How many times do you find yourself thrashing around through your wardrobe thinking, “Gosh I should really sort this – I can never find anything to wear!?” Yet every time you try and do a declutter you end up with the same pile of “oh maybe I’ll wear that one day?”. Resulting in you getting stuck with the same wardrobe full of clothes that either get worn to death or are barely touched.
Having a hobby of collecting clothes since before I can remember has meant that I’ve spent many, many hours doing this very thing. I soon learnt from a young age the value of sorting through my wardrobe every season and having a decent clean out. Though at the time, my only real purpose was to make way for all the shiny new things I could add in to replace the items I was just about to break up with.
Oh how things have changed…
These days, my clothes collection is small and curated, which as a result is very loved. Getting dressed is easier as everything works together or at least has 3 different options of being worn. I also know that it’s easy to add different items (how many ways can you wear a basic white tee?) Not only does having a capsule wardrobe mean being a little more organised, but it also encourages you to be a lot more mindful when you shop.
Thinking a bit harder when you’re shopping about how something will fit in your wardrobe means that you buy less things that you will only wear once or not at all. I’ve found this also means everything I have has a purpose for hanging there. Because I love it and it makes me feel good when I wear it.
It sounds superficial, but there’s something to be said about wearing something that makes you feel good and in turn confident. I know you know what I mean. I see it when your eyes light up when you beautiful ladies come for try-ons and find “The One”. The dress that when you look in the mirror you stand a little taller & smile at the woman in the mirror smiling back at you.
In order to get to this organised state, there is a little bit of prep work involved! To make things easier, we’ve put together a cheeky checklist to make it as simple as possible and you may even find it a little therapeutic!
Closet Clearout Checklist
☐ START FRESH - Take everything out of your wardrobe and start completely empty.
☐ PICK YOUR FAVOURITES - From your pile, you will already be able to spot your favourite pieces. These will probably be the items you wear the most, so you already know you will get wear out of them. If you're anything like me, there will be stand-out pieces such as your favourite fit jeans, relaxed white t-shirt, your most loved dress you've had for a few seasons now and the blazer or jacket you wear the most.
☐ SORT SORT SORT - Back to your pile. Sort everything into five categories. Four based on the seasons and one that contains pieces you haven't worn in the last 1-2 years. At this point you'll probably see there are things that overlap into more than one season. This is great! As you know, we love mixing up pieces to make them wearable in more than one season.
☐ START TO CULL - The pile that you haven't worn in the last 1-2 years is now your cull pile. Go through each seasonal pile you've created and take out pieces that you no longer love, no longer fit how you want them to, or think it's time for someone else to love them.
☐ GET RUTHLESS - This is where you need to get ruthless. If you really feel there is something in there that falls under the unworn category but you can't bare to part with it, a great way to figure out if you ever wear it again is to put it back in your wardrobe with the hanger facing the opposite way. That way the next time you do a wardrobe clean, you'll know if you ever did end up wearing it again, if not - cull!
☐ CURATE YOUR CLOSET - Onto the satisfying bit! Start putting all the items that you've decided to keep back in your wardrobe. I find it's best to go by categories, such as jeans or jackets and then sort them by colour. This also can help with getting ready, as it's easier to put things together when you can see them by colour.
☐ RENT, RESELL & RECYCLE - Lastly, go through the items in your cull pile. If there are pieces still in good condition, there are plenty of options to put them back out into the world for someone else to love! If you're time poor, then second-hand stores are a great option to drop off and earn money without doing a thing! Renting them out with us is also an easy way to earn money on an item without having to commit to selling. Listing them online is great too. Pre-loved market places often have days where the success fees are free or discounted. It's a little more time consuming, but can also be the most rewarding - but can also be addictive. Op shops are also great - but ensure you drop your bag of goodies directly to them rather than using their clothing bins.
Stand back and admire your beautifully curated capsule wardrobe! Effortless, beautiful and full of pieces you love that make you feel good. And for the times you need something with a little extra sparkle for a one-off occasion? Your revolving wardrobe is one click away.
Found a few items that you used to love but don’t get the wear they deserve anymore? Share them with us and let those beautiful pieces be loved by someone else without having to commit to saying goodbye forever. Find out how here.