How to detox your wardrobe

Welcome to January! It’s that time of year where we all start looking for ways to make life more enjoyable – whether you’re making healthy changes, getting into fitness or decluttering your space, the New Year is chance for a fresh start. And your wardrobe is included in that!

It might seem like a bit of a cliché, but starting the year with a wardrobe clear out is a great way to kick off a new mindset for the next 12 months. A tidy, organised space that’s free of clutter and things you don’t use, want or need will help you focus on your other goals as the year progresses. 

Our wardrobes are prone to becoming overstuffed and disorganised – how many times have you looked at yours in dismay at the mess, but then closed the doors and decided that’s a problem for another time? Yep, we feel you! But, if not now then when? It’s time to get cracking and sort it out – let’s go!

The hardest part of any decluttering missions is getting started. Looking in at the mess can be really overwhelming and it’s all too easy to close those aforementioned doors and think you’ll deal with it tomorrow. Today is the day! 

Think of this task as a detox for your wardrobe – once you flush out all that excess, you’ll feel so much better. 

Start by pulling everything out of your wardrobe, then organise it by season. Section off the things you’re wearing right now, then fold everything that’s out of season and place it into a storage box. With what’s left, organise it into categories – dresses, jeans, tops, skirts, etc. Once you’ve done this, you can see where the gaps are – if you have too many dresses but not enough tops, you can balance this out by donating or selling some dresses and adding in a couple of new tops (see below!). 

It’s good to have a full wardrobe detox twice a year when the seasons change – when you’re storing clothes away for a few months, you might not be so keen on them when they come back out or they might no longer suit your lifestyle. This is a good time to declutter your clothes, weed out the bits you know you won’t wear and donate them. 

However, keeping on top of what’s going into your wardrobe all year round will make your biannual clear-outs a much easier task. A ‘one in, one out’ policy is good to ensure you’re not hoarding clothes and buying more than you need – when you see something you really love, take a look in your wardrobe and choose something you want to donate first. Then when your new item comes in, the old one can come out.  

One way to get the most out of your new year, new wardrobe mission is to follow the keep, donate and sell concept. As you’re sorting through your clothes, put each piece into a pile – one to keep, one to donate and one to sell.

Be strict with yourself and don’t hang on to things for sentimental reasons – if it doesn’t fit, get rid! Same with things you haven’t worn for the last year – if it’s not in regular rotation, be brave and put it in the pile to donate or sell. 

The key to keeping on top of what clothing you have and making sure you’re not holding on to things you don’t wear is organisation. Clothes organising is a whole lifestyle, with influencers like The Folding Lady on TikTok and Marie Kondo showing us innovative, efficient ways to store clothes so they’re accessible. 

Once you’ve separated your clothes out by seasons and then again by category, you can fold or hang them together – so all dresses side by side, a drawer for trousers and another for tops, etc. Hang dresses, smart trousers and blouses but fold jeans, cotton pieces and knitwear to ensure it keeps its shape. 

If you want to take it a step further, go for a colour coded system – moving from neutrals through the rainbow and ending with black pieces. Not only will it be easier to find an outfit to match your mood every morning, but it also looks beautiful when you open those wardrobe doors!

Storage boxes are ideal for separating your clothes into categories so you can grab your socks in a rush without digging through other stuff, too. These soft storage boxes can be squeezed into small spaces and pulled out when needed. We also love these woven baskets which look great sitting atop your wardrobe – fill them with hats, belts and accessories so you’ll always know where to find your fave beanie. 

Creating a capsule wardrobe and sticking to it will really help keep your wardrobe streamlined. The idea of capsule clothing is to have a foundation of key basic pieces that can be dressed up with a few more trend-led items, then mixed and matched to work for every occasion. 

The perfect capsule wardrobe includes neutral t-shirts, black trousers, two pairs of jeans in a dark and light wash, a crisp white shirt, a chunky knit jumper or cardigan and a simple black dress. If you can whittle your wardrobe down to these items (or similar!) then add in seasonal pieces like a sequin blazer or strappy sundress, you’ll always have a chic outfit to hand and your wardrobe will never feel overwhelming. 

For seasonal items like big coats, storing them outside of your wardrobe will free up space inside. This zip-up soft storage box can be pushed under the bed to keep it out of the way and is great for protecting delicate fabrics during storage. 

For wool coats and knitwear, keeping moths at bay is a big part of successful storage – try lavender bags nestled in with your clothes and always give everything a good shake when you’re switching over between seasons.

 

If one of your New Year’s Resolutions is to take control and declutter, a wardrobe detox is a great place to start. And if once you’ve done the clearing you spot some gaps in your clothing collection, read our blog on new neutrals for the new year and get some inspo!