Gayatri Gandhi, founder of bespoke de-cluttering and organising service The Joy Factory, suggests three times a year is a good idea.
“I do my main skincare routine in the summer, another one before Diwali and another one at the beginning of the new year,” she says. “Cleansing your closet may seem like a tedious, joyless task, but if done well, it can pay off big time. We think of our skincare routine as a ritual. Cleansing your closet is a wardrobe ritual and a gateway to your own unique style.”
Rules to follow
When organizing your closet, there are a few things to keep in mind: First, does that skirt or shirt sitting at the back of your wardrobe bring you any joy?
This question, Gandhi explains, is a key part of tidying guru Marie Kondo’s KonMari philosophy: “My company is founded on the KonMari philosophy,” which isn’t about mechanically following steps, but rather, as Gandhi points out, “asking yourself honest questions.”
So, while the general rule is to get rid of clothes you don’t wear, there are exceptions, such as clothes that need a little alteration or repair, or clothes that are important to you.
“Save the clothes that are new but that you never get a chance to wear,” says Amrita Thakur, a fashion content creator known for her practical style tips, “and also save the old, memorable pieces, or staple pieces that you just can’t part with and will eventually use, wear, or repurpose.”
I usually sort through all the clothes I haven’t worn in a while, then re-sort which ones I think I’ll really wear in the future. I also keep clothes that are important to me, like my first designer outfit (a jalabiya by Rohit Bal) that, as Gandhi says, “spark joy.”
“Save precious keepsakes and clothes you’ll wear for special occasions, like weddings. Label them and store them separately so they’ll be easier to find later. Plus, since you won’t use them every day, they won’t take up prime space in your closet,” suggests Gandhi.
She came up with an approach she calls “C2S2,” an acronym for Collect, Choose, Scrap, Store, and which applies to every category, from clothes and books to paper and shoes.
Throw Away Magic
The items you throw away are the more interesting ones. They tell us something about your approach to fashion. Impulse buys often end up in this pile.
The late designer Vivienne Westwood once said, “Buy less, choose well, and make it last.”
Before you buy anything, ask yourself these questions: Will this outfit really fit my closet and lifestyle? Before you shop, do your research. Look at your wardrobe, see what you already have, and think about what you need. Your clothes should always reflect your lifestyle. Of course, it’s okay to buy something special every now and then, but the general rule is that you should wear each outfit 30 times.
Organizing your closet will show you how smart a shopper you are—and like everything else, we can only learn from our mistakes. “Fashion is a way to understand and develop your own style,” says Thakur.
“Fashion and trends act as a filter to help us discard what doesn’t suit us and embrace what does. And it’s a process. It takes time, and yes, we all make mistakes and choose things that end up never seeing the light of day,” she explains.
It’s common for people to buy items to follow a trend or try a new silhouette, only to end up sticking with the purchase, but this is a mistake that shouldn’t be repeated. “This isn’t necessarily a bad thing because, again, this is how we identify our style,” says Thakur. “But the hope is that you’ll get better over time and make fewer mistakes.”
Another important part of organizing your closet is how you dispose of the clothes in it.
Whether you send your old clothes to a recycling site (why not make money from your own wardrobe? Maybe it’ll inspire you to organize your closet more often?) or donate them to charity, you should always be careful to prevent your clothes from ending up in a landfill.
Make responsible choices
After looking at the clothes you are going to throw out, look at the clothes you are keeping, especially the ones that have been in your wardrobe for a long time, and see what they have in common.
“The quality of the tailoring, fabric and construction is what I care about and I’ll keep that in mind the next time I buy, which ultimately translates into a more sustainable wardrobe,” Thakur says.
Think of your closet organization as a personal styling session. If it feels too overwhelming, seek out professional help or take a cue from Sex and the City 2, in which Carrie invites friends over to her house for champagne and to help her decide which clothes to keep and which to throw away. Keep the drinking to a minimum, of course. To successfully organize your closet, you need a clear head.
Dress sense This is a monthly column about the clothes we wear every day.
Sujata Asomal is a journalist, author and mindful fashion advocate.
