session. Before I moved to the States two of my best girls came over for the evening and helped me suss out what I really needed to take. We ate chocolate, tried on multiple different outfits and they offered brutally honest opinions on what suited me and what didn’t. Make sure to pick a friend/s that you trust and who will give you an honest opinion on that burnt orange and black feather pencil skirt…
Bag It Up
I find it useful to have different reusable carrier bags at the ready – one headed for the charity shop, one for the recycling bin and one for clothes swaps. Sorting out your clothes and separating them immediately will curb your desire to go rummaging back into the cast-offs pile as soon as the coast is clear. If there are some items that you haven’t worn in ages but aren’t sure that you want to part with, place them in a box or bag at the back of your wardrobe for six months – if you don’t take anything out once six months have passed, take the bag straight to a charity shop – without looking inside!
Organise Like a Pro
Find a system that will help you to pick out your outfit quickly – this could be organising your clothes into colours, splitting them into type (dresses, shirts, trousers etc) or grouping together in different categories, such as smart, evening-wear, casual, work etc. Personally I like to organise my wardrobe by type of garment, then colour-code it. Yep, I’m that geeky.
One In, One Out
You’ve finally gotten to a point where your wardrobe or closet isn’t bursting at the seams (woo-hoo!) so don’t spoil it by over-stuffing it with new clothes. To keep unnecessary clothing clutter at bay, use the one in, one out method. It’s easy to do – every time you buy a new item of clothing, get rid of an old one to make space for it. You could donate it to charity, take it to a clothes swap or if it’s too far gone then put it in your recycling bin.
Additional tips:
♥ It wouldn’t hurt to give the inside of your wardrobe a clean while it’s empty, so grab a duster and some polish before you place any clothes back inside
♥ Make the most of what storage you have – under-bed boxes are great for storing shoes and bags
♥ Aim to de-clutter twice a year – once in January and then again in autumn, ready for winter
So that’s it – a few (hopefully helpful) tips on de-cluttering your clothes to start the year afresh. How often do you detox your wardrobe?
Yup, I definitely need to do this, and I need to do it more than twice a year! I’m a sucker for thinking that certain things might come in handy one day… but they almost never do! x
Ahh I know what you mean – I used to keep everything from fancy dress costumes and ill fitting jeans to magazine articles ‘just in case’ they came in handy. x
Waaah, the one in, one out rule terrifies me! I don’t think I’m ready for it…YET. ;)
You are, you so are! x