What I Learned When I Finally Decluttered My Wardrobe

Fashion / April 26, 2019

I was one of the many people who took a big self-evaluation when I binged Tidying Up with Mari Kondo a month ago back. 

There are many places that you can declutter in a breeze. The wardrobe, especially for those who love fashion like I do, is not one of them. It took me a while. In fact, it was a process. Between going through everything I own, sorting them, re-organizing them, figuring how to store them, there were a few tears but there were a lot of my triumphs. 

Aside from applying the things Kondo taught, I learned a few tricks on the way. What I realized from this is how every decluttering session is not the same at all. The general steps may be identical, but what we choose to keep and how we keep is unique to each of us. Don’t be afraid to organize according to your personality and to your every day needs. 

There is also a lot of self-discovery when it comes to decluttering. You will realize how many crazy belts you loved in high school and college. You will find how many trends you succumb to, buying it in every color imaginable. Don’t be ashamed. Embrace the changes! Then let go. Fashion is about experimenting until you find what you’re most comfortable with. 

I also feel that decluttering should be both relaxing and stressful. It’s relaxing to roll your shirts the way Kondo advises. It gives sense to something that you have an abundance of. There is peace in looking at drawers that have been sorted out so you can see everything you have. The thing about your wardrobe is that it follows an “out of sight, out of mind” logic. When you don’t see what you have exactly in your closet, you tend to forget. In decluttering, I felt like I shopped again. And isn’t that always a good feeling? 

The stress should come from learning about your past mistakes. How you hoarded certain things that you didn’t need to. How you forgot certain things at the very back of your drawers, and now, they can’t fit you or they’re not your style anymore. I feel like this kind of stress teaches you. You see how much you could do better moving forward when it comes to your shopping habits. 

More on the practical side of things, I found that decluttering is about figuring out the right storage solutions. In my home, my wardrobe is crammed in the attic. It’s a blessing, now that I’ve decluttered. The limited space that I have means I only have room for what’s necessary. So I went to SM Home and I got big cloth boxes, multi-level hangers, wooden boxes for accessories, and woven baskets for various knick-knacks. I also discovered individual plastic boxes for shoes are space-saving as you can stack your footwear sans a shelf. If you need more stuff, The SM Store has a lot of more picks which can cater to your lifestyle.

So what did I end up keeping? I kept the vintage pieces that still look good and that I can wear again now that I’ve unearthed them. I also put aside the pieces which were once on trend and I know will come back. Fashion is cyclical anyway, so you’re bound to need a few of these items. 

I also kept winter clothes in big bins. They’re stored apart from my every day wardrobe so I don’t have a hard time packing when I leave for a trip. 

As for those I still love but no longer fit or were no longer my taste, I choose to give them to the people I loved. These items still sparked joy as they are sentimental but they deserve a second life with someone who would wear them. 

Some items I gave to friends, others I sold as well for a small profit. Anyway, not that I have a wardrobe I can truly say has all the essentials, I feel like I’ve earned so much. 


Decluttering, Fashion, Marie Kondo, SM

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