Benefits of Seasonal Decluttering

I always recommend that clients store their clothes away seasonally and I think we should all take advantage of this wonderful and simple system. The Irish weather seems to be finally taking a turn for the better (it’s May, for goodness’ sake!) and on that note I plan on rejigging my wardrobe later today.

Most of my clothing is mid-weight (in fabrics like denim or cotton), so items can be worn year-round – alone in the warmer weather or layered up during colder spells. I do have some heavier jumpers and more “Christmassy”-looking tops and dresses as well as some very light clothing, and it’s these items I’ll be swapping out and in. I’ll be integrating the more summery clothing into my wardrobe with my year-round mind-weight items.

I’ll put the winter clothes in a clear zip-loc bag and store them on the highest shelf of my wardrobe where they will be out of sight and won’t impact on the day-to-day. If you don’t have space in your wardrobe, you can alternatively store out-of-season items under the bed (if you’re not that into Feng Shui!), the hotpress, or wherever you have adequate space. And note that it’s the fabric and not the colour that determines the season-appropriateness of an item of clothing.

The benefits of seasonal storage:

• Keeps unused items clean and dust and damage-free
• Creates more space for in-season items so you access them more easily and mix and match more creatively
• In-season items look more attractive and expensive when surrounded by clothes of the same type and weight
• When storing away items from the past season you have a great opportunity to declutter as you can easily identify what you haven’t recently worn
• You look forward to wearing items that you haven’t seen in months again when you take them out of storage
• You can make quick, informed decisions on what you know you won’t wear again when you see items for the first time in months

Remember, it’s natural and healthy for your signature style and tastes to evolve, so bear this in mind every time you declutter.

If you want to take advantage of the change in season and declutter, my Declutter Your Wardrobe and Home online course has all the information, inspiration and support you will ever need to create the wardrobe and home of your dreams. I’m currently offering €100 discount for a limited time, find out more here.