It’s here again, that time of year when it just dawns on you : God I own a lot of stuff!This realisation came to me a few mornings ago when , whilst opening my wardrobe, an avalanche of shoes came tumbling down, leaving me with a very sore toe (platform boots and little toes don’t really mix) and having to create a very precariously built shoe pyramid as a storage solution. Whilst balancing a pair of heels on another pair of boots, it hit me: this is ridiculous. No woman needs so many shoes that she can build a pyramid out of them,especially when on reflection I hadn’t worn most of them in months. It made me have a proper look at my wardrobe, which with a mix of casual, formal and things that hadn’t seen the light of day in about three years, is pretty much at bursting point. I needed to sort it out. All this being said, it might surprise you to hear that I actually love a good clear out! There’s something so therapeutic about clearing out your wardrobe and drawers, putting it all on your bed and sifting through it all! You find things you completely forgot you owned, you get to put together new outfit ideas and I challenge you to find a better feeling than finally being able to open and close your drawers with ease after not being able to close them for two months. The only thing I struggle with is the actual picking and choosing what to keep! So here are my full-proof tips for a successful de-clutter!

Is your wardrobe looking a bit cluttered?

Tip One : Be Brutal!

It may sound harsh to say but now is not the time for emotion! When going through your wardrobe, it is easy to get caught up in a reminisce. You sit down to ponder the last time you wore a certain dress and before you know it, you’ve decided that it’s your favorite item ever and you could never part with it, despite not having worn it in four years and it probably not fitting you anymore. I find myself in this situation a lot of the time when having a clear out and the only way to get myself out of it is to be realistic! Chances are if I’m reminiscing over something, I’ve not worn it in a while. If I’ve not worn it in a while, either something was wrong then or something is wrong now. Maybe it fitted me funny back then and I’ve forgotten or maybe it fitted like a dream but I need to realise that I’ve grown since then and the likelihood of it still fitting me is slim. Normally there’s a reason to why something has become long forgotten and you can’t let emotion cloud that!

Tip Two : Get Others Involved!

Bear with me here, I know it sounds weird! Normally a de-clutter is a solitary event with no one else there to distract you from the task at hand. However, I would argue that it doesn’t need to be! Why not invite some friends around to help you or every girl’s trusted helper : your mum? The more people, the quicker the problem gets sorted and extra people can help you in so many ways. They can offer different perspectives, keep you realistic in your decisions and mainly keep it from feeling like such a chore! They will tell you honestly that there’s no point in keeping that old jumper, it may be your old faithful but it’s definitely seen better days and those are the brutal opinions that a girl can only accept from her nearest and dearests. So chuck on some music and invite some people over!

Tip Three : A Problem Hidden Is A Problem Solved!

Now I’m not suggesting you hide all your old clothes under your bed and think that you’ve sorted the issue but I’m also not suggesting that you need to immediately throw out the entire contents of your wardrobe. You’re allowed a sort of a grey zone in the form of an ‘Undecided’ box! In this, you can pop all the bits that you’re having a hard time saying goodbye to. The shoes that you love but you can’t get the mud off them, pop then in! A top that has gone through the wash so much it no longer looks like a top but it has some really fond memories, pop it in!  A dress that you kind of like but reminds you of an appalling date, pop it in! Once the box has been filled, just seal it up and put it away somewhere you won’t see it like the attic, an airing cupboard or deep under your bed. Once they’ve been packed away, you’ll find that you won’t think about these items and you’ll just forget about them. In a years’ time, find the box and just donate it! This is an easy way to clear out some difficult items without having to make a difficult decision!

Hide it away!!

Tip Four : Don’t Keep Something That Hurts You!

I mean this in two different ways. Firstly don’t keep something that causes physical pain to get into. We’re all guilty of this, hanging on to a pair of shoes because they’re gorgeous despite them leaving you with blisters every time you wear them or keeping a stunning beaded top even though it scratches your arms when you move. Please don’t keep them; it’s not worth it ! Whoever said “Beauty is Pain” clearly has not felt the excruciating pain of walking in a pair of heels that rub you while all your mates shout for you to hurry up, it’s not a fun experience and we shouldn’t be keeping the shoes that put us in this position. The second way is a bit more difficult, in that I mean you shouldn’t keep something that hurts you mentally or emotionally. It might sound silly but certain clothes prompt you to think of a certain time in your life or make you feel a certain way. Think for a minute, is there something in your wardrobe that, when you put it on, makes you feel bad or silly or sad? It might be a top that you wore on the first date of a bad relationship or a dress that makes you feel like the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons. To me, these shouldn’t be kept. Why keep a top that every time you wear it, you feel less than great? You should feel confident in everything you wear and any piece that makes you feel less so needs to go!

Mum buy you a bag but you don't have the heart to tell her you don't like it? Don't let it keep taking up valuable space!

Tip Five : Have Fun With It!

I find that it’s quite easy to get stressed out when de-cluttering. You start off with the best intentions then half hour later, you’re surrounded by clothes, daunted by the fact that you’ve only gotten rid of three things. It is at times like this that I remind you that this process doesn’t have to be so painful! In fact, it can be quite fun! Just stick on some music or a Netflix series, chuck something comfy on and just chill out while you sort. You’ll soon find yourself thoroughly relaxed, laughing at some past fashion mistakes and looking forward to the prospect of some wardrobe space and your old clothes getting some love at a new home!