How To Be Ruthless When Decluttering Clothes

Motivation To Declutter Clothes

In this post I give you 20 tips on how to be ruthless when decluttering clothes. So do you look at your wardrobe and not even know where to start? Do you want a seamless capsule wardrobe, but struggle to even get started. You can find lots of information about building a capsule wardrobe for beginners. To declutter correctly, you need to make sure this wardrobe is for you and nobody else! If you try to copy someone else it will never feel right. Start off the right way and you can not go wrong.

1. Plan a day in advance to get started

Book a day out and start as early as possible. These things can often take longer than you expect them to so plan in advance. 

2. A week or so before create a Pinterest board

Create a Pinterest board of colours you love and one for styles you love. Use this as inspiration for your wardrobe.

3. Get help from a professional Stylist

If you want to get the perfect wardrobe started from the beginning, get the help of a professional stylist who can give you a colour analysis, body shape style guide and help you edit your wardrobe. In my membership private clients make huge progress quickly.

4. Consider how your capsule wardrobe should serve you

What do you do on a weekly or monthly basis and what clothes do you need to accommodate all your activities? This is the important bit many people miss out. Make a list of the practical items you need before you start. Consider the weather, how often you can repeat wear (i.e. how often do you do a wash a week?) and fabric and colour. 

5. Create space to ruthlessly declutter your clothes

Create a physical space to work in. This will likely be a long task so plan it out beforehand. You need enough space to place a ‘keep pile’, a ‘donate or sell pile’ and a ‘throw out’ pile. 

Set Yourself A Limit To Be Ruthless When Decluttering Clothes

6. Based on your weekly or monthly practical needs consider a set limit for the numbers of clothes you will finish up with

I am not usually a fan of setting number limits on wardrobes, but as long as you consider all your practical needs it can work. Do not try and copy a number held by someone else, consider your own minimum and what your own needs are. Everyone has different needs and lifestyles and that has to be taken into account. 

7. Get into the right mindset for decluttering closets

This might not appear to be important to you, but if you are not in the right mindset it will not go well. Think about the goal at the end and what you want from it. Put on your favourite music, make sure you have a drink nearby and take regular five minute breaks.

8. Create categories during your wardrobe edit

If you have a lot of clothes to get through,  go by category. For example, jackets, coats and then shirts. Just make sure you have all of your clothes in one place from everywhere!

9. Set out to keep a number of clothes in each category

When you have considered your practical needs, decide on a limited number of clothes based on your needs for each item. For example, you might consider 2 pairs of jeans, two pairs of trousers, two skirts, a dress and five tops sufficient. Make sure these numbers are based on your needs. It should not be based on a number someone else is sticking to.

10. Put aside anything damaged

However much you love it, if you are not going to fix it, or get it fixed it needs to go. 

Make The Most Of Your Closet Declutter

11. Duplicates are included in your ruthless decluttering

Go through your wardrobe and look for items that are similar. Consider if you need more than one and if so, how many do you need. Remove the rest based on quality, comfort and condition. 

12. Remove anything that no longer fits

Unless you have just had a baby, have a medical condition, or you are actively seeing results towards your weight goal, those clothes need to go. 

13. Remove any clothes that are uncomfortable to wear

I know it cost you a small fortune and it looks great, but if it is itchy, digs in or is uncomfortable to wear how often are you actually going to wear it? Put it aside. 

14. When did you last wear it?

If it was over a year ago, unless it was for an annual event, it has to go. 

15. It does not feel right 

Sometimes it is hard to put your finger on why an item does not work. It could be that the skirt rides up when you walk, the material is a bit thin and makes you uncomfortable or it just doesn’t feel right anymore. Whatever the reason, that will not change so remove it.

Planning A Capsule Wardrobe

16. After your wardrobe edit

Once you have learnt how to be ruthless when decluttering your clothes, you will likely not look back. Keep an eye on what you wear the most.

17. Turn your hangers around

A way to track what you wear is to turn all of the hangers around and then once you wear them you turn them back. You will soon see what you wear most. 

18. Intentionally wear everything you own 

Making at point to wear everything you own will quickly weed out what works and what does not. If you need to replace something be specific about what you need to replace it with. 

19. Maybe items

If there are some items you are still unsure of, put them away somewhere not easily accessible. If during this season you seek them out and wear them you need them, if you don’t, they go too. 

20. Build a capsule wardrobe and shop intentionally

Create a capsule wardrobe and become very intentional about what it contains. Get help on creating a capsule wardrobe and learn how to avoid impulse buys so you do not end up at square one again!

