7 steps to give your wardrobe a detox

A cluttered wardrobe leads to a cluttered mind. It is so much easier to create outfits when you can clearly see what you have in your wardrobe.

With each seasonal change I recommend that you remove the previous season’s clothing to another location – a wardrobe in the spare room or into vacuum-packed bags, for example. Only work with the clothes you plan to wear for the coming  months ahead.

Grab yourself a drink, set aside a morning or afternoon and follow my 7 steps to give your wardrobe a detox for the coming season

Step 1
Take EVERYTHING out from your wardrobe.

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

Step 3
From your pile of basics, consider what you plan to wear over the next season. Are they still in good condition? 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 coming season and put back in the wardrobe. These will be statement, trend-led 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 some chunky knits and cardigans as they are useful, instead of a jacket, as the weather warms up.

Step 6
Consider what remains… Clothes that you don’t plan to wear because you don’t like them? Clothes that don’t fit or no longer feel comfortable? Or have they just seen better days? If you answer ‘yes’ to one of these, then get rid of them! Either send to charity, bin or recycle if possible.

If there are clothes that remain that you like, or hold some attachment to, but don’t fit with your current mood or style, then store them away. I don’t adhere to the rule that if you haven’t worn something for 12 months, you should part with it. I have beloved items that I know I will wear again – someday! I pack these away in vacuum 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 tendencies when you 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 comfortable 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 identity them by pockets/waistband if they are laid flat.
• Plan your week’s outfits on a Sunday. If you have a spare clothes rail, pick out your Mon-Fri outfits and hang separately – there will be so much less for you to think about in the mornings (this tip is obviously less relevant right now!!)
• 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 garment. Plus they get tangled and jumbled across the pole in your wardrobe.

Do you regularly detox your wardrobe? 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!