Spring Declutter

How to Actually Do This

The moment the temperatures start to rise, even by one degree, and the sun begins to break through the greyness of clouds, the spring-cleaning spirits lazily stretch out of their winter slumber. And before you know it, under their strict command, you are refreshing/overhauling/spring-readying your wardrobe, awaiting the immediate lift in your spirit and upgrade in your style.

But do you? Really?

Is the thought of going through your wardrobe and deciding what goes and what stays that easy? Are you smiling while doing all of this, leisurely sipping your matcha (or red wine)…or maybe, just maybe, you have no idea where to start or how to even handle a pile of clothes shamefully lying on your bed, after you diligently followed the classic advice: to begin with, remove everything from your wardrobe.

It took me a good few years to learn how to refresh my wardrobe without regrets—and I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way (like getting rid of all my good t-shirts and having to replace them straight away, or that one-off skirt I still think about).

I would like to share what I have learnt to date, so you can use these tips every single time you decide to tackle your wardrobe, no matter the goal or season.

Before your spring/summer clothing enters your wardrobe, we are going to deal with your current wardrobe before packing it away. 

You have had a few months of intense romance with the autumn/winter items – now’s the time to draw some conclusions.

First things first, let’s identify the common troublemakers causing us to think that we have nothing to wear.

Take all of these out of your wardrobe first and put them in their respective piles – you will come across more of these as you go along, but this is a great start.

What to do with them:

With the main troublemakers out of the way, let’s focus on what’s left.

Separate the items you love, wear regularly that are the keepers, and categorise. They are ready to be stored away.

Naturally, some of them can stay in the rotation (cardigans, t-shirts, lighter shirts and finer knits, jeans – all of these can be worn all year long).

Now, let’s look at the grey area – pieces that you haven’t worn much, or maybe are event-specific (Halloween costumes, NYE sequin dresses), or maybe you have 5 brown jumpers, but you only wore one of them the whole winter.

The party stuff can be put away or kept in a separate space (there will be spring/summer event clothing taking its space in your wardrobe).

The multiples of the same thing – here you must be honest with yourself and let go of any items that you did not wear – 2 favourite brown jumpers stay; 3 extras need to go.

Going through your wardrobe gives you a better idea of what it consists of – make notes about any items that might be missing from it and save the list for when the season returns and you're ready to replenish.

I use the same thought process when bringing spring/summer pieces back in as I do when packing winter ones away. And if I did a thorough declutter the year before, this part is usually quick and easy.

Remember, this process gets easier and more intuitive with time. I go through my own wardrobe regularly—sometimes every other month—and do little mini-declutters, so I never have to face a huge seasonal switchover, and it all feels much less daunting.

Let me know how you’re getting on—and if you’d like any tips for styling the pieces you’re not sure how to wear.

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