How to Responsibly Declutter your Wardrobe

For many of us, I think the start of a new year signals a fresh start. It’s a time of new beginnings, and the 12 months ahead of us are filled with so much promise. I like to seize the opportunity to reflect on the year that’s been, and use some of my downtime to comb over my wardrobe and home, to pinpoint if there’s anything I’m hanging on to that is no longer giving me joy. As much as I love a good declutter, I wanted to share a few ways that we can approach this yearly ritual in a mindful and responsible way.

What aren’t we using? What is there to rediscover? What can be repurposed? And what should we really consider parting with?

I recently learned that in Australia, more than 500,000 tonnes of textile waste is sent to landfill every single year. This is an enormous figure, and it doesn’t take into account the clothing that is being donated. It’s eye-opening, and a reminder that there’s a lot of waste when it comes to the garment and textile industry.

Before I dive into things, for those who need a refresher course on how to declutter, you can check out this blog post HERE for all the basics. It’s a great starting point if you’re feeling overwhelmed by what you have and need some motivation to downsize.

So, how can we take responsibility for what we’ve bought, and declutter mindfully if something no longer gives us joy?

Pass on items to friends & family (within reason!)

While I don’t think it’s responsible to pass on your clutter to others, I do believe that it can be a win-win situation for you and for a loved one, if they’ve had their eye on a particular piece in your closet. I do this with beauty products homewares too, and it can go both ways – recently my sister (who inherits a lot of my beauty stash) gave me her Nespresso machine as she no longer needed it.

Do a clothing swap

If something in your closet is feeling stale, then perhaps consider trying to organise a clothing swap with friends. This is a great way to trade in a few items you’re no longer getting joy from, while refreshing your closet with a few – new to you – pieces. This is also a good option if you’re on the fence about an item. You can have a caveat to revisit the swap after a few months, which is a great way to see how you feel about letting go of certain pieces.

Sell items in good condition

My first thought when giving my wardrobe a good declutter is: is this item in good enough condition to sell? One of the side effects of my work is that over the year, I tend to amass more than most, and some items just don’t get the same love as others. So where I can, I like to see these pieces going to a new home where they’ll get the wear that they deserve.

This is the most time-consuming way to declutter responsibly, but I do think it’s worth it. I like to set aside an afternoon to take clear, well lit pictures, write up descriptions, and jot down measurements for each item, before listing it on my Tictail store. Other places to sell items are eBay, Trade Me, The Real Real (if you live in the US), or Vestiaire Collective (if you’re based in Europe). It’s a great way to build up your budget for the season ahead, or add a bit of extra cash to your travel fund.

One of the first places I tend to look when thinking about adding anything new to my closet is the pre-loved market, as I think it creates a healthy eco-system and you aren’t consuming in the “traditional sense”.

Donate

If you’ve exhausted the first three options, then the next step worth taking is donating your items. Personally, I try to avoid this as much as possible as approximately only 20% of donated garments end up in charity stores. The other 80% are either repurposed for stuffing in upholstery or rags, sold in bundles to third world countries (which has a whole raft of negative consequences), or alternatively, incinerated (which has a further environmental impact).

That being said, there are some great charities that are in need of clothing for other purposes, like Dress for Success, which provides support to disadvantaged women and also helps those trying to get employment. In the past, I’ve donated some corporate workwear items that I’m no longer getting use out of as I know it’s going to a great cause.

Recycle

Clothing items that have holes or marks, and are essentially not in condition to pass on to anyone else or to sell, can be dropped of at a Textile Recycling Centre. Here, they’ll be given a new life, and it’s one of the most responsible ways that you can part with pieces that are just completely worn out.

I’ve noticed a number of retailers are going to great lengths to source recycled materials, and it’s a positive trend that I think is worth contributing to if you have no other options to declutter your items.

For those of you living in Australia, you can find your nearest drop off point here and here.

Ask yourself: do you really need to part with it?

The most responsible way to ‘declutter’ is to hold on to what you have rather than part with it at all. Before you decide to say ‘Thank U, Next’ (sorry, had to!), ask yourself: is this something I can breathe new life into? Am I parting with it because it needs a minor repair?

Those are two very simple fixes. If you’re tired of a piece, try styling it in a few different ways with items that you already own. See if you can create a new look that renews your interest in the piece and makes you feel excited to wear it all over again.

And if it’s a minor repair? Well, that’s simple. A new button will take less than five minutes to fix, and a seam can be effortlessly stitched together as long as you know how. For any trickier repairs, consider taking your item to a tailor – it might cost you $15, but it means you get to hang on to that wardrobe favourite a little longer.