“Wardrobes are complex places, emotionally and psychologically. They hold memories. They throw up guilt,” says Maria Macklin, who has clocked up years of experience helping people who suffer from what she calls “stuffocation” – wardrobes packed to the seams – who want help to banish clutter.
“We actively wear about 20 per cent of what’s in our wardrobe. [We own] 400 per cent more than we did 20 years ago. We are drowning in stuff,” she says. “Some people just buy more and more and don’t know what they have.” One of her recent clients owned 25 long-sleeved tops, all the same. “They are overwhelmed, and it is hard to see through all that noise.”
So if you need to declutter but don’t know where to start, here are some of her tips.
Start a declutter by category, and sort into four groups – keep, donate, sell or repair/alter. Don’t throw all your clothes on the bed for sorting but start, for instance, with sweaters.
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- Sweaters Roll rather than hang or fold them. A flat drawer is best where the colours can be seen. Holed or damaged sleeves can be cut off cashmere, Macklin says, because cashmere doesn’t unravel or fray when cut.
- Dresses Take a photo of yourself in a dress because you see things differently in a picture than a mirror, and you can be more critical. A dress needs to be versatile, winter or summer – they are often easier to wear than skirts and tops. How something looks with the addition of a jacket or accessories can show how best to wear it and help decisions about keeping or discarding.
- Trousers and jeans Depend on body shape and feeling. The more complicated areas are around the thigh and waist, which are harder to alter than length. Macklin h–ngs trousers on clamping hangers and folds more everyday items on one rail - you must be able to see everything. Jeans are hard to get right despite enormous selection – do you look good in them? Try on new ones on a slow day and take your time. Old ones can be patchworked or donated.
If an item doesn’t fit, remove it from sight. Dress for today and don’t keep “aspirational” sizes on view.
Once sorted, store like items together, so trousers with trousers, dresses with dresses and so on. Use quality wooden or velvet hangers to maintain garment shape.
Focus on wardrobe staples – quality pieces such as neutral tops, well-fitting jeans, versatile jackets. Aim for 35 well-chosen items that can provide hundreds of combinations.
For an everyday item, the general rule is that if you haven’t worn it for a year, then you probably won’t wear it again, Macklin says. Occasion wear items are worn less often, so allow for this – there may be times when they can be worn again in the future. Store them together, but out of the way of your day-to-day clothes.
According to a recent Visa survey, the average spend in Ireland on clothing was €87.80 a month, which works out at over €1,000 a year. Macklin advises that when buying any item in the future, “you should spend your money where you spend your time. If 50 per cent of your time is spent at work, that’s where it needs to be spent. I hate the phrase ‘it will do’. No it won’t, because you are better than that.”
This also applies when deciding what items to keep in your wardrobe, and what to get rid of.
Macklin recommends a style and colour consultation. “They will start to look at things differently with a more educated lens. Most women shop randomly.” Ideally, you should do this before you begin the decluttering process so you can apply what you’ve learned to the clothes you already own.
Charity shops are always looking for donations of clean, quality clothing in good condition. But if you’re looking to sell your unwanted clothes, second-hand shops such as Cobblers Wardrobe and Siopaella in Dublin, Sister in Kinsale in Cork and others around the country take quality or designer clothing, though they are selective and will usually only keep items for a limited time. Sites such as Depop, Etsy, Vinted (now paired with the French platform) and Vestiaire allow you to sell your own pieces.
If you don’t have the time or inclination to photograph your clothing, upload imagery, negotiate online and then package and post items, Alex O’Hare will come to your house, take clothes and sell them for 50 per cent of the proceeds. O’Hare is a Dubliner who studied fashion in London and then moved back home. The experience of selling her own clothes successfully led her to do the same for her mother and then her sisters, and shaped the bones of a successful business. “It’s tedious work but you have the whole world on the phone,” she says. She can be contacted on 083-4819991.
Maria Macklin (houseofcolour.co.uk) can be contacted on 087-2789547.
