How to Detox Your Wardrobe
- Charlotte Garbutt
- Apr 9
- 4 min read
Wardrobe woes or wardrobe wows?
Spring, with its links to the age-old concept of the 'Spring Clean' is a great time to review your wardrobe. It's a transitional season between the coolest and warmest times of year, giving us a greater awareness of how much of our wardrobe we actually wear. For those who have separate collections of clothes for summer and winter, it might be the time when you move a few pieces across from your summer wardrobe. Anyone confident that the warmer, sunnier weather is here to stay, might even go wholesale and swap out all their winter clothing for their summer wardrobe.
If you're like me, however, you'll actually have very few clothes that are one-season wonders. My thickest, longest puffer coat, sandals and swimming costumes are really the only things I wouldn't wear throughout the year. I even 'winterise' my summer shorts over opaque tights and wear with a jumper. And, let's face it, as I don't live too far from the North Sea coast, I'll still need cosy layers in August!
So have you got your capsule wardrobe down to a 'tee'? If not, read on for some tips for detoxing your wardrobe, for the professional help stylists can offer and destinations for your unwanted garments.
A wardrobe of clothes but nothing to wear!
Do you have a wardrobe of clothes but nothing to wear? If that's the case, it sounds counterintuitive to get rid of things. Surely that will leave you with even fewer items to wear? The opposite is true. Too many (unworn, unloved) clothes can make it difficult to see the wood for the trees, the sartorial gems for the fashion faux pas. When our wardrobes are too full, it's harder to find items and create outfits and we're also likely to miss things we loved and wore in the past but have simply forgotten about.
How much of your wardrobe do you actually wear?
Do you know how many of your clothes you still actually wear? Many of us will be vaguely aware that we don't wear everything we own. Estimates suggest that we typically only wear 30% of the clothing we own. Start by getting to grips with which things you really are wearing and which you're not. Personal stylists like me recommend the coat hanger trick. Turn all your coat hangers round one way, and as you wear a garment you turn the hanger the other way. Give yourself a time limit (perhaps the current season or even just a month).
"Why don't I like it, Charlotte?"
The next step is to consider why you've not worn an item. Has it just been unseasonably mild / cold but you know you'll wear it again? Turn the hanger back round and keep it. Devote some time to trying things on. Does it fit? Clothes that don't fit can't be worn and so they not only take up wardrobe space but they can strip us of our self-confidence. If, completely realistically, you know that your size will change before too long, keep the items, but move them out of your wardrobe (loft, under-bed box etc) until they fit again.
Or perhaps there's something you just can't put your finger on that means you're just not reaching for a garment. I've had clients say to me, "Why don't I like it, Charlotte?" Often there's nothing wrong aesthetically with the garment, but the colour or style aren't right for you. One of two things could be happening: it works for you but you don't know how to style it; or it's just not right for you.
Help is at hand!
If in doubt, professional styling services like my own can help.
Personal Style Assessment: this will help you understand the styles that are right for your personality, lifestyle and sense of body confidence, helping you build a wardrobe of clothes that give you confidence. I also share advice on two or three pieces from your wardrobe.
Bespoke Appointment: book me for a 2-hour slot and we'll tailor the experience to your needs. The time can be used flexibly for decluttering your wardrobe, styling pieces you already own or a combination.
Colour Analysis: we'll uncover the colours that best suit your skin tone and will harmonise together to create a wardrobe of mix-and-match clothes. This will help you decide which clothes to keep for a capsule wardrobe that will give you pleasure and from which it will be an easy and joyful task to create outfits.
Sustainable Disposal
There are many different ways to play our part in moving away from the "take, make, dispose" model, for instance:
'high-street' charity shops
online charity shops
clothes swaps
in my area, donating to Hull Help for Refugees
donating (or selling) to friends and family
selling online (apps such as Vinted or Facebook groups and Marketplace)
go to recyclenow.com if you have clothes in poor condition
The Against Breast Cancer charity will take your old bras
shoes in good condition can go to Sal's Shoes or Shoe Aid.
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