Allison Stroman - According to Carolyn Mair, PhD, founder of the psychology of fashion department at the London College of Fashion at the University of the Arts London, feeling comfortable in what you are wearing decreases stress. This decrease in stress frees up more space for us to focus on the tasks important to us. Dr. Mair emphasizes that buying mindfully and wearing what you have has a positive impact on mental health as it decreases negative impacts on the environment and negative emotions like guilt that can come from overconsumption. So what does this mean for cleaning out your closet?
According to Diane Roberts Stoler Ed.D., clutter is a powerful distraction that can “increase cognitive overload and can reduce working memory” which makes it harder to focus and concentrate. In decluttering, people become “less irritable, less distracted, more productive, and better able to process information” which is beneficial in one’s professional and personal life. Decluttering and creating a system to organize what you have improves time-management which can help ease day-to-day activities: “Decluttering increases self-worth, creates healthy habits, and boosts productivity. A clean and tidy home can also improve sleep, boost mood, and promote relaxation.” Furthermore, organizing your space and donating items you no longer need increases your energy, focus, and improves your quality of life along with improving the quality of life for the recipient of your item. In her article, Dr. Stoler outlines the steps for effectively decluttering your space: start with small, manageable goals, ask for help, take photos of items you are not keeping but want to have a memory of, determine what you will do with the items you are not keeping.
In terms of the benefits of clearing out your closet for your personal style, Boutayna Chokrane of VOGUE states that reducing the number of items you have can “breathe life into a capsule wardrobe that resonates with your authentic self” and cater your clothing to your current lifestyle and needs. Rather than purchasing new items with the space gained after decluttering, take the time to rediscover what you have and contemplate how to wear it. In addition to considering your lifestyle, create a reference board for your personal style that mirrors how you actually dress on a daily basis. These references will help inform what you keep versus what you repurpose or give away. Decluttering your closet can be overwhelming, so set aside time to do in “manageable chunks” that give you time to think about the items in front of you. While you declutter, separate your clothes in piles for essentials, pieces to keep, pieces to repurpose, and pieces to donate. After you finish, put out of season clothes away where they are not cluttering your space, create a system that you can keep up with, properly fold or hang the pieces you are keeping. For the pieces you are donating, select an organization that aligns with your values.
If you have gently used designer pieces to donate, consider Repurpose Wardrobe. Harnessing the secondhand market, fuelled by donations, Repurpose provides mentorship, personal and professional development, and job readiness training to the future workforce in the fashion and design industries. After donating, you will receive an itemized list of donated items and can take the full fair market value of your donations in tax deductions, up to $5,000.
As stated by Diane Roberts Stoler Ed.D, asking for help in your decluttering efforts is important. Repurpose can help you with a personalized closet edit. For up to four hours, our expertly trained style team will help you decide what pieces in your closet no longer align with your personal style, lifestyle, or needs. After the session you will receive a tax acknowledgement receipt for all items you decide to donate to Repurpose.