How To Do A Wardrobe Declutter You Won't Regret

The ingredients that it’s worth holding on to...

January is SHOP YOUR WARDROBE month over on ‘The Wardrobe Edit’, a four-week-long content calendar that perfectly aligns with a January ‘no-buy’ or if you want to take a moment to press pause, reconnect with your wardrobe and fall back in love with what you already have. To gain full access to all the posts and the end-of-month styling toolkit download I’ll be dropping; you can upgrade to a paid subscription (THANK YOU!). Along with all the content to come this month, you’ll unlock over 200+ posts stacked with styling ideas, tips and formulas…

I’ve been doing clearouts since childhood. My Year 4 teacher would incentivise me by allowing me to tidy and declutter her desk for good work. Do you think my Mum was begging me to streamline my wardrobe? Absolutely not. I was there, ready and waiting, Spice Girls album on, bin bag in hand. I live for this (if you can’t already tell?!). So, to kick off SHOP YOUR WARDROBE month over here, it only felt right to start with a decluttering guide.

Of course, I’ve performed many over my lifetime, but it’s only recently that I think I’ve worked out the secret sauce to completing one where you have zero regrets. Here’s the five-step, remorse-free wardrobe declutter plan…

STEP ONE: WHAT’S THE GOAL?

If you’re anything like me, then you just want to CRACK ON WITH IT. I get it. Yes, I am the kind of person who is ready to put a charity donation bag together on Boxing Day!!! But before you go in all guns blazing, sometimes it’s good to take a beat. What’s the aim here? Defining that before you get started will add focus to your clearout. I feel like there are two main camps here:

• You want to do a complete 180. You’ve decided you want a complete vibe shift. You don’t like your clothes; perhaps you’ve had a big body or life change, and your wardrobe hasn’t caught up yet. Before you get started, it might be worth pulling together a moodboard of ideas and outfits you do like; bonus points if it features pictures of you wearing your clothes. I’d warn against going too IN on your declutter here and ending up with a wishlist that will have you endlessly scrolling. Instead, a series of mini declutters over the coming months as you work to put the style puzzle pieces back together again might be the better option. Keep it small.

• You’re bored. This is me whenever I’m doing a declutter. I like my entire wardrobe to fall below the 200 pieces mark (160 feels ideal for me, but I’ve errrr, lost my way a bit), and without even looking at my digital wardrobe, I can usually tell when it’s getting close to that number. It just starts to feel too much and I lose interest. So the aim is to thin it out, but just a little. It might not even be a declutter that’s in the double-digits in its output and that’s ok. It’s better for your wallet to be conservative in the long run.

STEP TWO: GET HONEST ABOUT YOUR LIFESTYLE

This step is a key ingredient that we often miss. My moodboards tend to feature twenty-something, capital city-dwelling fashion types who are never without a cute little cup of coffee in hand. In reality, I’m a coffee-hating, 35-year-old Mum who works from home by the seaside. That doesn’t mean there aren’t takeaways that I can apply to my own wardrobe from these moodboards (we’ll get to that later this week), but it does mean that if I’m doing a wardrobe clearout, then I’m probably going to want to hold onto those elasticated waistband cashmere trousers, even if they don’t feature much in my inspo pics.

How my November shaped up.

Making a colour-coded chart might be a step too far (IT IS!), so perhaps just browse what a typical month looks like in your calander and absorb your findings. I chose November because it was pretty representative of how my weeks usually pan out, with a bit more work than usual to prepare for the pre-Christmas rush. 19 out of those 30 days consisted of me working from home, seven of those were shoot days where I was filming videos or taking photos, so I tend to be a little more put together on those days. But there were only four days of the month where I’d consider my outfits ‘smart’. And even then it was for occassions like a nice lunch out with friends because why not get dressed up for a Sunday roast!?! Like step one, having this knowledge can help to give you some context whilst you’re decluttering. If you’re getting rid of all your comfy shoes, but take your dog on two walks a day, that’s something you might want to reassess. There are ways to channel my dream Toteme-full wardrobe of sleek Skandi, city-wear into my reality, but stripping my wardrobe of clothes that are practical for my lifestyle isn’t the answer.

STEP THREE: DO IT.

