Decluttering for Improved Mental Health Part 2: Closet and Clothing Clutter

“Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” ―

Albert Einstein

Improving my physical and mental health is one of my New Year’s Resolutions for 2024. My first attempt at fulfilling this promise is to remove the elements that induce stress and anxiety. The biggest culprit I have been battling lately is clutter. I decided to start with the most glaring clutter of all: closet and clothing clutter.

In my last post Decluttering for Improved Mental Health Part 1, I expressed how clutter has been proven to have a negative effect on our bodies. Physical “environments significantly influence our cognition, emotions, and subsequent behaviors, including our relationships with others” (Sander, 2019). Clutter and disorganization tends to have a negative effect because we can only visually process a certain number of things at a time; the more disorganized an environment is, the more stress it puts on our receptors.

Every time I looked into my closet, I was overwhelmed with how much I owned that was unenjoyable and unfulfilling. There were a lot of grey clothes, old clothes, new clothes, clothes I had not worn in years, clothes that were too small, clothes that were too large, and it just felt like my clothing was taking up the space.

Sustainability and Overconsumption

Overall, I have never been a massive clothing shopper. My closet is overfilled mainly because I have been holding on to many of the same clothes since I was thirteen years old, and have accumulated several pieces over the years.

I even went through periods where I just did not care about clothing. I would buy a maximum of 10 pieces a year, and often donated at least half of that annually. As an American, I still think this is a lot of clothes.

Apparel consumers often purchase clothing as a way to establish a sense of social and cultural validation (Bardey et al., 2021). This pressure to fit a particular social class or group, however, often leads to mass consumption (Banister and Hogg, 2004). Mass consumption led to the rise of fast fashion, the production of “low-cost fashion collections that replicate high-cost luxury fashion trends” (Bardey et al., 2021).

The term “fast fashion” was coined in the early 1990s by the “New York Times to describe Zara’s mission to take only 15 days for a garment to go from the design stage to being sold in stores” (Maita, 2024). Other companies to follow suit include UNIQLO, H&M, Forever 21, and, of course, SHEIN. Fast fashion is attractive because perceivably beautiful goods are available to consumers at a fast pace and at a low price. The downside, however, is that these clothes are typically poorly made with cheap non-biodegradable materials, and assembled by children or individuals for unlivable wages under cruel working conditions. The clothes in turn take very little wear before they become disposable.

The environmental and human rights impacts are catastrophic. Fast fashion depletes non-renewable resources, contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, and consumes massive quantities of water and energy (Maita, 2024). It takes approximately 700 gallons of water to produce just a single cotton shirt, and 2,000 gallons of water for only a single pair of jeans (Maita, 2024).

Furthermore, there is the issue of microplastics. Brands rarely use quality natural fibers anymore. The majority of fast fashion clothing today uses synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic, which can take hundreds of years to break down (Maita, 2024). “A 2017 report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimated that 35% of all microplastics – tiny pieces of non-biodegradable plastic – in the ocean come from the laundering of synthetic textiles like polyester (Maita, 2024). Piles of these discarded clothes often end up as trash suffocating ecosystems.

It is safe to say that fashion and consumerism as we know today is unsustainable.

How to Reduce Clothing Clutter

I was on the phone with my mom when she expressed that she was having a difficult time getting rid of her favorite items, even when she did not wear them. I can relate since there are many items I brought with me from New York City that I used to wear daily. In Virginia, it just doesn’t get half as cold, so I haven’t worn most of my favorite items since those super cold, wintery days.

No one has to get rid of their favorite things, but I have found some strategies that helped me detach emotionally from items that no longer have a place in my life.

1. Assess your wardrobe

Take note of the items you regularly wear and those that have been untouched for a considerable period. This period might be a year, or it might be a decade. The timeline is personal, and should make sense for you. Take into consideration the reasons and the seasons for which you own the clothing.

2. Categorize your wardrobe

Divide your clothes into piles. This will not only streamline the process, but it will also provide a clearer picture of what you own. Your pile might be separated by tops, bottoms, dresses, outerwear, etcetera, or it might be separated by color or season.

3. Evaluate your wardrobe

Assess each category with a critical eye. Determine which pieces bring you joy, serve a practical purpose, or hold sentimental value. Identify items that no longer align with your style, are damaged, or haven’t worn in ages. Also, does it fit?

4. Make a decision

Choose to keep, donate, sell, or discard pieces based on their relevance and significance in your current lifestyle. Really go through your clothing with a critical eye so that you don’t end up keeping everything or more than you need. It is okay to have an “unsure” pile if you are still undecided.

5. Organize and Rotate Seasonally

This is one of my favorite steps. Neatly organize the remaining items. Consider grouping similar items together and utilizing storage bins, hangers, or shelves to optimize space. I also highly recommend organizing based on color. I love to see my clothes color coordinated. It makes them easier to find and style.

You can also implement a seasonal rotation system. Honestly, I haven’t done this because many of my clothes can be worn year round, but having an “out-of-season” storage space can make it easier to access current wardrobe essentials.

Generating New Spending and Consumption Habits

As I talk about issues regarding fast fashion and overconsumption, I do not want to put anyone down for shopping. I blame corporations for their relentless marketing strategies, irresponsible environmental practices, and human rights abuses. Us consumers are not the primary culprit, for we are often just working within the means available to us. Even when we strive to shop less and be more sustainable, we cannot totally distance ourselves from all aspects of life. Nor can we identify every source our products come from. We can, however, change certain habits and take political action.

