I have been trying to figure out why going through clothes is so hard for me and I think I am starting to make some progress.
Years ago I tried a “capsule wardrobe” where I grabbed a random assortment of clothes that I thought looked nice or whatever. My sister had just gone through her closet and gave me a bunch of her hand-me-downs. There was an adorable yellow dress that I played with, styling in different renditions. I figured I could dress it up or down and I even wore it to my first day of my new job as an elementary special education teacher. It was perfect— and then I never wore it. I never wanted to wear it. And I never wanted to wear any of the other clothes I had selected for my “capsule wardrobe”. The only thing I wanted to do during this experiment was buy the same outfit in 5 different versions and stop thinking about my wardrobe.
I should have paid better attention to why that didn’t work for me and actually lean into what was wrong. I was overwhelmed with the options and had no clue what I actually wanted to wear. I know I am not alone in my struggle to declutter my wardrobe. It’s difficult because your clothes are linked to your identity as they are a form of self-expression, and our culture (American) is constantly telling us to buy more and more clothes. Our closets are stuffed with clothes that we don’t feel like wearing because they don’t represent us well. At least that’s my problem with all of that.
Fast-forward to now and I am finally figuring out how to declutter my closet. Here’s how:
Play dress-up.
Before really diving into this, make sure your undies aren’t in a bunch. This is an easy win that should give you some momentum to tackle this bigger project.
The easiest way to begin a closet decluttering project is to figure out what DOES work for you.
- Pretend that you are going to certain hypothetical events and grab the outfits you would like to wear as quickly as possible.
- Don’t think hard about it. These items are your “base” and should be used to help you determine your personal style.
- Some hypothetical scenarios might be: first day of work, dinner with a friend, wedding/ baby shower guest, or hosting a party at your home.
- Chances are you have some favorite pieces in mind for these events.
Pack for an imaginary trip.
While we are playing around, let’s pack for an imaginary vacation! People tend to bring their favorite clothes on vacation. Whether it is because it’s comfy or because you are hoping to live a fantastical double life for a week, chances are clothes that you want to bring on vacation are clothes that you don’t want to be without.
Please don’t use this advice as an excuse to keep an outfit that will only serve you in one very specific place you aren’t even planning on going to. Consider what types of vacations you typically go on. I usually go on wintery trips where I visit casual restaurants, and want to be cozy most of the time. I also go on trips to Florida where I want to be a bit more playful and feminine than my typical wardrobe but also want everything to fit into my carry-on.
Understand your “personal style”.
Admittedly, this step is really difficult. At least it is for me. I went to Catholic school growing up with a terrible dress code that had me wearing polo shirts and knee-length khaki shorts so I think that stunted my access to understanding style. I’m still recovering from this style trauma.
However, I happen to be a very skilled knitter (I’m not bragging—just being honest!) and after 6 years of wearing a me-made knit sweater on repeat I figured I ought to make some more sweaters for myself. Since then I have spent hundreds of hours planning and executing knit sweaters and sewn clothes to fit me well, and be made from high-quality materials. I am probably the least stylish person I know who makes most of their own clothes. It’s kind of confusing, but this has taught me three things that are important to me in clothes: high-quality materials, sustainably made, and well-fitted. After all, high-quality, well-fitted clothes are always in style. And sustainability is chic—I don’t care what anybody says about it!
To determine your own personal style I suggest following these steps:
- Take a trip down memory lane and reflect on things you gravitate towards or always seem to have in your wardrobe (a long sleeved striped tee-shirt is a must for me!)
- Read or listen to “How to Dress” by Avery Truffleman. Prepare to feel like a more stylish person in under 20 minutes.
- Take the quiz on Indyx. This will help you determine 3 words that will help you understand your style. My words are relaxed, classic, and simple. Striped shirts, hand knit sweaters and relaxed pants are my uniform. Again, prepare to spend 15 minutes and feel like you know a thing. Time! Well! Spent!
Figuring out what your style is, should help you to ditch garments that don’t support it. And I am guessing “slob” isn’t a word you want to be represented as so go ahead and get rid of all the clothes that make you look sloppy. You are better than the holes in your dirty old sweatpants (but you should absolutely keep a set of work clothes to keep all of your favorite things in good shape!).
Let go of the guilt of bad purchases.
We have all been there before—clearance racks, shipping minimums, fast fashion and fleeting trends are common scenarios that people succumb to which results in a closet that doesn’t quite represent you the way it should. Go ahead and get rid of the clothes that don’t serve you that you maybe shouldn’t have purchased in the first place. If something was pricey and hasn’t had a full life yet, try to sell it. However, don’t let that prevent you from moving forward. Remove those clothes from your closet and give yourself a time limit to execute your sale.
Anything that isn’t worth selling can be donated as long as it is in good shape. Don’t give yourself a hard time about “losing money” on these purchases. Consider the “lost money” as tuition for an important lesson in the school of life.
The good news here is that you are learning from these mistakes. You aren’t going to shop at Shein anymore and you have the opportunity to donate clothes where they will have a second life.
The same goes for anything that doesn’t fit right now. Feeling guilty about not being able to squeeze into your favorite jeans from last season isn’t serving you right now. Move them out of sight and move on. Be thoughtful about what clothes you might hold onto here. Human bodies can fluctuate a lot but my guess is that if your size changes you might be wanting to purchase new clothes to match the new you.
Don’t get rid of clothes without having a replacement.
This is a lesson that I have learned the hard way. Do yourself a favor and make sure you have all of the clothes you NEED so you don’t find yourself frantically buying a pair of shoes the day of a wedding. Holding onto your clothes until you replace them allows you time to shop and carefully consider what you are bringing into your life. This leads me to my last piece of advice…
Carefully consider what you are adding to your wardrobe.
Don’t rush this process. Looking at images of capsule wardrobes on Pinterest makes it tempting to just completely overhaul your wardrobe in one day. Slow down and consider why you love the pieces that have survived through your purge so far. Focus on replacing slowly, rather than adding and when you do add, please do so with confidence! You know what you like now and you look good wearing it! Willy Wonka was right—confidence is cute!
The benefits of a fine-tuned closet?
Since I’ve decluttered my closet I have started to get some clarity about what my style is. It’s been fun for me to feel like I have a sense of style at all! I feel more confident about what I like and also have an idea of what needs some adjustments in my wardrobe. I feel good about all of the outfits I have and have reduced stress and save time getting dressed! I save time and money by reducing impulse shopping, and have breathing room in my closet. I also have an easier and more enjoyable time doing my laundry and putting away my clothes. I am taking better care of my clothes so they should last longer. Wow. I could go on and on about how much I love having less in my wardrobe. Every piece in my wardrobe is starting to tell a story.
Feeling motivated to get after your closet? A little nervous? Let me know!
