The Ultimate Guide to Decluttering Your Wardrobe

I love how most of the posts I write on here are essentially me just giving advice to me while also giving this advice to others. Anyone who knows me that reads this is probably like, “Paige. You’re the worst wardrobe hoarder I know. Your closet bleeds cotton and your drawers won’t even close. How the hell are you writing a post about this?”

Great point. I see you. I hear you. The thing is, I know what I’m doing wrong and I know how to not hoard my wardrobe. This weekend I threw away twenty bottles of nail polish and I’m on a HIGH, people. I’m feeling motivated to minimize my life. I keep jokingly announcing to everyone that I’m becoming a minimalist but I’m lowkey serious. This is the next step.

I’m not preaching to you, I’m here with you. Let’s do this together. Let’s stop hoarding clothes. Let’s get into decluttering your wardrobe (and mine).

MOTIVATION

Before you start the process, you have to amp yourself up. Here’s some motivation:

1. You can let your inner humanitarian shine.

Donate your old clothes! Think of all of the clothes you don’t wear that could help others. Dramatize it as much as you want. That blush cardigan you wore once? Instead of being in your closet it could be keeping an orphan in Cambodia WARM! Probably not, but when you reframe your getting rid of clothes as something that is helping others, it can give you the extra nudge to toss things out.

2. You might make some cash.

If you have any designer duds or nice pieces, you can sell them on Poshmark or at your local consignment shop.

3. Your closet will be so organized and aesthetically pleasing.

Good-bye drawers that won’t close and closet that’s overflowing with clothes.

DECLUTTERING

Step One: Try on every single thing.

First of all, this is a great workout and it can count for your daily cardio. Second of all, this is a great way to toss the items that don’t fit. This is your audition process. Pretend you’re every American Idol judge combined and these clothes are auditioning for a spot in your wardrobe.

Now, as you’re trying these on, follow these rules:

1. If it is too small, get rid of it. You won’t magically shrink.
2. If it is too big (not in a trendy way), get rid of it. Unless you plan on gaining weight solely to fit into this piece of clothing
3. If it’s ripped, stained or pilled beyond belief, get rid of it. You haven’t done anything to fix it up until this point, are you really going to now? Fix it NOW or get rid of it. Don’t let it become an artifact lying on a pile on your floor with the intention of stitching up the sleeve eventually.
4. Do you like how it looks on you? If you need to pull and pinch at it, that’s a no.

Step Two: Have your family and close friends evaluate your wardrobe.

They can advise you on what looks good and they can truthfully tell you if you never wear something. If the people who see you all of the time have never seen you wear your alleged “favorite” sweater, maybe it’s time to toss it.

Step Three: Evaluate the purpose of the pieces you’re keeping.

If you can’t think of a realistic time or place to wear it, toss it. I’m notorious for this. I’ll save quirky or extravagant clothing items with the caveat that someday I might need it. If this piece of clothing is something you love but know you’ll never wear, have a fun little photoshoot in it and get rid of it.

Step Four: Narrow down the multiples.

Sort your clothes into categories and piles. Now, narrow it down. Yesterday I realized I owned ten. T E N. Black camisoles from Forever 21. Do I need that many? Do I really wear them that often? No. I tossed the grungier ones and kept four of the camis. Boom. I’m still owning more than I should BUT it’s baby steps. No one ever became a minimalist in a day.

BONUS: Keeping way too many things? On the fence about a few pieces? Try this bag hack.

Ready for this? Put the stuff you’re on the fence about in a bag in your closet and forget about it.

This sounds counterproductive but HEAR ME OUT! This is the golden ticket for us packrats who hate getting rid of perfectly good clothing.

As you’re sorting your clothes, choose pieces that you don’t love or pieces you’re unsure of. Put them in a bag. Put them in your closet somewhere out of view. Maybe put it under your bed. Set a reminder on your phone to revisit the bag in a week or two weeks.

If, during that time, you didn’t reach for, think about or go back to wear anything in that bag, get rid of it. If it’s too hard for you, have a friend rid of it for you. See? You didn’t need those things! You passed the test! Hoo-rah!

The only thing is, you have to make sure you actually do something with the bag. Don’t let it just sit there and gather dust. Donate it.

MAINTAINING

Now that you’ve mastered decluttering your wardrobe, you’re going to have to keep it up. Remember that decluttering your wardrobe isn’t an excuse to replenish and restuff your closet. Calm down for a second.

1. Only buy it if you’re absolutely in love with it.

My “Money Saving Shopping Tips” post will be incredibly helpful for this. It’ll help you really determine what you need to purchase.

Think of buying clothes like saying yes to a wedding proposal or something. Dance in the outfit, sit down it. Make sure it fits perfectly. Take selfies in it. Do you love it? Does it fit? Will you wear it?

2. Keep track of what you have and what you need.

In my post, The Ultimate Guide to Using Pinterest to Plan Your Wardrobe, I talk all about this and I give some handy tips for keeping better track of your wardrobe needs.

3. Before buying, calculate how many times and where you’ll wear it.

This has stopped me from making many stupid purchases. I’ve fallen in love with a few dresses but I then realized I have no reason to buy it. I don’t need it sitting in my closet for a someday.

4. Get rid of something if you buy something.

This isn’t always easy but this will also help you decide if you really need something or not. Is this item worth getting rid of an item you already own? If not, don’t buy it.

5. Borrow items you won’t need again

If you’re going to a wedding as a plus one and need a silver clutch, try borrowing one from a friend rather than purchasing one that will gather dust in your closet because (honestly) how often do you attend formal events? This is a great way to save money and keep your wardrobe nice and simple.

6. Flip your hangers.

This technique gave me some serious motivation to wear things I never wear. It was kind of like a challenge or a game. So, here’s how it works:

1. Flip all of your hangers so they’re facing the same way.
2. When you wear something, flip the hanger so it’s facing the other way.

Simple. This is how you can tell if you wear something or don’t and this also challenges you to wear more from your wardrobe.

What tips do you use when decluttering your wardrobe?