A GUIDE TO WARDROBE DECLUTTERING
There are many obvious signs which tell us that the time has come to begin the act of wardrobe decluttering. These include when we struggle to find what we need, when it’s full of clothes we no longer wear, and when it’s overflowing in general to the point where we could use the extra space.
The benefits of decluttering and simplifying our wardrobes are endless. For starters, a simplified wardrobe enables us to find things easier and to make less decisions between pieces, allowing us to get dressed quicker altogether. Further, the process of decluttering our wardrobe will most likely lead to us clearing out clothes which don’t make us look or feel our best.
In this article, we discuss 5 essential tips to assist us in meaningful and efficient wardrobe decluttering:
1: Considering Fit & Comfort
2: Considering your personal style (whether current or aspiring)
3: Sweeping clothes unworn for 6+ months
4: Wearing items you don’t usually wear; and
5: Pre-planning where the unwanted clothes will go
1: CONSIDER FIT & COMFORT
First and foremost, everything in our wardrobes should make us feel good and should be comfortable when we wear it.
If something does not fit our body, and does not make us feel comfortable, it might be time to bid that something goodbye, once and for all. For those of us who might tell ourselves, “One day I will fit into this” (while some might find this genuinely motivating), we should remind ourselves that we don’t have to change our body to fit our clothes, and that instead, we should change our clothes to fit our body.
2: CONSIDER YOUR PERSONAL STYLE (WHETHER CURRENT OR ASPIRING)
When assessing our current wardrobes, we might want to ask ourselves whether certain items reflect our current style. Alternatively, we might have a desired style or aesthetic that we want to implement for ourselves – if this is the case, removing items from our wardrobes which don’t reflect this style is the perfect place to start in building our dream wardrobe.
3: IF UNWORN FOR 6+ MONTHS, GET RID OF THEM
Disclaimer: For this point, we are not referring to clothing items which are seasonal or occasion-specific.
For those pieces of clothing which we haven’t worn (let alone touched) in over 6 months, we should seriously consider removing these from our wardrobe. This especially includes clothes which still have tags on them – quite frankly, there is a reason we haven’t yet worn these items. Time to say goodbye.
4: WEAR ITEMS YOU DON’T USUALLY WEAR
If we come across items that we rarely wear, but still have a desire to keep them (again, aside from occasion-specific or seasonal clothing), a clever thing to do to assist us in making a decision is to plan to wear the item within the week.
In the event that we find styling the piece with something else in our wardrobe is difficult, then perhaps that is a sign to get rid of it.
If the piece can be styled, then as we are wearing it we can then pay attention to and consider how we look and feel in it. If we don’t like how we look and/or feel wearing the piece, then that’s our sign to part ways.
5: KNOW AHEAD OF TIME WHERE THE UNWANTED ITEMS WILL GO
The fear or anxieties of not knowing where our unwanted clothes will go can act as a significant mental barrier from decluttering our wardrobe. As such, if we think about where our unwanted clothes will go before we start decluttering, then we can better organise ourselves and properly set aside some time for uninterrupted decluttering.
Whether it’s reselling our items, donating them to charities or thrift stores, or simply gifting them away to friends and family members, the feeling of simply passing off the unwanted items to their new designated home will feel incredibly satisfying, and perhaps even fulfilling!
At MONA JULIET, we believe in investing in quality over quantity. We are inspired by opting for timeless, elegant pieces as opposed to constantly cluttering our wardrobes with rapidly changing fashion trends. If you’re a petite woman (i.e. under 165cm/5’4″) and are in need of some high-quality, timeless pieces for your wardrobe, we invite you to have a browse of our recently launched Classics Collection.