6 Tips to Declutter Your Wardrobe

Decluttering revealed many things for me, like how I only wore six out of 13 pairs of shoes.

A good wardrobe is not a large wardrobe, but a well-edited one. Unfortunately, this stance I’ve taken seems to be in the minority. I, like many people in the alternative fashion community, obsessed over collecting clothing for the sake of having a larger wardrobe and more “options” for my outfits. Ironically enough, my collection obsession resulted in a poorly curated, mentally draining, unexpectedly restrictive wardrobe. While there are plenty of wardrobe declutter resources out there, I wanted to write this post offering unique advice that worked for me as a lover and wearer of alternative fashion, as well as an aspiring minimalist.

Before you read this article, I highly recommend you read ‘8 Signs You Need to Clean Out Your Closet’ if you haven't already. Only those who fit at least one of those points will benefit from the advice in this article.

1. Go on a shopping hiatus for at least a month and do a merciful closet purge.

The reason why I recommend this is because it definitely helped me get to know and appreciate what I already had/have. The merciful closet purge involved me removing items I straight up didn’t wear or want anymore. This made the items that I did like and want to keep at the time a bit more visible. Then, after almost exclusively shopping my closet for 3-4 months and taking more outfit photos for Instagram, I familiarised myself with my closet as it existed already. I learned which items I favoured over others, and what direction my style (or perhaps in your case, multiple styles) was heading in.

2. What is your style/what do you want it to be?

The key to decluttering successfully is having a vision of what you want your wardrobe to look like when you’re done, and next week I will be covering how to find said vision. I’ve mentioned before that one of my major issues was having a vague aesthetic that included anything falling under the umbrella of “colourful” and “kawaii”. I plan to elaborate more on finding one’s style in a future blogpost, but for now I’ll recommend you collate pictures of your favourite outfits from the past 6 months into a virtual collage. Not only will you get an appreciation for where your style is heading, you’ll be able to identify which items are your favourite and most worn. Sometimes the answers might not be what you expect, but you should take those frequently worn items and put them right back in your closet. What’s left is what you carefully evaluate with the following tips.

3. Remove any items that you haven’t worn recently and have no immediate and/or specific plans to wear in the near future.

We all have those “just in case” or “someday” items, and the truth is that these items often reflect our fantasy selves more than they reflect us. Items like these are often those beautiful heels you can’t walk in but wish you could, the lovely dress that matches nothing, the goal pants, or the high maintenance garment that you can’t commit to taking care of properly and are afraid of ruining. I understand that sometimes you need less-frequently worn items for special occasions but if you barely attend formal events or fancy parties, you probably don’t need more than two or three fancy dresses. Trust me, you don’t want the guilt of those unworn items weighing on you, so it’s best to let them go.

4. For the items left that you have worn recently, question why you’ve been wearing them.

During my latest decluttering, I’ve noticed the number of items I wear just as loungewear and/or because all my good clothes are in the wash. I've realised that these were “filler” items (to be distinguished from basics) that existed exclusively for moments when I’d have nothing better to wear. What did this mean? It means that I have too many clothing items and I don’t do the laundry enough. It’s okay to keep some stuff for loungewear, especially if you work from home like I do, but let those pieces be at least almost as well-liked as your daily wear.

5. Be brutal, but also be kind.

Letting go of something you have invested money, time, or maybe even resources into is never easy. In Marie Kondo’s book, 'The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up' (You knew this book would pop up eventually), Marie would encourage her clients to thank the items they struggle to part with. We as humans believe that any item in good condition has some kind of value, and any items we’ve neglected and are faced with getting rid of seem like wasted value. The best part about this thankful method is it acknowledges this need for something to give you value before you part with it. To use a pair of glittery high heels I bought at a secondhand market as an example, I can say to the shoes “Thank-you for teaching me that I don't like walking in high heels.” This will make it a little easier to part with an item that you like but you know is holding you back.

6. Take your time.

I like to think of decluttering like stone statue-making; you’re chipping away everything you’re not to uncover who you really are, but if you don’t know who you really are, then you might accidentally chip away a piece of your real self. This is why you should take your time when decluttering your wardrobe, and be sure to get to know yourself along the way. Sometimes doing a huge declutter is necessary for the especially problematic hoarder, but it’s easy to get caught up with getting rid of too much. Remember that what you keep is more important than what you let go.

I firmly believe that your style can improve if you keep only what you need and/or love to wear. With a carefully curated closet uncluttered by carelessly collected clothing, the coord possibilities are not only clearer, but far more enticing!

If you’re looking for more decluttering inspiration, you should check out these links:

• 'Huge Closet Clean Out' by The Stitchess (YouTube video)
• 'How I changed my Life!' by Heather Sparkles (YouTube video)
• 'HUGE CLEANOUT' by Lovely Lor (YouTube video)
• 'Getting Rid of a Big Chunk of my Wardrobe' by Pixielocks (YouTube video)
• 'What I Learned Cleaning Out a Decade's Worth of Clothes' by Victoria Suzanne (blogpost)

Knowing your style is an important part of decluttering your wardrobe so be sure to subscribe to my emailing list at the top of the page to know when ‘How to Find Your Alternative Style - Alternative Fashion Veteran Edition’ comes out.

If you enjoyed this article, you might also enjoy ‘Who Is My Fantasy Self and How Do I Shut Her Up?’.

For more kawaii content, be sure to follow me on Instagram @thecoramaria.

Finally, if you’re an alternative fashion lover interested in sustainability and/or minimalism, you should definitely join the Alternative Fashion Lovers For Sustainability Facebook group for advice, resources, recommended brands, and community discussion.

Question of the Week: How big is your wardrobe currently? Let me know in the comments below or on social media.