Getting rid of your clothes is not an easy thing for everyone. For clothing collectors, it means getting rid of a real treasure: an emotional (good or bad memories) and financial heritage, which is difficult or even impossible for them to reduce. Hence the importance of emptying your closet by taking into account several elements that are specific to each person. The idea of creating space in your closet must be part of a positive approach with a view to acquiring an undeniable source of well-being in your daily life. Here's a look at the best practices to get started.
Set a personal, realistic and reassuring goal
Before taking everything out of the closet and finding yourself with piles of clothes on the bed without knowing what to do, take the time to set yourself a realistic goal before starting your session. We start by asking ourselves the question: why do I suddenly want or need to declutter my closet? This often coincides with a life change: moving, new professional life, change of body shape, change of season, change of love life...
For each change there is a solution and a method that will be more suitable. Some people will be comfortable with drastic sorting and others will do it gradually, planning intermediate steps to succeed in decluttering without regrets.
The false good idea of tidying up with a vacuum
Beware of this method! This is the best way to rush out to do some shopping once your closet is empty. If the need to declutter arises before a job change, you can, for example, identify a more specific and achievable goal. In reality, you will need to adapt your everyday wardrobe to your new role (uniform, neutral colors, etc.).
So, the right answer to your need will be to grant yourself a fitting session to keep the pieces in which you feel good. All that remains is to establish a list of the pieces missing from your wardrobe. Once the selection is made, you can then schedule a sorting session later to definitively get rid of the surplus.
Read also: Slow fashion: prolong the life of your clothes
So what do I keep?
This should not be done in pain! The question of knowing if you have never worn a garment takes you into a dynamic of self-reproach (I am a compulsive buyer, I do not know how to buy clothes, blah blah blah…). And presto, we bathe in guilt. I therefore recommend asking yourself the right questions. Once the objective is defined, ask yourself if you need your garment in your current life, on what occasion can you wear it? Does it still fit you? Questions related to your current life. In this way, you will be able to encourage yourself to make the right decisions.
As for souvenir clothes, the irreplaceable ones, we dedicate a part of our wardrobe (the least visible in the morning) or a pretty trunk dedicated to keeping them. Treat yourself, this day is an opportunity to take a break, in the present time. Put on some music and enjoy.
What if I circulated my clothes…
Finally, the best way to not regret your clothes is to give them a second life. Now, many solutions are available to you. You can donate to associations, sell on Vinted , Vestiaire Collective for luxury brand clothing or Leboncoin , rent, exchange, recycle... and thus provide yourself with pleasant emotions of solidarity, imagination and creativity. Over time and by integrating sorting into a daily routine, you will realize the benefits of a reasonable wardrobe, allowing you to combine comfort of life and simplicity. It's up to you!