Tips to Edit your own Wardrobe
- Style with Wisdom
- Jan 22
- 8 min read
Wardrobe Edits: Tips for a Successful Declutter & Style Reset
Embarking on a wardrobe edit can feel overwhelming, but with the right mindset and preparation, it can be an enjoyable and satisfying experience. Whether you're looking to declutter, refresh your style, or make room for new pieces, here are some tips to make your wardrobe edit a success!
Preparation
Getting yourself prepared is crucial for a successful wardrobe edit. Here's my guide to getting you ready!
Make Time: It's not a quick job, this is fact, especially if you have built a lot of pieces up over the years so the reality is we need to set some dedicated time aside for this to be done properly. It will allow yourself enough time to go through all that space without feeling rushed.
Bags & Storage Boxes: Have this to hand ready for anything you want to donate, or store away for now. We want to ensure the immediate wardrobe space in your bedroom is full of what works right now!
Cleaning: When everything is out of your wardrobe it's a great opportunity to give it a good clean so get the antibac wipes and hoover ready to give it a quick blitz. This always feels good before popping everything away organised. It's amazing how dirty the space can get, especially when you have shoes at the bottom that you have worn outside.
Drink & Tunes: We want to make it fun, so I suggest getting your favourite tunes on and a drink of your choice to hand. This way it can be a fun and uplifting job as opposed to a dreaded chore! I mean get the minis or friends involved too!
Mindset: Come with the right mindset where you are truly ready to let go of things that no longer work for you or your life right now. Our biggest mistake is trying to make old clothes work for the now, as we change physically and mentally. It's important our wardrobe keeps up with us!
Deciding What to Keep, Sell, Donate, and Pass On
You are likely to have alot of stuff and so I always recommend tackling your wardrobe by category, so we work in some sort of order! Starting with all bottoms as these are the foundation to your outfits, so jeans, followed by trousers and then skirts. Once they have been tackled we can move onto tops and ensure they work with the bottoms we have kept!
As you go through each piece you will work out and know if you need to try it on, which I really recommend as this is part of the decision process. With each piece you will decide whether you want to keep, sell, donate, mend or pass on!
1. What to Keep
Use these questions to help with your decisions:
Do I love this piece?
Does it fit well and make me feel confident?
Have I worn it in the last year?
Does it fit my current lifestyle and style goals?
If the answer is “yes” to these questions, it’s a keeper! It could be that its something to store away as it's not for everyday, otherwise it has earned it's place in your valuable wardrobe. If there are any "no's" then the decisions need to be made as to whether it's sold, donated or passed on. If you find yourself unsure thats when you shoud just try it on and that will help you make your mind up very quickly.
2. What to Sell
For items that are in good condition but no longer serve you, consider selling:
Clothes that are on trend or desirable brands.
Items that still have tags on them or have been worn only a few times.
Pieces that are in excellent condition but don’t fit your style anymore. For example, work suits.
I really recommend Vinted as your selling platform of choice as it is so easy to use and essentially has no fees. If you are unsure how to price then search up the item you want to sell and you can review what others have priced similar items at. Some buyers like to play the negotiation game so there is no harm in marking up your item a bit higher to what you ideally want to sell it for. This way if someone wants to negotiate you have wiggle room to play the game! It's quite fun!
3. What to Donate
Donating is a great way to give your clothes a second life to someone else that will love them, as well as raising money for a great charitiable cause.
Items that are still wearable but no longer fit you or your style.
Clothes that may be new with tags but may be fast fashion and have low value so aren't worth selling on Vinted.
You need to ensure each piece is in a sellable condition as charity shops don't have facilities back of house to wash or mend anything.
All charity shops hugely appreciate your donations but at times bags arrive with them which could be classed as just "unwanted rubbish" so just take a moment to think about whether the product is really sellable.
4. What to Pass On
Sometimes, the best way to part with clothing is to pass it on to friends or family:
Items that a friend has admired or expressed interest in.
Clothes that may suit a younger sibling or family member.
Pieces that you know will be appreciated and loved by someone you care about.
