Wardrobe Decluttering Tricks

Wardrobe decluttering methods

Use ‘turned hangers’

The “turned hangers” trick says to place all of the hangers in your closet backwards at the beginning of a season. Then, after you wear an item, replace it in the closet with the hanger facing the other way. At the end of a season, get rid of all of the clothing on the backwards hangers. I found this time-consuming, and I sometimes changed my mind after trying on outfits and returned them to the closet – the wrong way. This left me confused at the season’s end about what to discard.

Create a ‘capsule wardrobe’

Another popular suggestion is creating a “capsule wardrobe.” Compose a wardrobe of 30 to 50 pieces of good quality clothing that can be combined in numerous ways to create different outfits. The rest of the clothes can find a new home.

Get rid of damaged or soiled items

“If possible, choose a space to sort with good daylight or other excellent lighting,” advises professional organizer Mimi Bogelund. “Look for permanent stains or if it’s worn out and tired looking.” Set a deadline reminder on your phone to repair items with broken zippers or split seams. If you don’t repair the item by the deadline, it’s time to toss it out. Also, get rid of shoes that hurt your feet and replace them with shoes that make you comfy and happy.

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Check your inventory

Take all of your clothing and put it in one place, like on a bed, and sort by color. “It’s much easier to let go when you are looking at your items in a different way than you see them every day,” Jamie Hord of Horderly Professional Organizing says. When like pieces are piled together, it’s easy to see why you don’t need five similar black tee shirts or white crewnecks. Pick a couple that look best on you and discard the others.

Use the one-in, one-out rule

I began using this method when it started getting impossible to jam any more items into my closet. Since I didn’t want to give up on shopping entirely, I promised myself that if I bought a new item of clothing, I had to discard something from my closet to make room for the new piece.

Have a “maybe” box

I absolutely love this tip. If you struggle with parting with items that you haven’t worn in a while, put them in a “maybe” box and store the box in an attic or basement. Put a reminder on your calendar or phone for six months or so. Then, check the box and see if you really need to hang onto those pieces any longer. If you decide to keep them stored away for now, at least they won’t be taking up closet or drawer space.

Get rid of guilt apparel

Courtney Carver of Be More with Less says we may be hanging onto clothing items because we would feel guilty getting rid of them. These include items we spent too much money on, things given to us as gifts that we really don’t like or wear, and things we purchased that we really didn’t need. “Let go of the items and the guilt,” she advises. You may not realize how heavy the guilt was until it’s gone, she adds.

Finally, always limit your wardrobe to an assigned space, like one or two closets and dressers. If you find yourself looking for more storage, you have too much stuff!