Wardrobe space: The final frontier

W ith the festive season at our doorstep and all those Christmas sales at hand (check out our handy shopping guide), chances are we might soon have a few more additions to put in our already overstuffed wardrobe.

Perhaps now might be a good time to clear the decks — but how do we do it?

If you’re rich and famous, you could do what model Naomi Campbell did. Recently, she announced she would open a pop-up shop in London, selling designer clothes previously owned by her and her famous friends (such as good friend Kate Moss) with all profits going towards Ebola prevention and education. The shop is part of Campbell’s Fashion For Relief foundation, which she founded in 2005 as a way of generating funds for disaster relief through fashion shows, auctions and pop-up shops.

But we don’t have to go that route. We can just give our stuff to charities instead. The key thing is to declutter.

Yes, we all know how difficult clearing our wardrobes can be. But apparently, 80 per cent of clothes women own aren’t even worn regularly. The percentage for guys is a lot lower, but it still implies we’re keeping a lot of things we don’t use.

So, why do we cling on to clothes we don’t wear, especially when they don’t fit any more, are damaged or are just ugly? Sometimes we just want to own things. Perhaps we feel guilty about throwing away an expensive piece. Or perhaps we just wish we were that person who could wear that vintage outfit and make it work.

And while we always make New Year resolutions to declutter our wardrobe (indeed, our lives) by the end of the year, we sometimes suffer from wardrobe “stuffocation”, as author James Wallman so eloquently put it in his book Stuffocation.

“Having less isn’t about deprivation,” he told The Daily Telegraph. “It’s about getting rid of the stuff you don’t wear anyway, so you can easily see and get to the things you do like wearing.”

There is nothing wrong with you for buying so many things, he added. We are taught to be consumers — to look, buy, gather, hoard. And while we get a very addictive chemical thrill every time we buy something — even if the high doesn’t last — Wallman said we could get a similar feel-good moment once we have lightened our wardrobe.

Tips Wallman offered include “de-stuffocating” with friends, the idea being that any activity done with friends is a lot easier and encourages healthy competition. Of course, you have to choose your decluttering partner carefully and make sure he or she can offer constructive criticism. If you aren’t sure whether to throw something out, ask for his or her honest opinion.

Francesca Salih, founder of Wardrobe Mistress, had another tip. “Everything you own should fit your life now, not the size you were three years ago or the hobby you had before the children arrived,” she said. “As a general rule, if you haven’t used something for 18 months you don’t need it. If you’re in a time of transition — say, you’ve just had a baby — give yourself 12 months.”

You can also limit the number of items in your wardrobe. According to Wallman said a woman called Courtney Carver, a successful businesswoman, mother, skier and cyclist, reduced her wardrobe to only 33 items. If that seems extreme, the author suggested picking a slightly higher number (as long as it’s less than four digits) and sticking to it for at least 21 days, which is the time it takes to set a new habit.

Of course, you shouldn’t throw out something you’re going to regret later (such as the vintage outfit your aunt gave that you wear only at family gatherings). Put it in “limbo” instead (i.e., bag it up somewhere that’s not your wardrobe) and months later, if you’ve genuinely missed it, re-instate it.

Clearing the wardrobe is only half the battle won. The real trick, of course, is not to “re-stuffocate”. You don’t have to starve your wardrobe, just buy less. Questions both Wallman and Salih suggested one should ask before buying anything include: Do I already have five versions of the same thing? Do I need yet another one? What is different about this one that I absolutely need it? What is this item specifically going to add to my life and how am I going to use it?

If you can’t answer these questions satisfactorily, they said, perhaps it’s best not to buy it. Agencies