This is ideal if you have sentimental value to something, know you want wear it but yet would like to see how it is utilised, so you aren't completely parting with it forever! This is also great for things like maternity wear or skiing pieces. Items that have a very specific end use and are not everyday pieces are good to share! To keep them circulating if you know someone that can make use of those pieces now then share them about. It is then likely you can borrow them back when the need arrives for you to use them again!
What to Expect
I have literally done hundreds of wardrobe edits for my own wardrobe and clients wardrobes and so I thought it would be a good idea to prepare you for some things you may experience, didn't ecpect and are totally normal!
Emotional: You may be surprised as you go through pieces the memories and emotions your clothes hold. Some items may remind you of when you were bigger, smaller, pregnant, doing your first ever interview or job. This can stir up emotions and that's fine. Use this as an opportunity to part with the old you and embrace and focus on the future you! Have a cry too if needed it's good for the soul. The music you have chosen to play should also give you the uplifting confidence to part with things that aren't right anymore.
Messy Middle: Not only will this take some dedicated time but I can guarantee there will be a messy middle, keep perservering. As you get everything out of your wardrobe and it spills onto the floor, bed, spare rails it will feel hectic! We need this moment of sorting though to get everything in order and it will be worth it, I promise! So, if you suddenly find yourself looking around your room thinking "what have I started", that is completely normal!
Takes Time: It does take time so as part of your scheduling you may opt to focus on the wardrobe to start and then the drawers another day! It's not a quick job and if you want to be able to take advantage of all the benefits then you have to take that time now to do it properly. I cannot stress this enough. When I do wardrobe edits with clients they are also shocked by how quickly the time passes, and usually how much stuff they really have!
Addictive: I can promise you that despite the time, the mess and the emotions you will begin to feel the relief and clarity in doing this and it does become addictive!!! Before you know it you will start making time to declutter and review the utility, the kitchen cupboards and under the stairs!!! It's a good addiction to get yourself organised!
The Benefits
I have never worked with anyone that has regretted doing a wardrobe edit! It feels so rewarding and offers so many benefits it is very much worth the time. Here are just some of the common benefits to getting that edit done!
Organised Space: That valuable space becomes an organised wardrobe you want to visit every morning as opposed to dreading it! It means you know every piece that is in that wardrobe, you know it suits your life right now and you know it fits! The fun bit is mix and matching it all together! This is the bit I love and clients are just amazed by the varying combinations that can work! It is not uncommon to hear, "I can't believe I have less in my wardrobe but have more outfits to wear!"
Saves Money & Time: By making time in your diary to get this task done means you will save both time and money in the long run. You will spend less time worrying about what to wear in the morning as you are no longer looking at an overwhelming, jam packed wardrobe of clothes. You have given the pieces you love and will wear, room to breath and the opportunity to see outfit combinations more clearly! Now that you can see those pieces and outfits more clearly you are less likely to impulse buy pieces you don't need and wont wear, therefore saving money! Win, Win!
Focused Style: By really identifying what you love and want to wear from your wardrobe you have a chance to remind yourself of the style you love and how you want to dress going forward. We do not usually give ourselves time for this and can feel we have lost our style, when in fact we have moved on and our style is left behind. It's important to think about how you want your style to evolve and change with you and your life today! This in turn will allow you to have a more focused shopping list of what you want to layer into your newly organised wardrobe and identify what you really need.
Make Money: It's also a great opportunity to make some money on pieces that were hanging, unworn, in your wardrobe. Vinted is so easy to use and then this money can be used to buy new pieces or go towards a night out now you know what to wear!
Storage
Whilst I am no home organiser I have discovered some really useful wardrobe gadgets to help make the most of that space. I have shared them below with links if you fancy trying them out. I strongly recommend though that you make your purchases after you have edited your wardrobe as you will have a better understanding of what you need! For example you don't want to order 30 shoe boxes if suddenly you edit out 10 pairs!
Final Note
Hopefully the tips in this blog have given you the tools to get that edit done. You will know how to prepare, what to do the during the edit, what to expect during and all those benefits to enjoy after! If however, the thought of doing it all alone still fills you with fear then that's what I am here to do! I can do a wardrobe edit in person or virtually to really help kick start that style reset and make your wardrobe an exciting and pleasant shop to shop every morning!
Click here if you want to see more about my Wardrobe Edits!
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