Kachi Eloka: How to Declutter your Wardrobe this Christmas 

The end of the year is a great time to re-evaluate the things in your life, especially those things that clutter your space. This is the point where you have to determine what you’ll need moving forward so that you can lighten your weight as you crossover into the new year. 

If you’re someone who buys a lot of clothes or hoards a lot, it’s very likely that your wardrobe is the first place you’ll need to declutter. Starting with the things you’ve never worn to those ones you’re hoping you’ll eventually fit into again, I’ll work you through a simple and effective wardrobe-decluttering process to help you get rid of all the clothes you don’t need.

Are you ready? Let’s get into it.

Sort through everything in sections

Take out all the clothes in one section of your wardrobe or in one of your boxes. Create three piles  –  ‘keep’, ‘clear out’, and ‘trash it’. The ‘keep’ pile are the things you need, love, or wear often. The ‘clear out’ pile are the things you can give away, donate or resell while the ‘trash it’ pile are those things that are extremely worn out or damaged and can’t be used again. When you’re done with one section, move on to the next. Besides sorting in sections, you can also sort by category, for example, clothes, bags, shoes, jewelry, and so on. 

A good way to determine what to keep is to ask yourself questions like these: 

• Do I love this?
• Does it still fit me?
• Do I love what I look like in it? or Do I look good in it?
• Have I worn this in the past year? 
• Does it fit into my current style/wardrobe goals?
• If it disappears, will I notice?
• If I could sell this, will I let it go?

I beg you, please fight the temptation to sneak some things from the ‘clear out’ pile to the ‘keep’ pile with the thought of I’ll still lose weight or what if I need it sometime in the future. It’s a trap. Just let them go. The point of this step is to review everything you own, then be honest about what is essential and what actually needs to go.

Give away, donate, or resell

Now that you have a ‘clear out’ pile, you probably want to know what to do with it. Here are some options to consider: 

• Give them away to someone you know who’ll actually wear them. A friend, sibling, neighbour, or someone who works for you. 
• Donate them to charity organizations like SOS Children’s Villages that can distribute to those in need. Your local church is also a great place to start.  
• Sell them. For those pieces that are stylish and still in great condition, you can consider reselling them either through your personal page or by organizing a mini closet sale. If you don’t have a huge social media following, you can consider reselling on platforms such as Jiji.ng or OLX. If you don’t have the time or energy to organize your own closet sale, resale stores like The Wardrobe Merchant or Thrift Projects can help you out. You can also organize a closet sale with a group of friends or influencers in your niche.

Trash the rest

I hate to say this but, in truth, some clothes are beyond saving. If your clothes are so worn out that they can’t be donated or resold, then, sadly, it’s time to dump them. However, you must resolve to be more thoughtful and buy more durable/high-quality clothes the next time you go shopping.

So when are you going to declutter? If you have decluttered before, please share how you did it. Also, if you find this helpful or know someone who needs to hear all this, be kind enough to share it. Happy decluttering!

***

Featured image by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels