So, it's now Spring! Spring and cleaning go hand-in-hand; new life, new beginnings, etc etc.
I've done a few wardrobe clean-outs recently, so thought I would share some things I've learned along the way, and things that have worked best for me. Unfortunately, my actual wardrobe isn't that beautiful blog or instagram-worthy - one of the many downsides to renting!
1. Be Brutal
I think this is the most important thing to keep in mind; if you're cleaning out your wardrobe, there's probably a good reason you've chosen to do so. Maybe you have too many clothes, maybe your clothes are uninspiring... whatever the reason, something has made you decide "I've had enough". So hold on to that feeling, don't get sentimental and that will keep you from being distracted.
2. Questions to ask yourself...
These are the questions I ask myself when being brutal and deciding whether I'm going to keep something:
- Do I love it?
- Does it fit me? No? Get rid of it.
- Have I worn it in the last two years?
- If I haven't worn it in the last two years, why? I have some fancy dresses and things that I haven't had a function to attend where I can wear them. Those items stay.
- Is this damaged? Yes? How bad is the damage? Am I willing to pay someone tomorrow to fix it? No? Get rid of it.
- How many different ways can I wear this?
- If I was shopping right now, would I buy this?
- Which is more valuable - the clothing item, or the space?
3. Decide where the "rejects" go
I usually sort my clothes with the options of "donate", "keep", "sell", and "bin" in mind.
If I love an item then it obviously stays in the "keep" pile.
If I don't love an item because it doesn't fit me, isn't my style or I'm just over it, then it goes into the "donate" pile. If I don't love it, and think it's worth my time to try selling it (honestly, usually only worth it for expensive name brands), then it goes in the "sell" pile.
If an item is badly damaged, or is underwear, then I'll throw it out.
4. Invest in matching hangers
I have wooden hangers for my "heavier" garments (such as blazers, longer dresses etc), and then slim plastic hangers for the rest of my clothes.
Not only does this look a lot neater but your clothes will all sit the same way in your wardrobe, and can save space. I think having matching hangers makes you more inclined to keep your wardrobe looking organised as well.
5. Research space-saving ideas
The built-in wardrobe in our current house is so much tinier than the one in our previous house. And I've been struggling to work out how to fit all my clothes in the wardrobe (side note: although those wooden hangers are beautiful, they take up a tonne of space). So I did a bit of research, and invested in things like underbed storage solutions for off-season items, space saving hangers, and multi-pants hangers.
6. Sort your clothes based on how you get dressed
If you prefer to get dressed by matching colours, then colour-code your wardrobe. I personally sort by type, then by colour. So my wardrobe is:
dresses / coats / short sleeve tops / long sleeve tops / short skirts / long skirts / pants.
Within coats I have: woolen coats / leather jackets / light jackets.
I then have black woolen coats, red wool coat, black leather jacket, red leather jacket, etc etc.
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