This is our definitive guide to cleansing your closet and curating the perfect capsule wardrobe. Not only does cleansing and organizing your closet make choosing an outfit in the morning so much easier it’s also scientifically proven to elevate your mood and boost happiness. So let’s get started...

Sort

Take everything out of your wardrobe and lay each piece on the bed or hang them up around your room, making sure everything is visible. Do a quick scan and pull out the pieces you wear regularly and feel good in. This is your ‘Keep’ section so put them to one side for later. Next take a look at each piece that is left and carefully consider the following things: 

1. Does this still fit me
2. Have I worn this in the past year
3. Does it go with at least three pieces in the keep section

If you answer yes to any of the above questions then add the pieces to the keep section. If you answer no then it’s time to part ways, any pieces that sit unworn with the tags still on have to go along with anything white that is no longer white. If It’s still in wearable condition consider listing it on re-sale sites such as depop and ebay. Designer items can be listed on consignment sites such as Vestiaire Collective or The Real Real. If it can’t be re-sold then take it to a local Textile Recycling point. If you love a piece that looks like it’s seen better days consider if repairing or altering it would be an option. Designer shoes and accessories in need of some love can be taken to The Restory for restoration, fabric shavers are great for removing bobbles and simple repairs like sewing on a button can be easily done at home. Once you’re done you should have 3 sections: Keep, Sell, Recycle. Place Sell and Recycle in separate bags ready to be taken out. 

Styling

Start by trying on some pieces you decided to keep and challenge yourself to find at least three ways to wear each piece. It’s good to start with a base and then build from there, base pieces are wardrobe staples that you can wear as the foundation of almost any look. These include basics such as t-shirts, vests, bodysuits and roll neck jumpers in white black or neutral colours followed by jeans and classic trousers. The more you experiment the more you’ll get a feel for what works for you. 

To get you started we challenge you to create three looks based around jeans and a white t-shirt. For example dress up with minimal heels and a luxe tuxedo jacket, dress down with white trainers and a trench coat or create a work look with a longline blazer and loafers. You can use the same logic of dressed up, dressed down and work to experiment with styling different pieces. Blazers make a look feel instantly put together, Suits can be worn in the daytime with trainers and don’t rule out dressing down occasion wear for the day.

Clean + Prep

Now that you’ve emptied your wardrobe, It’s the perfect opportunity to clean the inside as fabric can create a lot of dust. Spritz with a multi-purpose cleaner and wipe down every surface including the top of the rail and inside any draws. We find that matching hangers create a sense of balance that puts us in a better frame of mind to build an outfit, while white wooden hangers look great in our showroom they tend to take up a lot of space in a wardrobe so we prefer to use velvet coated non-slip hangers. Moth balls are essential if you have a lot of knitwear so be sure to place a few around for protection. 

Re-Hang

As a general rule t-shirts, knitwear and jeans can be folded and everything else can be hung on the rail. When hanging, group similar pieces together (e.g all trousers, all blazers) then arrange by colour from dark to light. Keep occasion wear and workwear seperate if you can and organise them as outlined above. Stuffing shoes with tissue and keeping them in their boxes helps them to keep their shape for longer. As you return pieces to your wardrobe it’s a good opportunity to spot if there are any key pieces missing, perhaps a classic white shirt or a versatile blazer. 

Future 

Consider any new purchases carefully ensuring they go with at least three pieces from your newly curated wardrobe. If you do need to add to your wardrobe buying vintage is a more sustainable way to shop as it utilises what already exists and minimises environmental impact. At The Modern Style every piece in our curated vintage collections is in impeccable condition and of the highest quality.

Post image by Kaitlyn Hamm @kaity_modern via Pinterest