I need a wardrobe clear out - tips please

[MozzchopsThirty]

My wardrobe is fit to burst!
I'm going to tackle it today.
I've got a coat I've had for 14 years but haven't worn for about 10! But because it was expensive (north face) I keep it

I know I need to get shot of things that don't fit, I don't wear or I don't like

What tips or rules do you abide by for wardrobe clearing?

Get all your clothes out and pile them up on the bed. Everything. Then work through it. I did bag for charity, bag for clothes recycling, bag of more expensive stuff to sell, and the stuff you like and use back in wardrobe as you go.

Ok I can do that
I feel like I'm not utilising the space well enough
I've got stuff everywhere

eBay is good to get rid of anything branded. Search for the item first and set the filter to completed to give you an idea of how well they sell and for how much first. Then if you can part with it, put it on.

But what if I ever want to wear it again 🙈🙈🙈🙈

just get rid of anything you haven't worn in the last 12 months for a starter.

I chuck always things I haven't worn for a year.

I also operate a system whereas one new item in means an old one out.

I developed a certain style where pretty much everything goes with everything (I wear mainly black/monochrome). And I make sure I have basics for every, e.g. a nice jumper, a couple of cardigans but nothing in excessive quantities (noone needs more than 3 or 4 cardies for example). I just try to keep things simple and minimalistic.

But what if I ever want to wear it again

if you haven't worn it in a year, you really won't miss it!

I sold loads of things on eBay last year (including six leather jackets that I was never going to fit into again) and the proceeds paid for a new Mulberry bag.

I suggest keeping all the funds you make and treating yourself to something really nice.

Make sure you have enough time to do it otherwise you'll end up putting stuff away again!

Ok I may clean first and then get on to the wardrobes

I'm a bit crap at eBay and always end up miscalculating postage 🙄

I sell everything on Buy it Now (I hate the hassle of auctions) and I also offer free postage (I just build it into the price). It’s so much easier that way.

Ok how do I go about doing that?

I'm quite excited about my clear out now!

I have jeans and vests on hangers which could be folded on the shelves
I need to rearrange as well as clear out

My tip is to get absolutely all clothes out (including the loft, vaccum storage cubes under the bed, and even the wash basket (wash everything now if possible). Sort as Hate Driving suggests.

Sort as per your first instinct initially. Don't over think the sorting.

I've got clothes that I haven't worn for a year but keep mainly because I haven't had an occasion to wear it. Eg not warm enough in the summer to wear it. Wore it out one night last year, allow another year to pass to wear it again (I don't go out much). I usually buy plain items so they don't go out of fashion. I only get rid of clothes that don't fit and there's no way I'm going to get in them ever again.

I'm not sure I 100% agree with the "if you haven't worn in a year you won't miss it" comment - fashion is cyclical and there's a good chance that things that seem dated now will be trendy in a few seasons tine. I like to move things into storage when I haven't worn them for a while and often get a "new clothes rush" when I rediscover things I haven't worn for ages.
People also say to get rid of things that no longer fit - but I find that my weight goes up and down a bit depending on how much running I'm doing and it helps to have "fat" and "thin" clothes.

One thing I would recommend when getting rid of things is to make a note about why you no longer like/wear them - is it the fabric? is it itchy? Do you not like one of the style features (skirt length, sleeve style etc)? Is it the colour? That way you can avoid making fashion mistakes in future,

I'm not sure I 100% agree with the "if you haven't worn in a year you won't miss it" comment - fashion is cyclical and there's a good chance that things that seem dated now will be trendy in a few seasons tine. I like to move things into storage when I haven't worn them for a while and often get a "new clothes rush" when I rediscover things I haven't worn for ages

I agree. A year is too short a time. But it's a really good idea to put anything that you are not wearing now into store to free up wardrobe space for the things you are actually wearing.

But if you don't actually like an item, get rid of it, no matter how expensive it was.

I'm not sure I 100% agree with the "if you haven't worn in a year you won't miss it" comment
I will go further. I could not disagree with it more.
Yesterday I wore some knee high boots that had been in the back of the cupboard for 5 or 6 years.
Last summer I dug out an ankle length denim skirt I hadn't worn for at least 15 years.
Finding similar quality replacements for either would be unaffordable for me at the moment.

I have lost track of the number of times an item that had dated or that I had just got just bored with has come round again, needing only the slightest of tweaks (or in the case of the boots and the skirt, nothing at all) to look modern again.

I'm not talking about hanging on to stuff that no longer fits or that's worn out - of course they go. And I accept you need space for a big cupboard, or at the very least, a suitcase so you can put things away.

Having storage space is really helpful! Plus it’s so exciting to get summer clothes down from the attic, signals the change of seasons :-)

Seconding Flo's point. I have just taken out a linen suit I bought 35 years ago, and after a dry-clean (and a little lo-carbing a fortnight before), I shall probably wear it to a summer wedding this year... and not any old summer wedding, but the wedding of a fashion designer!

The Eighties are back in fashion, so my old suit is now designer vintage. I've worn the jacket with lots of other stuff in some years, not at all in others. It's all about whether and how the proportions can be made to work for that season.

I didn't get round to it today
I've cleaned
Done all the washing
All the ironing

So bring it on tomorrow - I'm clearing out!!

Put stuff in colour piles and have a look at capsule wardrobe stuff on Pinterest for outfit ideas before you throw anything out.

I also put everything in with the hangers the wrong way then when I wear it I put the hanger back the right way then in 6 months I can see what I haven’t worn and decide what to do with it

I did this recently & got rid of everything that:

No longer fit (and won’t realistically fit again)

Made me feel rubbish, scruffy, frumpy etc when I wore it

Was annoying eg itchy, rides up, slips down, skirts that twist etc

Was way past it’s best and couldn’t be repaired

I wouldn’t realistically wear because although I liked it, I have several alternatives I prefer. eg I got rid of some occasion dresses as I don’t have many occasions these days so I got rid of the occasion dresses I never reached for, not because I disliked them but because I have several others I prefer

I don’t personally like hoarding stuff just in case it comes back into fashion but I’m a minimalist kind of person, I just like one wardrobe not loads of stuff packed away in boxes, so I tend to be ruthless with my clear outs

I also disagree eith the chuck it out after a year as, for example, I have a crocheted sweater which I've had since 1993 (I know the date because I bought for a particular holiday). It's timeless. I wore it a lot when I first bought it and now it gets an airing every couple of years And I fall in love with it all over again so it's going nowhere.

But I am going to steal this idea:

One thing I would recommend when getting rid of things is to make a note about why you no longer like/wear them - is it the fabric? is it itchy? Do you not like one of the style features (skirt length, sleeve style etc)? Is it the colour? That way you can avoid making fashion mistakes in future

@KiteflyingKat I think I am firmly in your camp
I have lots of clothes that I like but it irritates me as keeps riding up, shoulders don't stay put etc