Here’s the fun bit. There are so many rules we impose on ourselves for this step, but I just have two guidelines I like to stick to:

Sort in categories: Decluttering your wardrobe in one fell swoop is not a realistic goal for many of us, given the ratio of clothing we own to free time in our lives. When I was styling on Indyx, people had wardrobes that ranged from 80 pieces, to 780 pieces. Even with 80, that can take a take a while. So, I’d recommend going through your wardrobe in categories. Sorting through all your trousers, then tops, then coats, even if each category is decluttered over a period of a few days or weeks. Being able to zoom out and see all of your clothing in one particular catgeory can help you make better decisions on what to keep and what can go. You’re also organising as you declutter and that’s helpful.

Try 90% of it on: You’re not going to need to try on the jeans you wear five times a week, or your favourite white T-shirt, but for the majority of the wardrobe, it’s going to be helpful to try it on. Doing that helps you to see what it is a full body yes, and what’s not. Things might need repairs, or altering and the only way you can truly see that is to get it on your body.

The jeans and T-shirt in question.

As you’re working your way through your categories, there are three questions to ask yourself:

• Do I like it? You know what, Marie Kondo was onto something. Do you like it? Heck, do you LOVE it? If it was in a store today would you buy it again in your heartbeat? No matter if it’s been years since you last wore it - keep it. It’s something that brings you joy and lights you up and that’s the key to personal style right there.

• Does it fit? If it’s a yes (and the answer to the previous question was also yes), then great - it’s a keeper. If not, then is it something that can be tailored? If the idea of doing that feels like a chore, then perhaps it’s something to part with. As women we’re always dealing with body changes too, so I’m wary to pass on jeans that are a little big or a little small. Sometimes it’s nice to have a bit of a denim wardrobe that can cater for your fluctuations. With denim especially, I’d tread carefully, especially with pairs that you adore.

• Is there a story here? The missing ingredient!! You want to fill your wardrobe with pieces that you LOVE, that fit, but also items that have a bit of story to them. That’s what makes your wardrobe, yours. Right? This is a catgeory that I’ve just completely stripped in the past and without it, everything can feel quite sterile. When it comes to regretting things that I’ve decluttered, nine times out of ten, it’s been pieces that have some kind of sentimental value. The Acne Studios Jensen Boots I saved up for and bought on a trip to Stockholm with Mark, the secondhand Loewe Leopard Print Barcelona Bag I bought myself for my 30th birthday and my Sophie Hulme Tote Bag which was my first ever fancy bag purchase I was so excited to buy, were all things I really treasured and in the heat of the moment, just because there weren’t something that I was wearing a lot at that time, sold, and have since regretted. I know our capacity to store all these things isn’t infinate, but for a wardrobe that truly reflects you and your tastes, these are the ingredients that it’s worth holding on to.

The ones that got away…

As you get to sorting, you’re aiming to sort into four different piles:

• Keep (in season)

• Keep (out of season)

• Repair & alter (I do love The Seam for anything that falls into this category)

• Donate & sell

Of course there’s a possibility that some things don’t neatly fall into a category. If there are items you’re unsure about, pop them into some kind of storage (even if it’s just in a tote bag at the back of your wardrobe), and add a reminder to your calander to revisit them at a later date. If you get them back out and are geuinelly happy by their return then that’s your answer right there. If it doesn’t stir you in anyway, then it’s time to say goodbye.

Sometimes I can get a little trigger happy with selling things, so I’ve learnt that it’s nice to have a bit of a cooling off period. Don’t part with things on the spot, give it a week or two. From my latest clearout I put aside 10 things I wanted to sell, then Liana wrote a piece about Barneys cashmere and I haven’t stopped thinking about the Barneys vintage cashmere jumper that was sitting on my to-sell pile since. Don’t log on to Vinted immediately.

STEP FOUR: ORGANISE IT

I find this step the most cathartic of them all. My clearout this time round wasn’t anything wild - just 10 or so items were earmarked as ones to sell - but popping everything back on hangers, actioning my rather large ironing pile, and then just setting it up so that I feel reinspired is sometimes the only one of these five steps you really need to do. I revisit it whenever I’m bored of my wardrobe but don’t fancy a full declutter (more tips for that here!).

