It’s normal to want new things with the change of the calendar year or during mid-year. But buying new stuff isn’t always the right answer. Take your wardrobe for example. Surely, you’re looking for ways to revamp it but what if we tell you that there are ways to refresh your wardrobe without necessarily spending a dime — you get to declutter your already cramped storage space to boot? Here are just some of them.
Take everything out and sort your clothes into piles
Sometimes, all you need is a bigger sense of things. (Photo from: Zui Hoang via Unsplash)
We've all heard of the KonMari method and it's worked for many. But if it's not for you, we think you should try the Four Box Method. Set up four boxes that have designated purposes: Put away (keep), give away (or donate), throw away (or repurpose) and undecided (keep for just a little bit of time). After taking everything out from your wardrobe, sort them into the boxes accordingly.
Take this opportunity to reevaluate your style
How's your style looking? (Photo from: Michelle Anderson via Unsplash)
Sorting your clothes in piles will give you a sense of what your current style is like. Do you prefer monochromes at the moment? Do you own at least three styles of the same garment and do you wear them often? Do you buy a lot of a certain type of piece or style but don’t really match them with anything? These questions will surely pop up as soon as you start seeing all your clothes laid out in front of you. Not only will this exercise make you be more aware of your purchases in both the past and the future but will also help you understand your style more and why you tend to reach for more clothes than others.
Give DIYs a try
Tie-dyes are simply timeless so you might want to give it a try, too. (Photo from: Sharon McCutcheon via Unsplash)
Done decluttering? It's time to stretch your creativity. Get DIYing with the stuff in your undecided pile — they might just get promoted to "Put away" after.
Try quilting (a.k.a. transforming old clothes into a blanket), transforming your clothes into cloth bags similar to canvas totes or create cloth baskets that are perfect for more home organisation.
Set a raid-and-swap session with a friend
Give the 'love' in 'pre-loved' a whole new meaning. (Photo from: Sam Lion via Pexels)
Grab a friend who also wants a wardrobe revamp and start swapping pieces with the things on your give away pile. This way, you know that the person you’re handing over your pre-loved fashion items will take care of them the way you did.
On the flip side, you might also find something from their own stash. Not only will you help each other out by clearing out your wardrobes but you'll also have fresh pieces to play around with for the new year without the need to swipe your credit card.
Make use of baskets to section your wardrobe
No drawers? Improvise! (Photo from: Pixabay via Pexels)
Unless you're using a drawer-type closet where you can utilise Marie Kondo's KonMari way of folding, finding a way to organise a vertical-type wardrobe can prove to be challenging. Stacking your clothes too high to fit inside this type of closet space will never result in a neat pile because of its high centre of gravity. If you do end up making it work, the next challenge is pulling out the clothes you'd want to wear without toppling the entire stack.
Hanging all your clothes is one way to do it for sure, but we also have to consider the weight we're letting the rack handle. So how do you do it? Baskets. They will help you section out your wardrobe. Pick ones that you can easily label so you know where to find what.
Make it a habit
Think about maintaining your wardrobe as 'serious business'. (Photo from: J. Kelly Brito via Unsplash)
Accumulated a new set of clothes in the last couple of months? Time for an edit! Better yet, set a fixed schedule (yes, put it on your calendar!) to do a re-evaluation every three months or so to keep your wardrobe in check. If you want to take the extra mile, keep a checklist to track everything you've worn, bought, and ignored for a span of time after your wardrobe revamp to help your decluttering process a lot easier the next time around. There are apps to help you out with that!
Speaking of cleaning, have you heard of Sweden's 'morbid-sounding' decluttering method? Here's why it should pique your interest.
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