(Photo from Pinterest)

Far too often, we find ourselves overwhelmed by the sheer amount of clothing that’s piled into our wardrobes. We might even feel guilty about the amount of money we invest into our clothes, only for them to lie forgotten at the bottom of our drawers, never to be seen by the light of day. 

Desperate times like these call for desperate measures, and in this case, decluttering is the way to go! While this might seem like an arduous and daunting task, we’re here to assure you otherwise. Read on to find out about how clearing your wardrobe can be a rewarding process, as well as how you can best embrace the minimalist lifestyle that would be enough to make Marie Kondo herself proud!


Benefits of decluttering

One of the first (and more obvious) benefits that decluttering gives you is way more space. Frankly, cluttered closets can add to a lot of stress and frustration in your routine, especially if you’re in a rush and looking for a specific piece of clothing - to no avail. Staring straight at a messy mountain of clothes every morning can also easily cause you to feel overloaded. Decluttering provides you with much more room to work with, and a more pleasant sight to look at whenever you’re getting ready in the morning.

Additionally, it can also give you much more financial freedom. Clearing up your closet space lets you see and find everything you own easily, so you’re less likely to buy pieces that you already own. What’s more, it can be challenging to visualise what it is that you’re buying unnecessarily, especially when online shopping makes everything so much easier. Decluttering enables you to pick out all the pieces that you barely wear, need or like. In doing so, you can be sure to make more mindful purchases in the future, preventing the cycle of clutter once again.

 

Decluttering tips

(Photo by Pinterest)

Firstly, your main focus when choosing what to get rid of should be your style. It’s one thing to know what kind of colours and styles suit you best, but resisting the temptation to buy a piece that just sits in your wardrobe is another. As much as possible, you should focus on keeping clothes that make you feel good and confident in terms of style and/or colour. Otherwise, they barely serve you any purpose.

Another consideration to make is your lifestyle. Even if you spot a cute outfit online, if your lifestyle is one that means you’ll barely wear it, you should probably reconsider spending your money on it. While it is good to have diversity in your wardrobe, you can consider keeping the pieces that can be worn repeatedly at different events when styled with different shoes and jewelry. This way, you can always look good but save yourself the heartache of keeping an expensive, barely-worn piece out of sight and out of mind. 

Your fit also plays a big part in deciding what to keep and what should go. When it comes to your wardrobe, there might be certain clothes that don’t fit as well as they should. No matter what you’re wearing, it’s hard to pull it off well when it doesn’t fit you right. So even if it’s too tight in certain areas or too baggy, you should consider whether you’ll really wear it or if you could direct your efforts into making room for other pieces which fit you better. 

Above all else, you should try all your clothes on if you can. This will best help you determine if the pieces are able to fit you and work with your current style and lifestyle. 


Sustainable ways to clear your wardrobe

New2U's thrift store (Photo from Zula)

In the event that you’ve finally managed to sort your wardrobe situation out, you’re now left with the final step - deciding what to do with all of your old clothes. More often than not, the clothes that we don’t keep don’t necessarily have to be discarded. In fact, there are many different ways that are available for you to give your clothes a new lease of life and be more environmentally friendly!

One place which you can donate your items to are thrift shops. New2U is an example of a thrift shop which is run by Singapore Council or Women’s Organisations, with proceeds from the store going to the Organisation’s Shelter and other Initiatives. Alternatively, you could donate your unwanted clothes to the Salvation Army. If you are considering this option, be sure to check that your clothes are in good condition prior to donating them.

Moreover, you can also put your clothes up for sale on platforms such as telegram channels or carousell if you’re looking to make some money while you declutter.

As you go about this process, the most important thing to remember is to take it a step at a time. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to finish decluttering within a day or even a week, but the beauty of it is that there’s no rush. Even if it takes you a long time to declutter, as long as you work consistently for whatever time you have, you can definitely get the job done!