Decluttering your clothes can seem like a mammoth task. Should you hang on to smaller sizes you might want one day? How about well-worn pyjamas you love, except they’re full of holes? Or maybe there’s stuff you bought but never wore, because it wasn’t quite right…but seems wasteful to throw away. Shannon Johnson from Living For Style is here to help you choose what to keep and what to chuck, with five quick questions that will make the decision for you!
Marie Kondo’s popular book and Netflix series “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” sparked a massive wave of closet cleansing, and decluttering your clothes is part of that process.
And while Marie’s philosophy was based on asking yourself if certain clothes ‘sparked joy’, in my opinion you need more help than a single question if you want to tidy your wardrobe, or build that dream collection of clothes.
Decluttering your clothes: 5 questions to help you choose what to chuck!
1. Is the item bad condition?
If your clothes or shoes have holes, stains, irreparable rips or are just starting to look shabby, there is absolutely no reason for you to hang on to them. Chuck!
Only keep things that are in good condition – the rest goes out!
2. Does it fit?
In my work as a personal stylist and personal shopper, I see many women with wardrobes full of clothes that don’t fit! Those overflowing closets make it harder to remember what you have hiding behind the rows of hangers, or find clothes that do fit. Not to mention, if you’re hanging on to racks of too-small clothes, the morning hunt for an outfit can be a little demoralising. Special clothes or stuff you are really passionate about can go into vacuum bags, and stored. But the rest? Bag up those ill-fitting clothes and chuck them.
3. Do you wear it?
Decluttering your clothes isn’t just about stuff that’s too small or in bad shape. You might have brand-new clothes or things in perfect shape you just never wear. Maybe they were impulse buys, gifts that weren’t quite right, or just outfits that don’t suit your lifestyle anymore. Maybe you’ve gone from working in a corporate office to a casual workplace. If it feels strange chucking out perfectly good clothes, remember you can always donate the items. So chuck or donate!
Decluttering isn’t just for old clothes. You might have brand-new things but you never wear them
4. Does it serve a purpose?
Most people have outfits that serve different roles in their life. Keen green thumbs have their favourite gardening clothes, or fitness lovers have their dedicated activewear for workouts. These outfits serve a purpose and should make you feel good. If they do, keep them! But if you’re not into gardening or workouts, don’t hang on to gumboots of high-performance sports shoes. Chuck them!
5. Does it have a buddy?
We’ve all fallen in love with a gorgeous shirt in the store, only to get home and find nothing goes with it! If you are going to keep individual items you love, make sure everything has a ‘buddy’- something that can match with it. Otherwise we all know what happens- that shirt languishes on its own in the closet forever! If you don’t want to part with the item, take it on your next shopping trip and find something you can wear with it. Otherwise, chuck it!
Shannon’s ambition is to bring the joy back to getting dressed in the morning! If you would like more help or tips to et on track to building your dream wardrobe, sign up to start a free “5 days to your dream wardrobe” challenge.
