this post is inspired by @ClassyFabSarah on twitter and her hoarder's closet/wardrobe drama.
here are my top tips on how to clear out a wardrobe :)
before you begin
- pick a large block of time
- get a nice, tall glass of something cool and refreshing
- put some good, upbeat, positive music on, for example, Pink, or Less Than Jake
- find a notepad and pen
- clear your bed
- get a floor length mirror
- fetch a roll of bin bags/refuse bags (this is not drastic, but needed depending on how big your Closet/Wardrobe (C/W) is to get everything from your C/W. (hangers are the exception and have to stay) on the bed- once EVERYTHING is on the bed, put hangers into order, in middle.
- do not throw things on the floor, your back will not love you when you're picking up your 53rd item to try on.
- peel off two bin bags. put one at each side of your bed, the one nearest the door is bag 1, the other, bag 2
For Starters
- when you hang something back into your closet, use a running order, my personal order is colour and type, but some people go for functionality, ie, work, play, night, holiday. If you go for colour, don't put black and navy together.
- invest in storage; if you are not a bikini/swimsuit wearer for 70% of the year, put it away in a suitably sized box, with your goggles and noseclip.
- if you have things hung up in your wardrobe that you will never again wear but they hold special memories, put them in a pretty keepsake box.
- don't stop. do not leave the room unless you need to go to the bathroom or have run out of suitable cool drink-age, and even then, put it off, once you stop, you wont want to start again, and then it will be very messy in your bedroom!
- now time to try everything on, one thing at a time, obvs. infront of the full-length mirror.
- if you have worn it in the last 6 months and LOVE it, hang it up
- if its classic and timeless and you love it, but havent worn it in a year, hang it up.
- if its damaged beyond repair pop it in BAG 1 (the side of the bed, by the door, remember?)
- if its grotty, stained, discoloured etc, pop it in BAG 1
- if its in okay condition but you HATE it pop it in BAG 2
- if its in okay condition but has any negative memories attached, pop it in BAG 2
- if its more than 2 sizes too big or small and you're unlikely to wear it again, pop it in a BAG (depending on its condition)
- if you havent worn it in 6 months but intend to, and it still looks good on you, hang it up.
- if it makes you uncomfortable, you wont look good in it because your confidence wont be giving you a glow, so its probably best being put in BAG 2
- if you've had those shoe for 4 months, and have been wearing them and they still give you blisters. i hate to break it to you but they don't fit.
keep them forever and ever and carry on damaging your precious feet. BAG them
The above is the main stuff, obviously not everything will fall into these categories, and half of your clothes will be sat on the bed, make a mental note of what is sat in front of you, and try and wear it more. else you may as well pop it in a
BAG
its not rocket science, but just in case you haven't figured it out, BAG 1 is for your rubbish/garbage bin and BAG 2 is for charity/Goodwill/scavenging friends and family
- don't be too sentimental, your mum may have bought you that dress when you were 15 but now you're 32 it wont look so good. i don't care if it fits or not.
- if you haven't worn it in the past 12 months (a full year, a full 4 seasons, a full spectrum of weather and events) you probably wont wear it in the next 12 months.
- things do come back into fashion. but be reasonable.
- the clearer you set out your C/W, the easier it will be to shop. you may have forgotten about that dress, or that top, those shoes, because they had been missed due to overcrowding. i'm not talking a capsule wardrobe here, i'm just saying, when you have 30 black tops in your C/W, its hard to recall one unless they're all together and easy to browse
- set a pile aside for the damaged, a dropped stitch in a chunky sweater, a worn heel, a broken zip, a hole in an underarm... and fix them! in this day an age, if you cant fix a pulled thread in a sweater, you will have a friend who can, i have at least 4 people. a worn heel is easily replaced by a cobbler, a broken zip buy a dressmaker (or previous handy friend and a zip from a haberdashery) and a hole in an underarm, previous friends may be on call again! - if its all the same friend (not the cobbler) they may be bribed with wine and pizza to fix the lot :)
i love sorting thru peoples C/W's :)
i think at Charlotte's we binned one bag and had 4 for the charity shop. at Helen's we had 2 or three i think for garbage and about 8 for the charity shop, her mum had told her she would buy her something new for every 4th item we got rid of, i think Helen's still waiting for that one haha!
when your closet or wardrobe is looking lovely and you're still buzzing... go thru your drawers, literally! have a good look at your underwear and your socks and sleepy-wear. is it all in good nick? are those off white, broken elastic knickers really your best look?
you know that paper and pen i mentioned at the start? while you go thru, or at the end, make a note of what you need to be on the look out for (some boots to jazz up a few winter outfits, a skirt to set off those tops, a new swimsuit) and try not to buy away from your list when you go shopping (dont add stuff for the sake of it!)
also make a note of what you're getting rid of, ie tops 7, jeans 1, sweaters 3, shoes 8, knickers 15 shirts 4 etc, it will amaze you how much you hoard :)
when you do buy something off the list, make sure its not just a seasonal whim. make sure its something you can wear with something you already own as-well. avoid buying whole new outfits. its a waste of money, you probably already have half the items already suitable in your wardrobe!
if you take the doors off your wardrobe if saves time looking, and you're more likely to keep it in order.
i also have a big box, its called fat-bag. it keeps all my skinny or my really fat clothes if you fluctuate like me. i have another for seasonal clothes.
let me know how you get on!
