Make the most of your lockdown and get your wardrobe in order; you will feel better for it and maybe that nag in your head can be quietened for a while! Your crushed clothes might thank you for it too!
Now is an excellent time to sort out your closets and do a winter/summer wardrobe swap. And while you are doing so, take the opportunity to have a good clear out.
Have you ever found yourself thinking, “When I have time, I will do a clearout” Well if not now when we are stuck at home, then when? Take the opportunity to really pay attention to those niggly jobs that you have been putting off.
Marking a time change
Doing a wardrobe declutter can mark a symbolic time. We don’t stay the same size, and stuff that looked cool when you were in your twenties, even if it still fits, doesn’t necessarily look good when you are 50! It can also be practical to store winter clothes over the summer (and vice versa) to free up more storage space. You’ll also find that keeping your holiday stuff in one place can make packing a lot easier and categorising your wardrobe so your work suits are in one place helps a lot too.
However you are going to do it, letting go of some old clothes and making space for new ones can help you launch into a new phase of your life. Put clothes into the Action it pile if they need mending, altering or dry cleaning, then pack away your out-of-season clothes. Once you’ve purged your wardrobe, you can employ the ‘one in, one out’ philosophy to maintain order.
Top tips for clearing that closet
Here are some top tips for decluttering that overcrowded wardrobe and creating the ordered one you deserve.
Get everything out and sort them into these piles:
- Keep in the wardrobe (sprint and summer items)
- Winter storage
- Mending
- Dry cleaning
- Donate/recycle
- Try on
- and holiday. (Things we take on holiday can simply be stored in your suitcase if you are short of space.)
- Have a trying on party. Use this time to re-set, create a new wardrobe and a new you! Do it with some friends on Zoom, your flatmates or your husband and a glass of wine! Make it fun and be ruthless, try to let some things go. If you haven’t worn it in the last year, chances are you’re never going to, unless it is a special item you have for formal occasions. However, here is an honesty check: if you were invited to a wedding or charity dinner, are you actually more likely to go out and shop for something new! Also beware of “I might be able to fit into it one day”. The belief: tomorrow is more important that today. Counter this with: I’ve chosen to create space and order in my life right now. I’m beautiful just as I am, and I choose to have clothes that work for me today
- Bag it up. Collect the things that need to go out of the house – dry cleaning and donations – and put them straight in the car, ready for after lockdown. After laundering, put your winter storage in nice, clean dust- and moth-free containers. Again, store these in a loft, spare room or in some under the bed storage boxes.
When there are no bags sitting around you can enjoy the clear space you have created. It will make you feel good.
- Do the mending! If things need mending, set yourself a deadline. Then put the clothes in a bag and label it with the deadline date. Agree with yourself that if you haven’t done it by then, it’s time for them to go! This is a great way to call your own bluff, if you are someone who says you will do things, but never get around to it.
What to do with the extra clothes once you’ve cleared everything out
High-end designer items, if almost new, may be worth something on eBay. But consider if it’s worth the time it takes to sell them. And don’t let it be an excuse to hold onto things.
The rest could be offered to friends and family if you like, but most likely will best be donations to charity shops. Make sure your bag of donations is tightly packed to make best use of space. I recommend putting it into the car, so it’s ready to be dealt with and you don’t clutter up the house. If you don’t have a car, store them out of sight under the stairs, in the garage, garden shed or under the bed. Importantly, set yourself a reminder to pull the bags out and deal with them once the lockdown is over. Alternatively, most councils will take bagged up clothes as part of your recycling collection.
Good luck!
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