five top tips to cleanse your closet

I don’t know whether it’s because we’ve been clearing out our clutter at home, or whether I’ve just finally accepted that my groaning wardrobe is full of stuff I don’t wear, but the other day I found myself heaving everything into bin bags and putting it away in the loft. To be honest, I think I just got fed up with opening the door in the morning and having to spend half an hour trying to find things that worked together. 

When I sat down and really thought about it, I realised that I only actually wear about 10% of what I own; my regular outfits consist of jeans, tshirt, sweatshirt or jacket, trainers or sandals and an oversize scarf here and there. I’ve got a whole load of skirts, tops and dresses that have never even been out of the cupboard, so why I’m hanging onto them like some crazy hoarder is beyond me. Having a near empty wardrobe by the end of the evening was incredibly liberating though, and if you’re thinking about doing the same thing, I’ve come up with five top tips to make your clothes earn their place in the cupboard.

1. Be Brutal

I decided that anything I hadn’t worn in the last six months could go; so all of those eBay ‘bargains’ that I kept just in case they fit ‘one day’, those impulse charity shop buys that seemed like a good idea at the time, and anything I’d bought on a whim went into the bag. The basic idea behind this is that if you’ve not worn it by now, you probably never will – so no cheating, set a time scale and throw it in the bag!

2. Be True to Yourself

The worst thing you can do is keep stuff that you know you’re not going to wear, just because it’s ‘on trend’ or you’ve seen it on your favourite celebrity / blogger / YouTuber. Think about what you really like to wear; it could be that like me, your style has changed over the last few years – I used to absolutely live for patterns but nowadays I’m all about plain, simple and easy to wear. 

3. Try Things On

You need to make sure everything you’re keeping still fits in the way you like; I used to like really skinny jeans, but over the last few months I’ve got into slim, girlfriend, boyfriend and ‘Mom’ styles. I like the shapes, they’re way more comfortable and they suit my frame much more – I’ve also got size seven feet (I know!), and a looser fit seems to sort of balance them out. Ha!

4. Include Accessories

While you’re on a roll, it’d be a shame not to sort out those piles of unloved accessories. Go through scarves, jewellery, bags and even tights and nail polishes, and ditch anything that’s not left the house over the last few months – don’t forget, there might be some loose change in the bag pockets, so check them first. 

5. Organise, Organise, Organise

Once you’ve cleared some space, get organised; sort clothes by colour, style or season, whichever suits you best and makes most sense. Have a look online for storage solutions; Muji do a great transparent acrylic range that’s really useful for jewellery and accessories, or if you want something a bit more decorative to hold your lovely things, try H&M Home or Urban Outfitters. 

Of course, now that there’s all that extra space, there’s enough room for a few new things for autumn; I’ve got to the age now where I’m happier to buy less and spend more as long as it’s good quality – I’d rather have one great jumper or pair of jeans that I wear to death, than ten of the same thing that don’t fit properly and make me feel uncomfortable. My autumn wishlist is pretty basic, and is mostly things I’ve got one of already, and need another for when they’re in the wash!

1. Jacquard Weave Scarf, £9.99, H&M
2. Loose White Shirt, £59, COS
3. Pendant Necklace, £25, & Other Stories
4. Essie Nail Polish in Chinchilly, £7.99, Boots
5. Cotton Jersey Sweatshirt, £49, COS
6. Sunglasses, £5.99, H&M
7. White Backpack, £19.99, Zara
8. Sneakers, £40, Clarks
9. Backpack, £24.99, H&M
10. Mom Jeans, £19.99, H&M
11. Tapered Trousers, £69, COS