As an image consultant for over twenty years, I have seen many cabinets. Some are small, some are large, yet there are recurring themes of things that all clients feel better about after letting go of these things.
Decluttering allows you to see what you have and gives your clothes and yourself more room to breathe.
If you can’t see the clothes, you’ll never wear them. So taking a little time to declutter will help you be more stylish this year as what you have in your wardrobe is something you can do and love to wear.
1. Bargain Buys You Won’t Wear
Yes, that great deal you saw and couldn’t pass up at the store, however it doesn’t get old, it’s something that takes up space, both in your closet and in your head. If you don’t wear it often, if it’s something you pass up for other clothes, there’s usually something wrong with it, and it doesn’t deserve a place in your closet.
If you can find out why you bought it before donating (or selling it), this is always good; get a valuable education about your style worth the price of admission.
Why don’t you wear it?
- Is it the feeling of the fabric?
- Color doesn’t make you feel alive?
- Does it not fit?
- The shape or style just isn’t right?
- Not really your style (do you admire the look of others but don’t feel comfortable with it)?
- Doesn’t fit with anything else you have?
- For a life that doesn’t belong to you?
- Was it the “designer” label on the special that made you feel like you couldn’t pass it up, even though it’s not really your style?
It’s usually easy to justify the bargain (it doesn’t feel like you’re spending a lot of money), but all those clothes you don’t wear add up in the long run and take away the opportunity to buy something more expensive that you really love but don’t have the budget for.
2. Gifts You Feel Guilty About
Gifted items are the ones that are kept the longest but get the least wear (according to research) and tend to take up closet space. Holding on to those gifts can create feelings of guilt and obligation to take them out and wear them when you see the gift (even if you don’t like it, it’s not your style, etc.). I had a floral dress that my grandmother made for me when I was 16 (suitable for the style of a 6 year old) that I used to wear once a year when I visited her (she lived interstate, so I didn’t see her often). Wearing that dress felt like an obligation and it didn’t bring me joy.
Donate these things so that someone you love and cherish can get old from them. This way you get back space and the guilt of not wearing it when you see it every day as you open your wardrobe goes away. Here are some ideas for what to do with unwanted fashion gifts.
3. Clothes That Mean “Work” You Should Take Care of
If you keep passing up a garment because it requires some kind of extra “work” to wear, from hand washing or dry cleaning to ironing that you don’t have the time or energy to do, then there’s no need to keep that item. Knowing you hate ironing means buying clothes that mean less maintenance (check the fiber content before buying – if it can’t be thrown in the washing machine, it should stay on the store shelves). You might feel guilty for taking it out, but the truth is you’re not wearing it anyway, so you might as well move it to a better home where it gets the love and attention it deserves.
4. Unbalanced Desires
We are talking very little because you will lose weight to get into it (in one day). This can actually demotivate you as you feel bad every morning when you pull out the same old thing because of all those tiny clothes that take up valuable space – they just remind you of unmet goals and don’t really give you the motivation to make the changes you want. In addition, they are out of time hanging there.
You deserve to have a wardrobe that you wear and that fit you and make you feel good, not a wardrobe that makes you feel guilty and embarrassed about enjoying that lovely dinner.
We also talk about the lifestyle clothes you don’t have right now, the imaginary ball gown you never go to. A fancy suit for a business job you don’t have and don’t plan on getting. A schmancy white silk frock that you don’t wear because you live a very practical life and don’t go anywhere to wear it. These items should be sold or donated while they are still new when someone else will want them. And don’t buy into an imaginary life that doesn’t match the way you live.
5. Sensitive Things About Your Ex
Maternity clothes because they remind you of your children (even though they are grown). Fragments of phases of your life that are long gone. Clothes you took on a trip, even though they no longer fit or fit your current lifestyle (or personal style). Your memories won’t disappear just because you don’t own a piece of clothing. Maybe take a piece of that maternity cloth and turn it into a pillow cover for the pillow you have on your bed, so you can get that reminder, but without so much clutter. Do you have photos of your trip? They are enough to remember the experience by. Keeping one special concert tee is fine – but 20 of them are clutter if you’re not wearing them.
6. Party Dresses Not to Wear
If you never go to special events that require an evening dress, is it worth keeping? If it’s not worn it may be easy to sell if it’s the current fashion, but keep it for decades and lose all of its value. Consider consignment stores and websites to help you keep up with your good quality clothes.
7. Free money
A logo’d t-shirt from an event you were a part of, but you don’t wear. The dress your girlfriend or sister gave you when they were cleaning out their closet that you felt obligated to take, but you really don’t want. If you don’t wear it, donate it to a better home. Your friends and relatives do not want to think that what they have given you is a burden.
8. Swimmers, Socks and Underwear
Each year, you may buy a new swimsuit, but don’t throw away the old one that’s stretched out, elastane breaks down from pool chemicals and sun damage. You may have socks that have lost a pair or are crawling under your shoes that really need to be removed. The underwear starts to come off and become uncomfortable, but you continue to wash it rather than just throwing it away. Seasonal underwear and underwear are often overlooked when doing a wardrobe declutter.
9. Crappy Wire Hangers
All those neat hangers taking up space and ruining the shoulders of your clothes need to go.
Investing in quality hangers that match the same style makes it easier for you to see all of your clothes as they hang at the same height. Every time you remove a dress from its hanger to wear it, remove the hanger from your wardrobe, find a place to put it so that if you need to hang the dress again, you have easy access to the hangers, and they do not take up valuable space in your wardrobe, making you feel too full.
Invest in Your Style Education
If you know more about your style, the colors that light you up, the styles of clothes that suit your body and give you confidence, the approach to add that finishing touch is an investment and will save you from making many mistakes that give you a sense of guilt. Whether it’s learning how to accessorise, how to put together a stylish outfit, understanding how to use color purposefully to harness its invisible psychological power, I have educational classes that will help you take the next step in your personal style journey. Check out my shop here.
