A wardrobe is incredibly practical and essential, but it can sometimes become a real headache. We organize and organize, and in the end, we accumulate a ton of clothes, half of which we don't even wear. Is your wardrobe overflowing with sweaters, jeans, shirts, dresses, shorts, and other textiles, yet you feel like you're always wearing the same things? Then your wardrobe is undoubtedly overloaded, and it's time for a major decluttering. Don't panic! There are many solutions for decluttering in the most efficient way; we'll show them to you.
1. Empty all the contents of your closet
Taking a comprehensive look at your wardrobe might seem tedious, but it's essential for laying the groundwork for effective and efficient decluttering. Empty your wardrobe of absolutely everything, including shoes, bags, accessories, and so on. Then, spread all these items out on the floor and bed so you can see each one. This crucial step will give you a complete overview of your wardrobe and help you identify what you don't need. To make things clearer, you can create piles, grouping skirts together, tops with other tops, and so on.
2. Identify your basics
We all have wardrobe staples. These are the clothes that fit us perfectly and, what's more, go perfectly with many other fabrics and accessories. In short, they're generally the ones we wear most often because we know they flatter our figure and make us feel comfortable. For example, there's the t-shirt that goes with all our jackets, the little dress we can wear for any occasion, the shoes that work with jeans as well as a suit, the sneakers we love to wear… Once you've identified your staples, store them together; they'll form the core of your wardrobe.
3. Identify the clothes and shoes that you will no longer wear or have never worn.
Once your basics are put away, it's time to be ruthless. Among all the clothes still lying around, you need to identify those you've never worn even though you've had them for ages, and those you haven't worn in at least a year. If they've been languishing in your closet all this time without you taking them out, there's little chance you'll wear them again (or maybe just once; might as well let someone else benefit).
When you're sorting through your clothes, there are always those items you never wear, the ones you think, "Maybe I should keep them for this or that occasion, you never know," knowing full well that the chances of that happening are slim. Be strong, put those things in a garbage bag. Don't panic, there's no waste here; we'll come back to what you can do with them later.
4. Take the time to try
You've packed away your basics and bagged the clothes you no longer want. That leaves you with the ones you're really undecided about. The best way to decide whether to keep them or not is to try them on. Look at yourself with a kind eye each time you try them on and see if you like the garment, if you like your reflection in the mirror, if you feel comfortable in it. Also ask yourself if the garment still suits your style, if you're sure you'll wear it again, and so on.
If so, then the garment in question can go in your closet. Otherwise, put it in the trash bag.
5. Sale, donation and recycling
Now that your closet is organized, all that's left is to decide what to do with the clothes you put in the trash bag (or box, or any other container of your choice). You have three options, and you can choose all three. You can sell items in very good condition that you know you can get a little extra money for, which you can then use to buy something you've been wanting, or put aside for a vacation, etc. For this, there are various secondhand sales websites such as Vinted, Vide Dressing, or Once Again.
Next, any clothes in good condition that you don't plan to sell can be donated. Simply take them to a collection point in your city, and they'll have a second life. You can go to organizations like the Red Cross, Emmaus, etc.
Finally, there are the damaged, worn, or stained textiles—those for which a second life is out of the question. Don't throw them away! They can be recycled in countless ways. If you or someone you know does a little sewing, you can, for example, transform an old t-shirt into a trendy, eco-friendly, zero-waste shopping bag. Torn tights can become a tawashi (Japanese washable sponge), a worn knit can be transformed into a pretty cushion cover, and jeans can be repurposed as a laundry basket or a trivet… Let your imagination and creativity run wild!
6. Some additional tips
To avoid having to do a major wardrobe overhaul too soon, there are several very practical and easy-to-adopt tips for everyday life. Here is a list:
– The ribbon technique: this clever technique simply consists of tying a ribbon on the hanger of each garment you have already worn, so you can spot at a glance the clothes that have not left the wardrobe and you can get rid of them as you notice them.
– The one-for-one rule. This minimalist technique will prevent you from accumulating clothes and unnecessarily filling your closet. Very simple to apply, you simply need to break the "one item in, one item out" rule. Each item that goes out can, for example, be donated; this way you participate in a charitable initiative while saving space. If you choose to sell, you save money.
– Avoid accumulating basics. As the expression clearly indicates, this technique consists of not collecting basics. While they are very practical, it's not necessary to own ten tank tops or the same number of knit sweaters, etc. A few good basics are enough to create endless looks.
– The 30-wear challenge. This tip applies to the shopping experience. When you're in the store with a garment in hand, only buy it if you're certain you'll wear it at least 30 times before it becomes worn out or you get tired of it. 30 isn't excessive, and if you don't think you'll reach that number, then it might be better for the garment to stay in the store rather than cluttering your wardrobe.
– The seasonal box. If you're one of those people who does a seasonal wardrobe clean-out, get into the habit of putting all the clothes, shoes, and accessories you no longer really wear but aren't sure you want to part with into a box. Write the contents in small print on the side of the box that will be against the floor. After 4 to 6 months, if you haven't opened the box to take out an item of clothing and you can't remember what's in it, then it means you can definitely do without the clothes inside. In that case, sell them or donate them; someone else will surely be happy to wear them.
Decluttering your wardrobe, or rather, sorting through your clothes, brings a certain satisfaction and allows you to see things more clearly. Moreover, this sorting process is part of an environmentally, economically, and socially responsible approach: decluttering your wardrobe therefore offers nothing but advantages!
