The art of decluttering

In 2019, fashion is all about reusing, recycling and re-styling. As we transition from winter to summer, to make things easier, let’s focus on the things that you can keep or toss from your wardrobe this season. An important step to compartmentalize your closet is to de-clutter the clothes that already exist. Remember the metallic jacket you purchased in the autumn or the peplum top from last season? Well, you have spent money buying those key pieces, so let it not go to waste.

Start by bringing out all of your non-seasonal items, suggests designer Gautam Gupta, who gives a low-down on how to sort the basics. He says, “Begin by cleaning your wardrobe — pull out all your stuff and ask yourself — do you still like it? Does it still fit? Are you going to wear it again? A lot of garments would not be suitable for summer like the bulky sweaters and jackets from last season. Make a list of the essentials you need to shop and keep aside your winter clothes for the next year. Sort out your stuff and make a bag for donation. Now, stock all of the items that you can wear this season. Keeping classic, timeless pieces that will always stay in fashion like a white t-shirt, black pants or classic silk shirt will always add value to outfits. You know they’ll always look good, and you can’t go wrong.”

One can always style their looks in different ways like pairing pastel colour tops with denim, skirts or jeans. You can also go with ankle-length dresses with a little bit of thread embroidery or pockets for a comfortable fit. Jumpsuits, a denim jacket, boyfriend jeans, white sneakers, denim shorts, chic cross body bags, hats, scarves, sunglasses, slides, umbrella and much more can be mixed and matched all summer to create multiple looks. Designer Suruchi Khanna believes that an organised wardrobe is a key to happy dressing. She adds, “In winters, normally we do a lot of layering, in my opinion, the best is to de-clutter by taking out two layers out of your cupboard - the warmers and pullovers. This gives a lot of space to breathe. One can keep tops, dresses, and denim intact, as those are all season apparels. Among accessories, you can totally store your high shoes, boots, etc while belts and soothing fabric caps can continue their magic in summers as well.”

For working women and students, who prefer comfortable clothes that do not require too much maintenance, a mix of formal and casual clothes can do the trick. According to Sanjita Prasad, founder of fashion brand Ira Soleil, “We believe in keeping a lot of casual-wears in the wardrobe, and it should include shrugs, maxi-dresses, and shirts. As these are the products can be worn in both seasons, it brings down the efforts of refurbishing the wardrobe. Secondly, always keep long-skirts in your wardrobe as they can be worn throughout the year. The other feasible options are beautiful stoles in subtle shades that can go with any look, and waist belts that look classy with dresses, denim, and pants.”

According to style experts, a thumb rule to de-cluttering your wardrobe could be, ‘if in one summer you do not peep out and show, the next summer for certain out you go.’ Pallavi Jain, the founder of Quince Casuals, recommends classification based on fabrics, colours, and utility. She sums up, “While preparing your summer wardrobe, keep aside your clothes in corduroys, twills, and wools. Replace it with cotton, linen, and rayon to beat the heat. Invest in good fabrics and clothes with sleek cuts. Synthetic blends will not last long and won’t be wearable in hot temperature, so avoid it. Go for cotton button down shirts in solid shades, neutral colour knee-length dresses, comfy denim, trousers and skirts that never go out of fashion.”