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  • ETHICAL TALKS

How To ‘Detox’ Your Wardrobe

  • 4 minute read
How To 'Detox' Your Wardrobe
Photo by Claudia de la Mata

By Ella Wingfield

The following weeks will be full of changes, adjustment and (hopefully) a great deal of staying home. Chances are, you’re going to find yourself with a lot more time on your hands. So, why not use this chapter for a wardrobe ‘aka’ mental detox? Like they say, ‘a tidy home is a tidy mind’, and the wardrobe is the ideal place to start.

Where To Begin?

Facing years of unworn clothes may seem an impossible task, so it’s always best to break it down. Get everything out in the open and separated into piles – tops, trousers etc. This will give you a sense of how many clothes you have, and what you own far too many of.

Ask Yourselves The Important Questions

We’ve all done it, saved that top from 5 years ago just in case the perfect opportunity arises when we can finally wear it again. But let’s be honest, it’s pretty unlikely, and your wardrobe is probably full of pieces you’d much prefer to wear.

Ask yourself – have I worn those shoes in the past year? Will I wear that jumpsuit again? Did I ever feel comfortable in that skirt?

Chances are, you have your favourite staples and the rest gets pushed to the back of the cupboard. Organising your clothing brings long forgotten pieces to the surface, helping you build new outfits and utilise the pieces you have to the fullest. Without having to fight through layers of unwanted jeans and sweatshirts, you’ll be surprised how owning less, means wearing more.

And of course, different rules apply to treasured pieces. Maybe it’s the linen blazer that you only put on for special occasions, but always makes you feel great when you do. Cleansing your wardrobe is all about finding new homes for the things you don’t wear and cherishing the things that you do.

Repurpose, Recycle, Resell!

Now is the ideal time to get creative. Embroider your unworn denim jacket, turn an old pair of jeans into a new pair of shorts, replace the buttons you’ve always hated on your summer jacket.

Collect the items you love apart from that one little thing into a pile. It could be the length of a skirt, the colour of a dress or the awkward neckline on an otherwise perfect t-shirt. Look to YouTube, Google or sustainable fashion bloggers for inspiration.

Honestly WTF
diy pearl hat band
Honestly WTF Blog
DIY Ice Dyeing with Honestly wtf
Coolirpa’s Youtube channel and Erica Chan Coffman’s beautifully curated Honestly WTF blog offer plenty of imaginative ways to both repurpose your wardrobe, and transform thrifted clothing. Aside from being financially beneficial, learning to upcycle leaves you with original pieces and endless opportunities. 

Anything you want to neither keep nor repurpose, be sure to sell, donate or recycle. We recommend donating to Cancer Research, Oxfam or Sue Ryder. Sites such as Depop, Ebay, Hewi and Vestiaire Collective are our selling favourites, and sustainable alternatives to throwing unwanted clothes away.

Coronavirus may have limited our ability to simply go to the post office or charity shops as we please, however, we can use the following weeks to organise, photograph and curate our items ready for sale or donation. 

Moving Forward

Be strategic when putting your detoxed wardrobe back together. Grouping similar items (oversized jumpers, baggy jeans etc.) makes it much easier to see what you own already before buying again.

Be strict with yourself. Just because you have more room, don’t reward yourself with an online shopping spree. Be mindful with your purchasing. It’s a great time to turn over a new leaf, especially if you’ve found you owned four identical jumpers and twelve pairs of jeans. Imposing a one in one out rule can prevent your wardrobe getting cluttered and keep your consumption to a minimum.

Cleansing Your Mind

Organising the space around you is the perfect place to start when looking to cleanse your mind. However, a mental detox can be achieved in any number of ways, it’s all about what works for you.

Self-care for the real world
Self-care for the real world by nadia narain and katia narain phillips

Perhaps it’s learning something new. There are thousands of books and online courses just waiting to be explored. Discover new perspectives with Self-Care for the Real World, or get inspired with Ignite Your Everyday Creativity.

Start a journal, jotting down ideas, worries, ambitions and to do lists. Seeing your thoughts laid out in front of you can help tackle your stresses head on, set yourself goals and generally organise your mind.

While it’s important to keep your mind stimulated, don’t forget to give yourself some down time. Take an hour or two away from your phone’s constant updates and relax. Running a bath, lighting a candle, using a hair mask, meditating or simply talking with your loved ones can all do wonders to relieve stress and clear the mind.

Use this somewhat unconventional period to detox, organise and explore new ways to take care of yourself. Let’s find beauty in solitude and reconnect to ourselves in this time of uncertainty.

Stay positive, stay home and stay safe!

Ella Wingfield

Ella Wingfield

Ella is a Fashion Promotion graduate pursuing her passion for ethical clothing and fashion journalism at KeiSei. You can find more of her work at ellawingfieldfashion.com.

Ella Wingfield

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