Updating Your Wardrobe: How to Declutter and Add More Style

At times, you might find yourself standing in front of your wardrobe and just staring at your clothes and thinking, I really don’t have anything to wear, and I don’t enjoy what I have anymore. It might be that you’ve got such a mix of trends from the last few years, pieces that you thought you would wear but would never wear, and a few treasured items that are just buried beneath all of the piles of old clothes. If this sounds a little bit like your wardrobe, then it might be time for a bit of a refresh. 

Decluttering your wardrobe will help you to reduce stress and free up space, and it will also help you to redefine your style and add some new key pieces. This block is going to help you go through your wardrobe, declutter it properly, and add a few items that will make getting dressed in the morning a little bit easier. 

Evaluate Your Current Wardrobe

Before you start throwing things out, you need to have a look at everything that you have. To do this, you need to take everything out of your wardrobe and put it in either a large space or on your bed so that you can look at all the items. It might feel a little bit overwhelming, but if you really want to get down to the bottom of what’s in your wardrobe, you need to do this. 

You can categorise your clothing into different sections, such as tops, dresses, bottoms, shoes, and accessories. You then need to look at the condition of all these items and decide whether they need to go. If anything has holes in it or has faded, then you need to make sure that these aren’t kept. 

Next is something that not everybody enjoys; however, it is important to make sure that everything that goes back into your wardrobe fits you properly. This means that you need to have a triangle session. Think about how comfortable the item is and whether it flatters your body shape or not. If the answer is no and it doesn’t fit properly, it might be time to let it go. 

Purge Your Wardrobe 

Once you have looked at your wardrobe completely, it’s time to start purging it. The whole idea here is to create a space for you to add some new key pieces that reflect your style now. You should make three piles. A keep, a donate or sell, and a discard. Your keep pile should be all the items that you wear that often fit you well and that you love. Your donated cell items are the ones that are still in good condition but that you no longer want to have in your wardrobe. You discard items that are too worn out to be sold or donated. 

You need to be completely honest with yourself, as it is very easy to hold on to clothing or accessories for sentimental reasons because you think you might wear them someday in the future. However, the reality is that if you haven’t worn something in the last 12 months and it doesn’t fit your current style or personality, then it’s probably time for it to go. It could be very easy to feel guilty about getting rid of some things, especially if they were gifts or if you spent a lot of money on them. You just need to remember that your wardrobe is there to serve a purpose, so if it no longer serves a purpose, it’s time to let it go. 

Look At Your Needs And Style 

When you have fully decluttered your wardrobe, you now have the chance to look at what pieces you truly need and redefine your style. This is a very important step, and it helps you to ensure that any new items that you add to your wardrobe complement your overall look and are completely intentional.

It might be a good idea to use something like Pinterest or Instagram to collect some images and outfits that inspire you. Look for common colours and themes, as this will help you define what your style is. It will also help you make decisions when it comes to shopping for clothing. 

When you are buying new clothing, you also need to make sure you are thinking about your lifestyle. Your wardrobe should deeply reflect your day-to-day life; therefore, you need to make sure that any item you buy aligns with your lifestyle. 

When you look at your wardrobe when it’s fully decluttered, you can see any gaps in it. Do you need some more basics, or do you need to add a few statement pieces? It could be that you are completely lacking in accessories that help put your outfits together. 

Shopping For New Additions

Now that you have defined your style and decluttered your wardrobe, it’s time for the fun part. It’s time to go shopping. However, before you head out, you need to make sure that you think about the quality and versatility of the items you are going to be buying. You want to add pieces to your wardrobe that elevate it, not clutter it. Think about investing in quality basics, as these are the foundation of your wardrobe. You need to add quality pieces like some white T-shirts and some classic denim, as these are timeless and can be dressed both up and down. For inspiration on cozy yet stylish winter outfits, click here for a guide filled with seasonal ideas and tips.

You should also look into adding some statement pieces, as these are the ones that are going to reflect your personality. It could be that you add some bold colours to your shoes or that you add a chic corset top like the Guizio Corset Top. Adding some items like this can really help to make you stand out. If you want to make sure that you have a sustainable wardrobe, you may want to think about choosing items that are secondhand or made from eco-friendly materials. When you are looking for accessories, you need to make sure they are simple, such as a nice, stylish handbag or a statement necklace. 

Get Organizing

Now that you’ve been out shopping, it’s time for you to organise your wardrobe and make sure that it is simple for you to get dressed in the morning. When you have a well-organised wardrobe, it will help you to save a lot of time and to see all of the options that you have clearly. 

Is it a good idea to sort by category if you can group similar items? Tops with tops, pants with pants, and so on. This will make it so much easier to find what you are after and for you to piece together outfits. If you really want to go with that further, you could always colour-coordinate your wardrobe and organise your clothes in colour. It can make your closet look really cool, and it can also help you see what colours you have too much of or what ones you lack.

One thing that makes your wardrobe look great and your clothes stay in their proper place is to invest in some quality hangers that are the right ones for your clothes. This means that you should have appropriate hangers for jackets and blazers and then padded hangers for delicate items that could get damaged. If you want your clothes to stand the test of time, you need to make sure that you are using the right hangers and looking after them properly.

When it comes to keeping your wardrobe decluttered, it’s a good idea to store seasonal items separately. This way, you don’t have a mixture of seasons and can more clearly see what you must wear when the weather changes. So, if it is now summer, put your winter clothing into storage and get it out when it starts to get cooler. 

If you’re someone who likes to keep things simple and make your morning routine really easy, you might want to think about creating a capsule wardrobe. This is something where you build a small collection of outfits that can be mixed and matched with each other so that you can minimise the space you are using but maximise the outfits you can create. 

Maintain Your Wardrobe

Although it would be nice if decluttering your wardrobe was a one-time task, it’s not. You can reduce the amount of time it takes, though. If you take a close look at your wardrobe as the seasons change, you should be able to keep it from becoming a huge task time and time again. It’s wise you edit your wardrobe frequently and get rid of anything that doesn’t fit or has become tattered. You might even want to think about having a one-in, one-out rule. So, if you buy something new, you have to donate another. 

With a decluttered wardrobe, you should find it much easier to get dressed in the mornings. You will also take away the stress of finding something to wear if you make sure that everything in your wardrobe fits properly and is in good condition. 

See more of my home organisation posts here

Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.