Top tips to give your wardrobe a New Year Detox

how to detox your wardrobe

top tips for a wardrobe detox

Just after Christmas, I finally got around to sorting out my wardrobe. I had a mini-clean out of it when we packed up to move house last June, but it had been on my to-do list for the past 6 months to give it a proper detox and organise. Even after getting rid of a couple of bin bags full when we moved, my wardrobe was still overflowing with clothes – and probably 75% of which I wasn’t even wearing. After having a baby, my shape changed a little, plus I’ve been breastfeeding for the past year so a lot of my previous outfits just weren’t suitable.

So, in between Christmas and New Year I set about sorting it out properly. I literally pulled EVERYTHING out of my wardrobe and dressing table… my bed looked like a jumble sale! It was a drastic start but with a bed covered in clothes it meant I had to sort it all if I wanted to be able to go to bed that night! It took me all day long, on and off, in between watching the baby and popping out a couple of times, and there were a few moments I thought “why on earth did I start this??!!!” By the time I had finished, there were 3 bin bags full of clothes to go the charity shop, a small bag-full put away to reassess when I’ve finished breastfeeding, and a very tidy wardrobe and I felt great!

The before……

before wardrobe detox. messy closet

I was a inspired by the idea of a capsule wardrobe, and stalked Un-fancy a little before. My finished wardrobe is not really a capsule wardrobe, I still have way more than here 37 pieces out. Compared to what it was, though, it’s so much easier to get dressed in a morning. Here are a few tips that helped me:

Put on some music

Because, music makes everything better!

Pull it all out.

Empty all your drawers/shelves/hanging rails so you can see just how much stuff you have. Sort it into piles – jumpers, t-shirts, vests, jeans, skirts, trousers, etc…

Yes, No, Maybe

The next step I took was to sort it all out into ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘maybes’. I worked through a pile at a time {so sorted all jumpers at once, then jeans..} Things I knew I loved and have been wearing currently went straight into the ‘YES’ pile, as did a few special items. Anything I knew didn’t fit, was damaged, or just plain didn’t like went in the ‘no’ pile… if I wasn’t 100% sure one way or the other, it went into a maybe pile.

These questions are great to help you decide:

* Does this fit?
* Have I worn it in the last year?
* Am I likely to wear it again/
* Is it damaged in any way?
* Does it still represent my style?
* If I saw it in a shop right now would I buy it?
* Does it make me feel good when I wear it?

Bag up the NO pile

Fold and bag all the items in your NO pile. I found it helped massively to get all the stuff I didn’t want out the way, so I could see what was left. Later on, once I’d compelteyt finished, I came back to these bags and sorted them into ‘to sell’ and ‘charity’ bags.

Go back through your maybe pile

Next, I went through all the things I’d tossed into my ‘maybe’ pile. Some I put to oneside to reassess once I’d finished breastfeeding {mainly dresses}, a couple of bits I added to my ‘yes’ pile but most of it I decided I could live without.

Clean, clean, clean

Whilst your wardrobe is empty, make sure it’s clean before you put anything back in there!

Put away all your keepers

Once I’d sorted through everything, I had way more hanging space so could hang the majority of the clothes I kept. I hung all my t-shirts/tops together, likewise skirts, dresses and trousers. I folded and stacked all my sweaters and jeans, vests went in a drawer, as did all my PJ’s.

hanging clothes. wardrobe detox

It feels SO good to have a wardrobe that only houses clothes I like, feel good in and actually wear. As I said, I put some things aside that I’ll sort through again when I’m not breastfeeding still – mainly dresses that just don’t have easy boob access! It was a really good exercise in figuring out what my style is, what things I like to wear and any gaps that need filling. I’ve started some new Pinterest boards to give me some great outfit inspiration too!

neatly stacked jumpers sweaters

7 Comments

  1. Nichole Goodland

    January 27, 2016 at 10:04

    I always do this now and again, but I find some clothes hard to throw away thinking ‘oh yeah I will wear them after I have lost all this baby weight’, knowing full well I probably won’t ever wear it again.

    I am definitely going to have to try and do this again especially before buying a new wardrobe.

    :-) x

  2. Joanna

    January 27, 2016 at 14:27

    I need to have a good sort out its just finding the time am hoping to find time when my husband is off work next week. Am going to be attempting the marikondo method.

  3. Jess @ Along Came Cherry

    January 27, 2016 at 17:37

    I’ve done this too! I had so many winter clothes that I never wore, because all I basically do when it is cold is put the warmest thing I can find on and wear it every day! I’ve unpacked all my summer clothes too, looking forward to being able to wear them x

  4. Lindsay At Newcastle Family Life

    January 27, 2016 at 20:52

    I so need to do this with my own wardrobe but I keep putting it off, I need to take note of your tips and just crack on and get it done as I have clothes in their from when I was 18 that certainly won’t fit me any more xx

  5. Sheila Reeves

    January 31, 2016 at 12:21

    Well done on your clear out, this is definitely on my todo list. Good idea about the no pile, if I started to work out whether they could be donated, recycled or sold I’d take forever – better to sort later

    1. polly

      January 31, 2016 at 13:22

      yes – it made it quicker and easier to get the wardrobe sorted out!

  6. christabel saul

    February 2, 2016 at 08:57

    I So need to do this.. you have totally inspired me. music will be a number one factor and baby sleeping is also another important factor ;)

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