There has never been a better time to declutter your wardrobe (and make a little extra income).

Firstly, many of us are at home with the current pandemic, and decluttering your wardrobe is very therapeutic and a good distraction! It can even be fun!

Secondly, for many of us we are at the time of changing seasons, and it’s often a time when we review our wardrobe as we change from Winter to Spring/Summer or Summer to Autumn/ Winter.

And thirdly, it’s a great way to generate a little extra income! So, let’s get started!

The thought of decluttering an entire wardrobe can be a little overwhelming though, especially if you’ve never done a “wardrobe detox” before.

I get it! I’ve been there.

So, I’ve made this simple 5 step guide that you can follow step by step to declutter your wardrobe and make some income at the same time!

How to declutter your wardrobe

declutter your wardrobe

Step 1 – Take everything out of your wardrobe!

I mean everything – everything that’s hanging in your closet, folded in drawers, stacked on shelves.

Yes, it will be a huge mess, but that’s OK – it’s only temporary and it’s the only way you can really sort all your clothes and take account of everything you own (I bet you had forgotten about some things!)

If this is really just too overwhelming, you can leave jackets, coats and accessories (shoes/ bags/ jewellery), and underwear for another day but it ALL has to be tackled!

Step 2 – Sort into categories and try on every item

I like to sort my clothes into piles when I take them out. For now, I’m not making any value judgment about whether to keep them, but I like to have all the T-shirts together, all the skirts together, all the jeans together …..

The reason for this is to avoid ending up with 15 almost identical white tees, 12 black pencil skirts… When I evaluate, I can then choose my 3 favourite in each sub-category (am I really going to wear all 15 white tees?), and a spare.

Step 3 – Evaluate the piles

So, now we have the piles we can start to go through them, and this is what you should be removing from your closet!

i) Get rid of anything that doesn’t fit you.

If it’s too big, then either have it altered to fit, or if you can’t get it altered, then just sell or donate it!

declutter your wardrobe

If it’s too small and you are genuinely motivated to lose weight and you really LOVE the clothes, then take them  out of your wardrobe and put them in a suitcase or a storage box. I call this creating a “time capsule” wardrobe, and when you have achieved your target weight you can revisit and decide if you still like the clothes.

ii) Remove anything that doesn’t flatter you (doesn’t suit your body shape or your colouring)

If something doesn’t make you feel great, then don’t keep it!

iii) Get rid of emotional “baggage” items (items

Remove any items that have a sentimental value, but that you will never wear. Hanging onto items that are no longer serving you can feel like a burden.

If you’re prone to regret – think about will you regret it more if you keep it? 

iv) Remove anything that is torn, damaged or stained

My advice is to follow one of the three R’s – Renew (ie. restyle – transform a dress into a skirt, for example)-  Repair or-  Reject (throw away) 

v) Remove any items you haven’t worn in the last year

If you haven’t worn something in the last year then you’re probably not going to!

Even, if it was really expensive, if you’re not wearing it, then it has to go! You can sell it on a designer sale site or a preloved store and you will at least get some of your money back!

vi) Get rid of anything that doesn’t align with your lifestyle or your goals

We are all constantly changing and something that was perfect when you were a student is not necessarily a good fit now you are a professional “girl boss”. Similarly, something that looked great when you were a “girl boss” might not look great now you’re retired and playing golf!

Step 4 – Put away the “Keep” pile

The ‘keep’ pile now has to be put away, but we’re not just going to throw it all randomly back in the closet!

The key to having a wardrobe you love and to being able to find clothes easily, create beautiful outfits and feel inspired is to organise all these pieces.

I like to organise my wardrobe by type of clothing, (so all the tops together, all the skirts together, all the trousers together ….etc.), and then within the types I like to organise by colour, going from light to dark.

I also create subcategories (so my tops are sorted by spaghettis strap, short sleeved, and then long sleeved to make choosing for the weather that day much easier.).

declutter your wardrobe

Have a look here for some closet organisation inspiration.

Step 5 – List the “Sell” pile or take it to a consignment store.

You can sell your used clothes a few different ways.

i) Consignment/ Second hand / Preloved Shop.

Most places now have a consignment or preloved store, and this is the quickest and easiest way to sell your clothes and make some money. You just drop them off and then the store does the rest. The disadvantage is that the store will take a commision for their service and this can be quite pricy

There are also online consignments stores (such as ThredUp) that will ship you a pre-paid bag to fill with clothes to send back to them.

ii) Host a garage sale

This is a fun way to make some money and meet people! You can do this on your own or with a group of friends. You set the price yourself and of course, you get to keep all the profits.

declutter your wardrobe

However, the rules differ depending on your local area, so make sure to check these before you set a date!

iii) Sell on Facebook

Facebook Marketplace is a great way to sell too, and you can specify your shipping/ collection area if you want to save on shipping costs.

iv) Use Specialised websites and apps

There are now a wide range of webites and apps which make it super easy to sell your used clothing.

You just take photos of your clothing and then follow the step by step instructions to list your items in just a couple of minutes.

A few you might like to check out are  Poshmark, Vinted, Tradesy and of course, eBay.

If your items aren’t selling, try reducing the price, and if they still aren’t selling, then consider donating them and making someone happy! Under no circumstances, should you stuffing them back into the depths of your closet never to be worn again!

I hope you enjoyed this post about “How to declutter your wardrobe and make some income, and you may also be interested in this post about how to dress like a Parisian.

But, remember that the key to any style is to wear what feels good on you and what makes you happy !