It's that time of year here in the UK when we fear tempting fate by pulling our spring/summer clothes out of storage. The daffodils are dancing about and we’ve reduced our layers for leaving the house. We are also about to hit the dreaded clock change here in the UK and this has become my benchmark for starting my seasonal swap over. Usually, the clock change weekend would be my reminder to get in the loft and grab those neatly labelled boxes down, but this year I did it a week early and it’s all because of you. It’s all because of you because this year I am going to do a LIVE clothing declutter and organisation. I host a Clubhouse room on Thursday at 12.15 pm UK time, called Let’s Get Organised and this week’s room is going to be extra special and extra long (we will wrap up by 2:45 pm GMT). I will be taking you through my 5-step declutter system, as detailed in the Declutter & Organise course in the membership, but with a specific clothing focus. We will also discuss changing body shapes, changing lifestyles, eco-clothing and covid in relationship to our clothing. Clothing is one of my hardest areas to declutter as I have a lot of emotions and memories tied up in my clothes and I will be sharing these stories as we go along too. Below are a few steps or “homework” you might want to consider before tuning in if you want to get the most out of it and plan to join in live. You can listen live for free on Clubhouse, but those of you with a club membership will also have access to the video live stream and both the audio and video replays.
1. Think about your personal style:
Favourite colours you like wearing
Do you have a base neutral? (Mine is navy)
What 3 words sum up how you like to dress? (Mine are comfy, classy and practical)
2. What categories of clothing do you need?
Here are some examples:
Underwear
Socks & Tights
Night/sleepwear
Work clothes
Casual Personal
Smart Personal
Evening Gowns/Tuxedo
Sportswear
Specific hobby clothes
Messy clothes (for DIY, gardening, cleaning etc)
Fancy dress
Swimwear
Holiday Wear
Festive Wear
Foot Wear (You may prefer to have footwear as part of each of the above categories.)
Obviously, some of these won’t apply, so pick which do and add any you need.
3. Grab 4 boxes/baskets.
As we learn in the Declutter & Organise course in the membership, I recommend having 4 boxes handy when working on a big(ish) decluttering project.
Stick a sign on each with the following 4 titles.
REPAIR, RECYCLE, REHOME and RELOCATE.
Rehome is anything leaving your space, this includes your home, car, work, etc.
Relocate is anything staying in your space, but moving to a different part, e.g. you find a hammer in your knicker drawer.
4. Set a donation deadline.
Whether you are selling or donating, set a deadline. For selling, you need one for when you will list the items and one for how long you are well to keep them unsold. Also, decide where you will keep them between your minimise and their removal from your home.
BONUS TIP - If you are donating, know in advance where you will be donating them so you can plan a swift drop off.
5. Set a goal for how you want to feel about your clothing space.
We will discuss this more in the room, but it’s good to start pondering it a little early. For me I want it to feel uncluttered, easy to view, make me feel good about how I dress, reduce stress when selecting, keep my clothes free from damage, and be easy to maintain.
6. Clear some space.
I have dug out a large clothing rail that was actually my wardrobe for a long time. I will also clear my desk, which is in the same room as my clothes. You may want to clear your bed or dressing table, maybe bring in an extra chair or clothes drying rack. I’m not a fan of dumping lovely clothes on the floor, but I do want to remove them from their usual homes to help process things.
7. Prepare yourself.
Make sure you are fed and watered. Have an additional drink and snack handy. Wear as little clothing as possible and the only things you are 100% keeping. If you can get all your washing clean, have the dirty stuff to hand so you know everything you have. Clean is ideal, but we live in the real world here, well most of the time anyway.
Fear not, we will talk through all of this on Thursday too, but it’s always nice to be prepared.
Make sure you set an alarm to join us live on Clubhouse - here’s the link, and if you want to catch the live video, make sure you have signed up to the membership before 9 pm GMT on Wednesday 23rd March. Replays will be saved in the membership if you sign up after this so don’t worry. Membership is just £36 for 3 months, with no rolling contract. Grab yours now for a whole host of courses, guides, workshops and an amazing community of supportive people seeking a happier lifestyle.