My goal is to live a little more sustainably for the combined benefits of reducing my carbon footprint and making myself physically and mentally stronger. One way I can do this is by evaluating what clothes I own and how I use them. There is a correlation between compulsive buying behaviors and low self-esteem, with fashion goods showing “a higher degree of compulsive buying than other goods” (Maita, 2024). Although I do not consider myself someone with low self-esteem, I did notice that my shopping habits were affected by my mood. Feeling down? Retail therapy. Feeling good? I still did some retail therapy.

When I started making my own clothes in 2023, I noticed that I had replaced clothes shopping with fabric shopping. Sewing your own clothes is not one of those hobbies that makes fashion cheaper, so I spent a lot more than I used to on apparel just based on the fabrics I purchased. I knew I needed to take a chill pill on my fabric obsession.

Mindful Practices to Reduce Clothing Clutter

1. Mindful Purchases

Prioritize quality over quantity and only acquire items that align with your style and needs. This does not mean you cannot shop for fun, but it does help to shop for items that actually fit your daily routine, lifestyle, and even the colors that you own. When your purchased clothing (and fabrics) match your life, you will actually use them and love them.

2. Regular Maintenance

Establish a routine for regular closet maintenance. Periodically revisit your wardrobe so that you can declutter and organize your space. When your closet is organized, it is easier to reach for your clothes, find clothes, and keep things clean.

3. Donate or Sell

Items in good condition can be donated to charitable organizations or sold to consignment shops or thrift stores. This not only helps others, but it also gives your garments a second life.

4. Create a Capsule Wardrobe

This is one of my favorites. Curate a collection of versatile, timeless pieces that can be mixed and matched. This not only reduces clothing clutter, but also simplifies daily outfit decisions. I not only take less time to get dressed, but mixing and matching clothes is actually quite fun.

5. Reverse Hanger Technique

Implement the reverse hanger technique by hanging all of your clothes with the hangers facing backward. After wearing an item, place it back with the hanger facing the correct way. This helps identify rarely worn items over time. Later, you can make a decision of whether to keep or get rid of a garment.

6. One In, One Out Rule

For every new clothing item you acquire, let go of an existing one. I do this a lot of household objects. This can help you reduce clothing clutter and make it easier to maintain your closets.

7. Celebrate Your Progress

Celebrate your decluttering progress! Embrace your newfound simplicity and the functionality of your closets and drawers. Please be patient with yourself since getting rid of clothing clutter does take time. This may take a year or more.

Clothing Clutter Feelings and Reflections

Sentimental Garments

This was a difficult process because a lot of the clothes I own are gifts or even heirlooms given to me by close family members that have passed on. For example, I have five of my grandmother’s vintage hats that I desperately want to wear, but none of these hats could fit me even if I were bald. They’re just too small for my head and I don’t have the room to keep them all. But, I also want something to remember my grandmother by. I am thinking that the best course of action would be to keep only two of my favorite hats, and sell the remaining three. I do on occasion take these hats out to admire them and remember Grandma. But, perhaps I don’t need five of them.

Other things that were difficult to get rid of were things my Mom gave me that I loved at the time. My mom was (and still is) very good at shopping for me. A lot of the things she bought me were gifts or hand-me-downs that have survived wear and tear for fifteen to twenty years. Considering I’m still young-ish, that is a long time to own these items, and my style has definitely shifted since then. I still use many of the things she bought me, but alas I have to confess that it is time to let some of them go because high school and college have been over along with many of my preferences.

I Love Stitch Fix, But…

After removing a number of clothes from my closet, I added some storage drawers to the closet, freeing up way more room for me and my husband’s shoes and the clothes we actually do wear. I ended up donating quite a few clothes to my local school and filling another box full of sellable items into a separate bin. Eventually, I plan on going through more clothes and seeing what else I can donate to local children. I noticed that a lot of these items have been purchased from Stitch Fix.

Initially I loved Stitch Fix. There was a time I was too lazy to shop for myself, and appreciated the “stylist” choosing clothes for me. I could experiment with clothes I normally wouldn’t reach for. However, I also often ended up purchasing ALL of the clothes they would send me in a box so that I could get the accompanying discount. The result was that ended up keeping even the clothes I did not always care for. Plus, a lot of the clothes were from unknown brands that used a lot of synthetic fibers in their pieces. So, unfortunately, I did discontinue the service even though I enjoyed trying on random outfits. It was contributing to my clothing clutter.

Have you ever had to declutter a significant amount of clothing clutter? What techniques did you use? Let me know in the comments below!

References

Maiti, R., (2024). Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact. Earth.Org. Retrieved from https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrimental-effect-on-the-environment/#:~:text=The%20Social%20Impacts%20of%20Fast%20Fashion&text=A%202018%20US%20Department%20of,and%20profits%20supersede%20human%20welfare.

Banister, E.N. and Hogg, M.K. (2004), “Negative symbolic consumption and consumers’ drive for self‐esteem: The case of the fashion industry”, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 38 No. 7, pp. 850-868. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560410539285

Bardey, A., Booth, M., Heger, G., & Larsson, J. (2022). Finding yourself in your wardrobe: An exploratory study of lived experiences with a capsule wardrobe. International Journal of Market Research, 64(1), 113-131. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470785321993743

Merriam-Webster, (2024). Hoarding. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoarding

McMains S, Kastner S. Interactions of top-down and bottom-up mechanisms in human visual cortex. J Neurosci. 2011 Jan 12;31(2):587-97. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3766-10.2011. PMID: 21228167; PMCID: PMC3072218.

Sander, L., (2019). What does clutter do to your brain and body? News GP. Retrieved from https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/what-does-clutter-do-to-your-brain-and-body