Today I am sharing 10 things I learned from decluttering my wardrobe. As I decluttered my closet and my wardrobe I learned quite a few things about myself. For instance why I had so many clothes and my reason for holding onto things I didn’t use or need.
By finding out why we have so many things in the first place can help with staying decluttered in the future.
10 Things I Learned from Decluttering my Wardrobe
Dress For My Current Life
It became very easy to declutter once I kept the things that I wore in my current life. Currently, I am a stay-at-home mom to two young boys.
Before I had kids I worked in an office and needed quite a few working outfits.
For the first three years after being a stay-at-home mom I kept my work clothes.
I kept thinking I would need these clothes someday. Finally I came to the realization that if I do need some work clothes in the future I can go and find them at that time.
In all honesty, I would probably have stored the clothes for 10 years only to find out they didn’t fit and had been eaten by moths.
I am sure you get the idea, just keep the clothes you actually wear in your everyday life.
What If Items
“What if” items are so annoying! It is really easy to hang onto everything in the world with this “what if” question.
I finally came to the conclusion that if I donate something and then realize I need it I can probably find that item again.
Clothes are everywhere and they are pretty affordable. I am no longer hanging onto any “what if” items. The exception to this rule is if I know I wear something, but just not very often.
For example skiing clothes. I might only go to the snow once a year, but if I know I use it at that time then I would keep these clothes.
Keep What You Wear
Only keep what you wear. The quickest way to declutter is to only keep the items you actually wear. Most of us have our favorite items of clothing that we wear over and over.
Now I only keep what I wear and I declutter everything else.
I like to switch my hangers facing the opposite direction to see how often I wear something. Anything I don’t wear on a regular basis is decluttered.
Super Picky
Since decluttering my wardrobe I have become extremely picky when shopping.
I don’t shop often, but when I do it takes forever! I am really picky to find clothes that will mix and match with everything else in my wardrobe and I want to make sure everything fits well.
Quality Clothes
I will only buy quality items. Quality does not mean expensive. When I go shopping I look for material that is thick and won’t snag easily.
I also inspect the clothes to make sure there aren’t any holes or loose buttons.
It is pretty shocking what is being sold as new clothes nowadays. In other words, I want my clothes to last as long as possible so I make sure they are in good condition to start with.
There are also a few stores that I will not buy from.
Any place where I have bought something that misshaped in the wash I try to avoid the next time shopping.
Less Stress
Since decluttering my wardrobe I am no longer stressed out by clothes. I honestly use to wonder what everyone else would be wearing to a party so I could fit in.
Now I just wear what looks good on me and what I feel comfortable in.
It is less stressful to have fewer clothes.
There is less to take care of and way less organizing. I usually have around 30 items in my seasonal capsule wardrobe and that gives me plenty of items to work with.
You can read more about how to have a capsule wardrobe here.
Don’t Compare
I don’t compare what I am wearing to what the latest trend is. Trends come and go really fast.
I have found it makes more sense to find clothes that actually look good on me rather than what is trendy.
Not everyone looks great in the color of the year. Some trends don’t suit my body style and that is ok.
Now I am focusing on clothes that look good on me rather than what is the current style. Let’s be honest some trends don’t look good!
Less is Better
This sounds weird, but less clothing is better. I have found having fewer clothes, in general, makes it easier to find an outfit.
Once I found some staple pieces that all work together I realized the extra clothes were just that, extra.
They were rarely worn and would waste a lot of my time.
Time trying them on and hanging them back up. Once the extra clothes were gone it was easy to focus on making outfits with what I actually wore.
Acceptance
By decluttering I have been able to accept my clothing style and be ok with it.
I like to feel comfortable in my clothes. Being a stay-at-home mom we are doing a lot of activities that require casual clothing.
It is ok to have your own style regardless of the current trend.
Decluttering is a Process
Decluttering is a long process. Even if you go through your wardrobe and declutter quickly you will probably find more things in a few weeks or months that you aren’t wearing.
I like to call decluttering a process because it never really ends.
There will always be clothes that get worn out and need to be replaced. As time goes by your style or size might change.
It is a good idea to be open to decluttering and realize that it can take time.
I personally decluttered my closet very slowly over about 2 years’ time.
At first, I donated a ton of things that I never wore, and I thought I was done. A month went by and I realized there were more items I didn’t wear or like.
Decluttering Takes Time
After about two years of paying close attention to what I wear and what I like I am finally happy with the number of items that I have.
At this point, I use a one in one out rule. If I buy something new I try to declutter something.
Most of the time I only go shopping to replace items that are worn out or are no longer working for me. With this rule I will never have too much.
Let me HELP you Declutter! SOMETIMES ORGANIZING JUST ISN’T ENOUGH. I WANT TO HELP YOU GAIN SOME TIME TOO!
If you are spending a ton of time continually organizing the same area, check out The Declutter Your Home Minicourse. I created this course for anyone who is sick of all the time wasted tidying their home.
This course is easy to follow and helps you figure out a decluttering schedule so you can declutter your entire home.
This is the perfect course for you if:
- You worry about your home before having people over (aka shoving things in closets).
- Things are always “missing” in your home.
- You wonder why your home doesn’t ever look clean or tidy, no matter how much cleaning you do.
If you need direction on how and where to start on your decluttering journey check out The Declutter Your Home Minicourse!
Read More Declutter Tips:
20 Reasons your House Looks still looks Cluttered
How to declutter without feeling Guilty
Decluttering Help – Helping a Friend Declutter
Decluttering your Home With Kids
What Changed After I Decluttered the Kid Stuff
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