21 Step Winter Wardrobe Detox: The Fun Way

It’s cold outside, warm inside, so the perfect time to sort out that wardrobe of yours.

Stay with me! I promise

1. a) You will do it in a few hours or less
2. b) It will be fun
3. c) It will be worthwhile.

I encourage many of my clients to do – at minimum – a bi-annual wardrobe de-clutter. Today’s blog will offer my step-by-step advice on how to tackle this monster of a wardrobe.

Well, it’s actually not that monstrous, it just needs a little tough love. That’s where you come in.

So let’s begin!

1. Get comfortable in casual clothes. That’s right, no heels and style talk here. Even your PJ’s will do for this task.
2. Put some music on to create a fun atmosphere. There are some fun cleaning playlists on Spotify if you need a little inspiration.
3. Get a rubbish bag at the ready for throw-a-ways, and a small bag ready for bits of rubbish that you’ve snuck in e.g. price tags or hidden chocolate wrappers 🙂
4. Make a pile for dry clean
5. Make a pile for charity
6. Make a pile for friends/family
7. Now, if you have the space, place the “question mark” pieces onto your bed.
8. Make sure you have close access to a full-length mirror as you might be trying pieces on to check if they fit and still suit you.
9. Sports/swim and gym wear can be in a drawer, none of this needs hanging space.
   
10. Same goes for casual t-shirts and shorts/gardening clothes. These need to be folded and placed in a draw. You don’t need to have too much of these pieces –NO—you really don’t! 🙂
11. Camisoles – worn as under garments need to be in a drawer either with or near underwear – nobody needs ten white camisoles.
12. Scarves and beanies can be placed in boxes/plastic hanging bags or even a drawer all on their own. Scarves can also be folded or hung together.
13. Jumpers and knits are best folded into piles of casual to a dressier knit. This also avoids coat-hanger marks near shoulders and I find it best to colour code here.
14. Long cardigans – hang them on velvet coat hangers. You can purchase six for $5 at Kmart.
15. Coats can be hung in dust bags either at one far end of your wardrobe or in another wardrobe completely to give you more space.
16. Evening dresses: keep these together. If you have not worn one in a couple of years, but sentiment wont let you throw it out, remove from the hanging space and place in an air tight plastic box from uncle bucks.
17. As for jewellery and acccessories, necklaces can be hung on a tree, rings in drawers and bracelets on velvet tunnels. This is just one way 🙂 Lacey used to hang her sunglasses on a string on the wall!
    
    
    
    
18. Hang all slacks and jeans together – colour code again.
19. Hang all skirts together using clip hangers, also six wooden hangers for $5 at Kmart
    
20. Hang day dresses together and evening dresses together.
21. Clear out what you know you don’t wear. Forget the ‘someday I will’ unless you really will. Forgive yourself for bad purchases, dresses still with tags or items you were supposed to “fit into”. Donate them or remove them. You don’t need the reminder.

Your shoes and boots should be displayed – either using racks or boxes and in easy reach. If you go the box route, go for a see-through box or take a photo and place it on the front. Your wedding shoes and party heels should be separated from your everyday shoes.

Finally, your wardrobe needs to:

1. Reflect who you are
2. Be a fun place to visit
3. Only have items that you know you wear now – today!

Oh and if you’re still feeling overwhelmed, we at Style with Cindy offer wardrobe makeovers where we take the pain out of it and make it fun. When we’re done you’ll feel like you have a new wardrobe with lots of options you never thought you had.

When was the last time you de-cluttered your wardrobe?

Do you enjoy your wardrobe, or is it a place of total frustration?