Luxury items have a habit of hiding in plain sight, often taking the shape of a cashmere jacket pushed to the back of the rail or a Saffiano leather handbag still in its dust cover. Over time, these pieces become merely a figment of the background, modestly taking up space whilst your style and life move on.
The decision between reintroducing these items to your rotation or decluttering them from your ensemble entirely will ultimately come down to being honest with yourself about what you will actually use, what your style looks like today, and what pieces do or don’t suit the way you live your life. If you feel it’s time to reclaim your wardrobe, read on to be guided through the whole process with a clear head and a steady hand.
Assess What You Already Own
The first step is to take everything out and take a look at it properly. This doesn’t just mean the clothes in your immediate rotation: every single item needs to come out and see the light, including the items tucked away in garment bags and storage boxes. Your most luxury pieces will likely be stored away very carefully, making them much easier to forget. Lay everything single item out so that you can see the full picture and get a comprehensive, holistic idea of what you’re working with.
As you consider each item, notice your first reaction, and allow it to guide you. If you feel largely indifferent or even slightly burdened by it, or struggle to remember when you last wore it, take it as a sign. Many of the pieces in your wardrobe will have been bought many years ago for a version of yourself that no longer exists; our bodies are constantly changing, and our style will always continue to evolve over time. Meanwhile, some of your items may have been gifts that you, of course, accepted gratefully, but that never quite suited your taste. Considering each item individually will help you to determine what you truly value and what is simply cluttering up your available wardrobe space.
Consider Fit and Lifestyle
Luxury items often carry emotional weight. You might keep a dress you wore to a dear family member’s wedding, even though it no longer fits, or hold onto heels you bought to commemorate a significant life achievement, despite them no longer being your style. And whilst it’s completely natural to attach emotions to objects in this way, ultimately, your wardrobe is not a museum. When you open your wardrobe doors, you should see a reflection of your current lifestyle, tastes, and personality, not a window into the past. Some pieces are worth keeping because they are timeless, well-made, and still suit your lifestyle, but if something no longer fits properly, feels uncomfortable, or no longer serve you or work with how you like to dress day to day, it’s not earning its place.
However, it’s important to consider that an item not naturally slotting into your life doesn’t necessarily make it clutter. A pair of trousers that are too large on you can be taken in to your exact measurements by a professional tailoring service, or your favourite black leather heels that have seen better days can easily be given a new lease of life by a talented shoe repairman. Every item should be considered on a case-by-case basis: renewing items that still have potential is better for both your finances and the environment, but items that are truly beyond salvaging need to be swiftly moved on from in order to clear space in your wardrobe for items that actually serve your lifestyle and bring you joy.
Determine What to Keep, Sell, and Donate
Once you have a sense of what items in your wardrobe you do and don’t value, separate everything into two groups: sell and donate. To help you with deciding which category your pieces belong in, ask yourself, “deep down, where does this item belong?”
Selling your unwanted luxury items can be a sensible way to recover some of their value, and you can use the funds you recoup to buy a replacement item that better suits your current tastes and lifestyle. Designer handbags, fine coats, and Swiss watches can all easily find a new home. If you have ever thought, “I should probably sell my watch” or, “this handbag has a fantastic resale value”, now is the time to act on those thoughts.
Meanwhile, when it comes to your lower-quality pieces, the hassle of selling items can outweigh the financial benefit of the process, so donating them may be the better choice here. Passing items on to friends or family can also be a rewarding experience, especially when you know they will be well-worn and appreciated. The goal is not to strip your wardrobe bare, but to ensure that everything in it has a true purpose.
Take Care of What You Decide to Keep
After decluttering the items that no longer serve you, the pieces you choose to keep deserve proper care and attention. After all, luxury items last longer when they are stored and handled well. Use padded hangers for jackets and coats, keep bags stuffed and upright so they hold their shape, and store shoes with supports and keep them clean. Watches and jewellery should be kept in their boxes or soft pouches to avoid scratches.
Caring for your wardrobe also means wearing it. A silk dress should not live its life in a garment bag, and high-quality leather needs movement to stay supple. When you use your items regularly, they feel like a part of your life rather than spectacles in a museum. When you search for the luxury in the everyday, your wardrobe becomes so much more enjoyable and choosing your outfit each day will get your morning off to a perfect start.