Your Minimal Capsule Wardrobe

So there you have it, my tips on how to be ruthless when decluttering clothes. What has worked for you? You can find lots of help on creating a capsule wardrobe, tips from a personal stylist and lots more in my blog. For a more personalised touch why not consider becoming a personal client? I have many private clients who say they have been trying for years to create a capsule wardrobe and only failed. I am happy to see they are all seeing results since joining my private membership. Let me know how you get on I would love to hear from you. 

Be ruthless when decluttering your wardrobe

What Next?

The information given in the post is the best of my knowledge at the time of writing. If you are embarking on anything new get professional advice if required.

If you enjoyed this post and wish to create a capsule wardrobe, I can help you create one quickly and easily. Get started immediately with one of my personal styling services or book in for a complimentary consultation

  • Personal Styling Gift Vouchers – Save up, ask for them for gifts or put towards any of my services. This is the ideal way to afford a personal stylist whatever your budget!
  • Capsule Closet Success Membership – Receive a copy of the Seasonal Capsule Essentials Ebook twice a year worth $19 and gain access to the Capsule Closet Success Course worth $200. Join our private community for support and advice and submit questions every week and have them answered live in our weekly live check-in sessions. 
  • Premium Personal Styling – A personalised colour analysis and body shape style guide, a live wardrobe edit, a personal shopping and a curated Lookbook
  • Personal Styling – 
  • A personalised Colour Analysis, a Body Shape Analysis And Style Guide, a Live Wardrobe Edit
  • A wardrobe Edit – A 20-minute zoom call to discuss your needs and to highlight any particular problems you want to address in the wardrobe edit. A private Pinterest board to pin styles and colours you love. A 60 minutes live video wardrobe edit
  • Colour Analysis And Body Shape Styling –
  • The Capsule Closet Stylist Colour Analysis looks at the natural colouring in your hair, eyes and skin tone and shows how you can complement your natural colouring in your clothes. The Body Shape Style Guide teaches you how to make the most of your best assets, hide what you do not like, find clothes that complement your shape, and choose the perfect fit.

Still Not Sure?

Book a discovery call with me where we can discuss colour, style, decluttering, body shapes and much, much more.  I can identify where you most need help and point you in the right direction. 

**Please Note This Post Contains Affiliate Links

Capsule Closet Stylist is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Program, Shopstyle and LTK, affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn commission incomes by advertising and linking to Capsuleclosetstylist.com 

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Capsule Closet Success testimonials

'When you join the membership it isn't generic it is tailored to your needs. Michelle considers each individual person and provides advice and guidance based on their needs. I have learnt so much since I joined I feel like I could sit an exam on it now! Honestly, without a doubt if you feel like you are lost with what to wear, you don't know what suits your body shape or your shape has changed, you've lost confidence, you're starting a new job, or you want to minimise your wardrobe, Michelle's membership is without a doubt for you. You can not get better for the price, I have looked!'
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I joined Michelle's facebook "capsule wardrobe challenge" in June 2020. I loved her approach of starting off with a concept of what colours and styles you were attracted to, followed by what your lifestyle required functionally. It helped me assess my existing wardrobe with a checklist in mind instead of feeling overwhelmed and indecisive. I found the video format and weekly check-ins easy to follow and explained each stage of building a capsule well. She has been quick to answer any queries I have and to offer her professional stylist's opinion with a gentle manner. I am most grateful for Michelle's overarching aim to help her clients "find their happy place". This membership is about being comfortable in your own skin, not about being super fashionable, and that is exactly what I needed. Thank you for helping me find my confidence again. 😊
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Australia
There is no doubt in my mind that having a personal stylist online is worth the investment. In fact, at the end of the day I will spend considerably less while looking and feeling so much better. Why? Because I will never again mindlessly spend and spend and spend on clothes that just aren’t right for me and that don’t make me happy. I think we all dream of that wardrobe that makes us happy and confident, but it is so easy to just give up and just wear something. I know I did. And that is just plain crazy because I love clothes! I have always been attracted to styles that I lacked the confidence to try out. Now, with the help and guidance of Michelle, I can finally explore those styles with confidence knowing that whenever I run an item by Michelle, she will give me her honest feedback on whether or not it will fit with my colors and with how I want to look and feel. In short: Michelle’s advice really is priceless. I feel an A-lister in the garments I have purchased since becoming a member! Pssst: One secret, you don’t have to become a minimalist if you don’t want to. Michelle is not about legalistic minalism, she is all about you finding out what works for you and that – along with her very deep knowledge of style – is why I think her membership works for me when in the past nothing else has.
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