That is the question!
Did you have great intentions to declutter?
Get mentally prepared for a good clear-out, open the wardrobe, start your ‘keep’, ‘donate’ or ‘throw’ piles .….
Only to find your ‘keep’ pile grows exponentially?
Let me guess:
A desperate cup of tea was required, distractions took over, the moment passed, you avoided the bedroom all day, then later that night hastily put everything back – to be tackled another time…
Rest assured, this happens to most people!
Here’s my decision-making guide:
Ask yourself these three key questions for each item (don’t worry, it only takes seconds)
- Do you love it?
- Does it fit?
- Does it flatter you?
Answer these and the whole process gets much easier.
Trousers & Jeans
These have the hardest life of anything in the wardrobe, so if they’re looking a bit tatty, the fabric is shiny from ironing, or the pockets have torn – throw out pile.
Pants can be most unforgiving if they don’t fit properly, so if you’ve lost or gained weight but the trousers are still in good condition – donate to charity pile.
Dresses & Shirts
If you answered yes to the three key questions – keep pile.
If you answered yes to all three but bought it 20 years ago for a special occasion, and haven’t worn it since, I would suggest that you’re unlikely to wear it again – donate to charity pile.
Be honest with yourself here, if you have another special occasion you are soooooo going to want a new shirt or dress!
As with trousers, if it’s bobbled, tatty, torn or generally worn out – throw out pile.
Jackets
A great jacket will take you anywhere, and make any outfit look really smart, but if you hold it up, find it’s moth-eaten with a theatre ticket in the pocket from 1978, then I think you can safely say “Alas poor jacket, I knew you well”, and toss it!
For the rest, check that:
- all the buttons are still on
- the lining is in good condition
- It fits and doesn’t ‘date’ you.
If it passes the test AND it fits with your current lifestyle – into the keep pile.
Otherwise – you know what needs to be done.
Shoes
Ahhhhhh the shoes, how many of us have fallen in love with shoes, bought them knowing full well they didn’t really fit, and consequently stashed them, shamefaced, in the back of the wardrobe?
I personally have bought many shoe-stretching contraptions, none of which really worked.
So, ladies and gentlemen; some hard and fast rules for shoe decluttering:
- Can you walk in them (for more than 5 minutes)?
- Yes – keep pile
- No – donate pile
- Are they comfortable?
- Yes – keep pile
- No – donate pile
- Do you take them off every time you put them on?
- Yes – donate pile
Scuffed and worn out shoes badly let down an otherwise beautifully put together outfit, so toss any that have got damp and are ruined
“Away you mouldy Brogue”! (Sorry, Shakespeare!)
Final words:
Go at your own pace,
Be ruthless down to the last remaining remnant, the final sartorial memory.
Just imagine how easy it’ll be to get dressed, and what a clear start to the day you’ll have with a fresh, organised wardrobe.
Special Offer for Brain Tuners:
If you live in the Auckland area, tell us (in the comment section below) how some professional wardrobe decluttering would help you, and one lucky reader will enjoy a Complimentary Wardrobe Edit with Iona!
Iona Eadie-Askew
Evolve Life Coaching | Weight Loss and Wardrobe
Iona, trained in London, now lives in Auckland and has many more tips to share on her website.
www.evolvelifecoaching.co.nz
Have started, will finish, the comments have helped me, will continue with framework given. Realize why have kept much, am in my 80s can no longer afford the clothes of my working days, to let them go an excellent idea. The pile started lovely skirt noticed a 10/12 label, am not a large lady, but that’s asking too much ! So onwards and upwards, have also included linen cupboard, a delightful daughter with teens, staggered out with huge pile, rest to charity. Can only say. Heartful thanks.
Have started, will finish, the comments have helped me, will continue with framework given. Realize why have kept much, am in my 80s can no longer afford the clothes of my working days. The pile started lovely skirt noticed a 10/12 label, am not a large lady, but that’s asking too much. have also included linen cupboard, a delightful daughter with teens, staggered out with huge pile, rest to charity. Can only say. Heartful thanks.
Dear Gillian,
I just love & admire what you are doing in prompting us to exercise our memory muscles and not let laziness lead to weak ineffective memory.
Perhaps along with many others my discipline to continue a course of action becomes so much easier in a group situation.
Would you consider holding a series of memory training in a group setting?
If the group grows too large, we could split into managable sized smaller groups in the same place.
I regularly attend group exercise classes and complete the exercise time puffed and satisfied & fully aware that I would not last the distance physically exercising on my own.
In the same way I can imagine I’d enthusiastically start an online course only to lack the self-discipline when the mental exercise stretched my fuzzy thinking to new (former) limits.
However for me the group dynamic would add considerably to the fun & continued application of the practice of strategies learnt.
Kind regards,
Robin Greenfield
Hello Robin and well done for keeping your exercise classes growing! Group courses are definitely a wonderful way to make sure that memory strategies are practised enough to become new habits. Our Brain Fit for Life (https://brainfit.nz) courses have been very popular for just this reason. And of course, we are always looking out for new BrainFit coaches to train! With every best wish, Gillian Eadie gillian@brainfit.world
Professional de cluttering would be perfect for me because I just love clothes and jewellery and have a wonderful memory and story about them all. So I need a lovely person like Iona to help me release these items with love and allow me to love and enjoy the ones that I only need. I am young hearted 67 and love life.
I’m seeking to de clutter as I downsize – and move on newly single – I have items from before kids and my old job and would love some help to let them go to someone else who could use then and to move on positively
Am hoping to get our current walk in robe de-cluttered before we eventually move to a retirement village with less wardrobe space.
These comments are all wonderful – how exciting that I’m going to be spending time with one of you soon to help de-clutter, edit and organise your wardrobe! Keep the comments coming – I wonder whose name Gillian will pull out of the hat…
Hello there
We love working with groups and we have ‘Brain Fit for Life’ courses running most of the year. You are quite right, the people joining our classes have a lot of fun and leave after the 5 sessions with a new appreciation of memory strategies and what has to happen to remember well. https://brainfit.nz Do get in touch with me if you have a group of people interested and I will arrange something for you. gillian@brainfit.world