Five ways to declutter your wardrobe

image source; noa noir

A new year is like a fresh start in so many ways, and as much as I try to avoid making resolutions, it’s a great opportunity to give your wardrobe a declutter, and begin the year with a clean slate. I try to focus on only adding those things to my wardrobe which truly give me joy, and that I’m going to want to reach for day in, and day out, but I’m not afraid to admit that I don’t always get it right; occasionally a new wardrobe addition doesn’t work out the way I’d anticipated, and sometimes I find that what was once a wardrobe staple is now starting to feel a little tired.

I also find it as a chance to tidy up my wardrobe, fold everything away nicely, and reorganise my hangers to make getting dressed in the morning just that little bit easier. Plus, it frees up a bit of that prime wardrobe real estate for any new additions that you’re planning to make throughout the year (and January is always a good time for making lists….).

cull your wardrobe
As I’ve gotten into the pattern of adding less to my wardrobe (and making better purchasing descisions!), I’ve found there to be less of a need for a seasonal cull, and instead opt to give my closet a once-over every six months or so, and the new year calls for just that. I’ve written about culling my wardrobe plenty of times in the past, but typically I tend to pull out anything that is either starting to show its age, hasn’t been worn for a good 6-12 months, or that doesn’t give me joy. I have my fair share of sentimental items that I can’t bear to part with (my mum’s coats included), but usually if I’m not getting any use out of something, or if I’m ready to pass an item on, I don’t tend to let it linger in my closet.

store, donate, sell or trash
This goes hand in hand with culling your wardrobe, but once you’ve identified the items that you absolutely love, and those that you can live without, I find it helpful to split up everything that hasn’t made its way make into your closet into four categories; store, donate, sell or trash. Pretty self explanatory, but for those without ample wardrobe space, store anything that is out of season; sell or donate anything that is in good condition; and trash any items that are stained, have holes, or that are falling to pieces. I typically head down the eBay route when selling anything (it’s just easy) but there are plenty other options, like market stalls, consignment stores, or other resale sites.

find an organisational system that works for you
Growing up, everything in our house had a ‘home’, and this is something that I’ve definitely tried to keep up, since moving in with Luke five years ago. The same tends to apply to my wardrobe; everything on hangers is organised by colour (and then my item type) from light to dark, which makes it easier to pinpoint what I want to wear that day and simplifies the tidying up process. Alternatively, storing like with like items might work best for you, but I find that not only is this aesthetically pleasing, but it’s grounded in practicality and it stops our bedroom from turning into a floordrobe.

adopt a one-in-one-out policy
If keeping your wardrobe completely clutter free year round is your goal, then you might like to consider adopting a one-in-one-out policy. This is exactly what it sounds like; everytime you buy something new for your wardrobe, something you already own has to go. I did this years ago when I was still living in Wellington and I found that it helped me to really start to think about what I was adding to my wardrobe, and was the start of my journey towards shopping more consciously and with purpose.

reverse your hangers
While there’s the odd thing in my closet that might get worn only every once in a while, I make an effort throughout the year to try and wear everything in my wardrobe at least once. I like my wardrobe to earn its keep, and in addition to encouraging me to branch out and make the most of what I have, it’s also a great way to weed out the pieces which are no longer working for me. A really great way to keep track of what you are – and aren’t – wearing, is to reverse all your hangers at the start of the year, turning them back the right way each time you wear an item.