How to declutter clothes without drowning
Now we’ve all seen those programmes where the complete contents of somebody's wardrobe is emptied out all over their bed or laid out in a warehouse for their owner to painstakingly sort through, one piece at a time. This makes great tv, but in reality? A daunting clothes mountain on your bed that doesn’t seem any smaller after an hour of trying to sort through. Then, inevitably the call of work/kids/dinner comes and you have to leave Mount ‘What was I thinking?’ where it is. A few hours later, you want to go to bed and Clothes Mountain gets thrown on the floor or lobbed back into the wardrobe, because, well, it’s near impossible to complete a project of that magnitude in one day.
Taking one small category at a time may be less dramatic, and certainly not worthy of a tv show, but it will guarantee that you will eventually finish the job without having to scale a mountain.
Start with something simple like jeans. Think to yourself, how many pairs of jeans is it reasonable for me to have? It doesn’t have to be an exact science. For me, I’d say a couple smart pairs, a couple skinny jeans and a couple comfy and scruffy for dog walks. So, about 6. Then, pull out your jeans and try to get down to that number. Or close to that number.
Next, pyjamas. Let’s say 3 pairs for summer and 3 warmer pairs for winter. I get them out the drawer and realise I have about 12 sets of pjs. I don’t HAVE to get it down to 6, as it appears I have a weakness for cosy pyjama sets, but even if i get rid of 4 of them, I can still pat myself on the back for another category done and make a mental note not to buy any more pjs for a while!
So that’s the trick! Pick one category at a time: socks, tops, scarves, jackets and jumpers. Decide how many of each item you think is appropriate for your lifestyle and then attempt to get as close to that number as you can. The whole process may take a few weeks, or even months. Take it at a speed to suit you and you don’t have to make an incredible, overwhelming mess as you go. Finally, as you tackle each separate area and the carrier bags of clothes start leaving the house, your wardrobe will breathe out, and so will you!