7 steps to give your wardrobe a Spring detox

A cluttered wardrobe leads to a cluttered mind and that classic cry “I have nothing to wear!” 

With a new season on the horizon, now is the perfect time to detox your wardrobe. So why not set aside a couple of hours this weekend and follow these 7 steps to give your wardrobe a Spring detox.

Step 1
Take EVERTHING out from your wardrobe.

Step 2
Sort out all your basics from the pile; things you wear on a regular basis such as blazers, black trousers, midi skirts, jeans, white shirts, plain tops etc.

Step 3
From your pile of basics, consider what you plan to wear over the next few monthes up to Summer. Are they still in good nick? If yes, they go back into the wardrobe.

Step 4
Look at the rest of the pile. Take out all the items you will want to wear over the next 3 months and put back in the wardrobe. These will be statement, fashion-y items that work with all of the basics you have already sorted, plus dresses and jumpsuits.

Step 5
Now consider the pile you have left. Store away all winter items, although I would keep chunky knits as they are useful, instead of a jacket, as the weather warms up.

Step 6
What remains? Are these clothes that you don’t plan to wear because you don’t like them? Or they don’t fit or feel uncomfortable? Or have they just seen better days? If you answer ‘yes’ to one of these, then get rid of them! Either send to charity or put in the rubbish.
If there are clothes that you don’t plan to wear because you feel they are no longer fashionable or don’t fit with your current mood or style, then either store them away or recycle them at the charity shop.
Note: I don’t adhere to the rule that if you haven’t worn something for 12-18months, you should part with it. I have beloved or quality items that I know I will wear again – someday! I pack these away in vacum bags and store in my loft.

Step 7
Now go back to your wardrobe, which should already look much leaner! Arrange the clothes first by colour, and then by type (i.e. all skirts together, all tops together etc). Point all the hangers the same way so they are easily accessible.

Learn from your wardrobe detox
Have you noticed a pattern in your clothing choices? You can learn a lot about your personal style and buying tendancies when spend time organising your wardrobe… Have you made several impulse buys on clothes that have rarely been worn? What styles and colours do you regularly come back to? Are you happy with these choices or are they lazy choices driven by a lack of inspiration. Perhaps you feel the need to change it up a little? Or maybe (hopefully!) you are confortable with your go-to pieces and your personal style.

Replenish effectively
Once you have detoxed your wardrobe, you will find it not only easier to plan outfits and get dressed each day, but it will help you to identify the gaps. After a wardrobe detox, list all the items you feel you need to complete your outfits over the next few months. Maybe you want to add a few on-trend pieces or restock some essentials. This will become your shopping list and will help you to buy only what you need and what works with your existing wardrobe.

Selecting oufits and planning your new season ‘look’ will become so much easier if you devote some time at the start of each season to organise your wardrobe, trust me – it’s so worth it!

My top tips:

• Store chunky knits in a pull-out drawer under your bed or folded on a wardrobe shelf for easy reach and to provide more wardrobe/drawer space.
• Keep jeans folded in a drawer as they take up valuable wardrobe space, plus it’s easier to idenity them by pockets/waistband if they are laid flat.
• Plan your week’s outfits on a Sunday. If you havea spare clothes rail, pick out your Mon-Fri outfits and hang seperately – there will be so much less for you to think about in the mornings!
• Hang as much as possible, it’s much easier to grab something from your wardrobe than riffle through folded items in a drawer.
• Never store clothes on wire hangers as they can snag or leave impressions on the shoulders of the garmet. Plus they get tangled and jumbled across the pole in your wardrobe.

Do you already have regular wardrobe detoxes? If yes, do you follow any other steps or rules?

If you do follow my 7 steps above, I’d love to know the results! Don’t forget to leave a comment below.

Happy wardrobe detoxing!