Simple ways to declutter your wardrobe
It may not be spring but there’s no time like the present for a good wardrobe clear out. When you refine your wardrobe by regularly evaluating your style choices and thinking about what you’ll actually wear before you buy anything, clear outs aren’t such a big deal.
We touched on this in our ‘Why we’re not spring cleaning’ article, but today we’re looking at the best ways to clear out your wardrobe with ease and speed.
Lets Get Digital
We’re kicking this article off with a little shameless self promo, because what better way to streamline your wardrobe than to use a wardrobe app?
Whering is the best ways to keep on top of what you own, so you can scroll through your items and decide what to get rid of (donate, swap or sell) from the comfort of your sofa.
If that’s too much effort for you, our My Stats feature shows your most and least worn outfits, items and colours. We’re doing the work for you, simply open my stats and see what items you’re not utilising that could be loved by someone else.
Track my outfits
To get My Stats data, you need to track your outfits. Log what you’re wearing each day in the Whering Planner to see clearly what you’re wearing most frequently.
Once you’ve got the data, all you have to do is open your wardrobe and find the pieces you don’t wear that you’d be better off donating or giving to a friend.
Use the Archive
If you’re undecided on whether you’re ready to say goodbye to something, try archiving it in Whering. Styling outfits and viewing your wardrobe without your archived pieces in (before committing to giving them away) can ease the blow and help you understand that you won’t miss these items when they are actually gone.
Getting Stuck In
Whilst we love a tech solution (the Whering app), sometimes a hands on clearout is the best way to go.
If you’re taking this approach, we suggest the following steps:
- Remove everything from your wardrobe and organise into the following piles: clothes you LOVE that you wear frequently, pieces you like that you don't really wear, and bits you are indifferent to, that you don't like/wear
- Donate, swap or sell everything in the last pile. There’s no point dwelling on it - it seems like these items aren’t adding anything to your wardrobe so best to give them a new life by donating them and making sure you don’t buy items like this in the future.
- Evaluate the pile of clothes you like and consider how you could up-cycle them or style them differently to get more wear out of them. For any pieces that can’t be saved, it’s best to donate, sell or swap these too.
Don’t let the price of the item deter you when it comes to upcycling. I had a skirt that was a lot more expensive than the rest of my clothes and I never wore it because it was too long. I didn’t want to alter it in case I ruined it.
After a year or so of not wearing the skirt I LOVED that I paid good money for, I bit the bullet and snipped it with a pair of scissors and hemmed it with a sewing machine. Now, I wear it all the time and it’s one of my favourite pieces.
Browse Vinted/Depop Wishlists
It might sound weird to advise looking at new clothes when you’re trying to get rid of old ones, but we suggest flicking through your Depop/Vinted likes or your Instagram saved to see what styles you’re loving so you have a clear idea of what kind of clothes you want to wear.
Even if you used to love something and wear it all the time, if it’s not matching up to where you want your style to go, it could be a good idea to pass it on to make way for items you’ll wear for years to come.
7 Outfit Test
The 7 outfit test is a great way to figure out if something is worth keeping or not. If you can’t wear it seven ways maybe it’s not worth keeping. Evaluate the versatility of each of your items and prioritise keeping those you can mix and match.
Communal closet
Do you have some daring items you don’t wear a lot that you still don’t want to part with because you can’t shake the ‘what if’ I need this one day? The solution: start a communal wardrobe with your housemates/ friends/ family where you share items you love that you don’t get to wear much. That way, you don’t have to get rid of something that could potentially be a serve, but others have the chance to get some wear out of the garment as well (reducing their need to buy new clothes and making the labour and resources that went into making the item more worth it).
That’s how we make wardrobe clear outs easy and effective. It shouldn’t be a chore, but instead an opportunity to curate a wardrobe to serve you for years to come. Sustainable fashion starts with what we already own, so spend some time clearing out your wardrobe if you’re starting your sustainable fashion journey.
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