Do you find yourself wearing the same few pieces over and over again because they are easily accessible from your wardrobe? Are you looking forward to a wardrobe overhaul so that you can remove the unflattering clothes and fill it with pieces that you feel good in?
A thorough wardrobe detox is a hugely important step on your road to a fun and stylish wardrobe. Why? Because with an organized wardrobe, it is easier to see the entire contents and choose an outfit. You will find it more enjoyable to create new looks and add those finishing touches to your outfits more quickly and creatively.
So, before you get started, be sure to turn on your favourite music, sip a cup of fizz and prepare lots of empty space. I have put together 3 steps to help your wardrobe detox process and rebuild an organized wardrobe that works for you.
STEP 1: Gather and Empty
Gather your entire wardrobe of clothes (including items that are in ironing pile) and stack them neatly on the bed. Take this opportunity to give your wardrobe a good wipe down. Prepare 3 carrier bags / boxes and label “Discard”, “Giveaway” and “To Alter” respectively.
What Should Go: Broken or out of shape hangers.
STEP 2: Sift and Decide
This step is probably the most challenging step in a wardrobe detox. Because it requires you to take each item and review them individually. It is not necessary to try every item to decide if they should stay or not. What you will need is a well-lit room (with natural day light if possible) and a full length mirror. To help you with the sifting process on whats stays and what goes, here are some questions you can ask yourself:
What Should Go: Items that do not fit in the above flow.
STEP 3: Store and Organize
Once you have decided on the clothes that stays in your wardrobe and which ones goes into the “Discard”, “Giveaway” or “To Alter” bag, you are ready to start building an organized wardrobe. If you live in an environment with more than one season, you may wish to store the clothes that are off season separately. At one end of the wardrobe or an alternative space in clear storage bags are some options.
There are a few ways how you can arrange your clothes in the wardrobe so that it becomes easy to choose what to wear and helps you to be creative in the way you dress.
- Capsule – If you have a busy lifestyle, you might want to arrange your clothes in capsules. This will help you to put pieces together easily.
- Group similar items together – A great option which allows you to have an overview of your clothes collection in respective categories (eg. Pants, shirts, skirts, dresses, etc.)
- Arrange by colour – Arranging the wardrobe according to colour would make it easier to find and co-ordinate the items.
- Arrange by length – You can place all the long-hang items such as coats and dresses at one side of the wardrobe and short-hang items such as skirts, tops and trousers separate. Keeping these items separate will allow you to locate things quickly and easily.
What Should You Fold: Jeans, sweaters, sportswear, casual / leisure home clothes
After Wardrobe Detox
Give yourself a good pat on the shoulders when you have completed the 3 steps to end the chaos in your wardrobe. To maintain an efficient wardrobe that complements your lifestyle, it is recommended to wardrobe detox every 3 to 6 months. Because it is only with a clean and organized wardrobe, you would be able to see what areas in your wardrobe are well stocked and where the gaps are. With a super clear overview of what your current wardrobe looks like, you will know what to look out for when shopping and prevent repeated buys.
I love hearing from you, if you have any feedback, opinions or questions please comment below. If you enjoyed this post and know someone who could do with this information, please share it with them by clicking on the share button below.
If you would like to breakthrough from your wardrobe frustration and step into your True Style Personality, drop me a chat (jeann@stylebyjeann.com) or simply download my FREE resource “Look Stylish for Less”.