I like to keep non-seasonal clothing out of the way: on a separate rail, in a different part of your wardrobe, packed away in boxes under your bed, or in storage. Not only does it reduce the amount of decision fatigue in getting ready every morning, but I also find the start of a season switch-a-roo exciting and a chance to rediscover old favourites. I’m sure you’ve gathered my personality type from this post already, but I find it to be… fun.

If you find yourself panicking whenever a more formal occasion arises, I’ve found one way to quell this is to have your very own occasionwear ‘shop’ in your wardrobe; a garment bag or two filled with fancier pieces that you may not get to wear as much in your day-to-day life. Not only is it keeping them protected, but when you do need to riffle through them, there’s a high chance you won’t remember exactly what’s there. You really do get to shop in your own wardrobe!!

In my own wardrobe, I group all my clothing in categories and then sort them in colour order (I like these hangers for tops* and trousers*). In my drawers, I roll and store underwear, basic t-shirts, pyjamas and workout gear in these drawer dividers* (these are good too for a more customisable option*). For tall boots, these feel like a rip off*, but are very handy, and for belts, I’ve found the best storage to be a tie hanger*.

My happy place.

STEP FIVE: LET IT GO

The golden rule of donating is that if you don’t want something because it’s stained or damaged somehow, then nobody else will either. So ensure that donated pieces are in good condition and well organised (pair shoes together, thread belts back into coat loops, etc). If dropping off clothing at a charity shop or clothing bank isn’t possible, Donate Clothes offers options in the U.K., where donations can be collected directly from your home; Trashie provides a similar service in the U.S..

Bye bye Princess Diana bear 😢

In terms of selling, this is my superpower (over the Christmas break, I managed to sell the entirety of my childhood Beanie Baby collection!). My go-to is Vinted - it’s very quick and easy from a selling perspective, although I love Vestiaire Collective* for selling higher-end, more designer pieces. Depop, Poshmark and The Real Real* are good options if you’re U.S.-based, and eBay* has just removed seller’s fees. Overall, pick whatever platform you’re familiar with and will be quickest for you to use. The following guidelines are the same, no matter where you’re selling:

• Launder garments and give them another once over to check for any stains or damage. This doesn’t make them unsellable, but be upfront in your listing about the true condition of an item.

• Give items a steam or iron before taking photos. The background doesn’t need to be fancy - I hang things up on the back of the door or just a clean patch of floor or carpet. Try to take photos during daylight hours, get any shots of any things you’ll be mentioning in the description, take a picture of the tag whilst you’re at it.

• Here are my golden rules for the description:

  • Make the title as detailed as possible. Instead of ‘Lululemon Leggings’, think ‘Lululemon Black Align Leggings 25” Inseam’ - get specific.

  • In the description, I tend to list four things and rinse and repeat for all the items I’m listing. Having a formula to follow helps to streamline the uploading process:

    • I repeat the title in the first line of the description.

    • Then I do a sentence on the item's condition, detailing any stains, alterations I’ve made, snags in the fabric, scuffs on the leather - you get the gist.

    • In the following line, I go into the item's size. If it’s a medium but fits relatively small - more like a U.K size 8-10, then I’ll add that in. Height can be a good thing to add for trousers too - ‘fits slightly cropped on me; I’m 5’7”’.

    • Then finally, if I know it - I add in the RRP. People just love to know they are getting a deal.

• Speaking of pricing, it depends on what you’re looking for here. If you want it to fly off the shelves, then price it competitively - most platforms will give you a rough estimate of what similar items have sold for and do the research for you. Perhaps it’s a pricey item or something more sentimental that you don’t mind waiting a while for a buyer - then price it a little higher, but know it could be sitting in the corner of your bedroom for a while.

• That’s why I like to package things up immediately after they are listed. If they go fast, I can sometimes be at the parcel shop that same day. If they take a little longer? At least they are protected and in the EXACT same condition as the listing. It saves faffing around with sourcing packaging at a later date (I swear by reusing packaging or these parcel bags*).

…and then - you’re done. Your declutter might be mammoth, or might just be a few items, but either way, your rails are cleared, and organised and you’ll be far more likely to rustle up outfits you love in record time.

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