Over the last few years, as we have grown our family, it has become even clearer that there is a balance between having too few clothes, which puts pressure on making sure everything is clean, and having so many clothes that managing the inventory alone feels overwhelming.
To combat this, I’m very thoughtful when I bring in new clothes and regularly go through our wardrobes to see what can be decluttered or stored (as we store some items as hand-me-downs).
As our children have sensory needs, I’m extra cautious when purchasing new clothing items to ensure they are comfortable, functional and easy to care for. I’m also quick to cull anything that is itchy, too tight or uncomfortable. Items that are too tight but are in good condition are usually stored for our younger children; everything else gets passed on to friends for their children or donated, as these items are still in good condition but just not suited to our particular children’s needs and comfort levels.
Things to Consider When Purchasing New Clothes
There is a lot to consider when purchasing new clothing.
How budget-friendly the item is – You don’t want something that will fall apart with one wash, but you also don’t want to break the bank to clothe yourself or your family. Before I go shopping, I’ll have a mental or physical list of things to look out for. For example, the kids might have outgrown their socks, so I’ll keep that in mind when shopping and have a budget in mind that I’m able and comfortable to pay.
How comfortable the item is – This is especially important for everyday wear items that you or your children are expected to wear for the full day (or night). You want to look for items that you can wear without a mental tab open, thinking about the way your pants dig in or how scratchy the lace is.
How often it is likely to be worn – Do you have a use case for the item? Does it match items you currently own? You want things that fit your lifestyle and your current wardrobe to make them easier to style and more likely to be worn on some sort of rotation.
The care requirements of the piece – Do the care requirements match your time, energy and use case? If you are looking at a dress that is hand-wash only but you plan to wear it on repeat during summer and have low energy, the item doesn’t match up, so I wouldn’t buy it. If you have low energy like I do, purchasing more easy-care items takes the pressure off washing and also ensures your items last that little bit longer, as drying an item that is not dryer-friendly can wear out the piece quicker or damage it.
For my children, I opt for darker shorts and pants (such as navy and black). This way, when they are playing on the ground, the darker colours are less likely to show stains than lighter colours and pastels. It takes the pressure off stain-treating their clothes and means they can play more freely without me stressing about how to get their clothes clean, as we follow a money and energy budget – replacing or scrubbing clothing isn’t a part of the equation.
Decluttering Our Wardrobes
I declutter in two ways. The first is via a “get rid of” bin (it can be a shopping bag, an old gift bag or, in our case, a flexi-tub) that is kept in the wardrobe for when we come across items that we no longer want, that no longer fit or that we no longer use but are still in good condition.
For those items, we simply place them in the bin as we go. It means we don’t have to sort through what we want to sell, donate or pass on right away. Instead, we do that when the bucket fills up and we “process” the bucket all at once. This saves brain power and decision-making for other tasks day to day.
The second way I declutter is by going through each category of clothing on a semi-regular basis, tackling one drawer or hanging rail at a time. I schedule this in my calendar, which allows me to set time and energy aside to thoroughly go through each item, cull the items that no longer serve us and list things that we need (usually for the upcoming season as the kids grow).
Questions I Ask Myself When Decluttering
For the Kids
Does it still fit the child?
Does the child say they are uncomfortable or seem uncomfortable when wearing this item?
Does this item get worn often?
How easy is this to care for?
Does the child like it enough to wear it?
For items that don’t make the cut to stay in the wardrobe, I ask another set of questions:
Is this good enough to use? If not, I use it for rags or toss it (depending on the usability of the material).
Is this something I want to hold onto for the younger children? Will it be used again? If not, then it gets donated or offered to friends for their children.
For Myself
My partner declutters his own clothing.
Have I worn this piece in the last 12 months? Am I likely to wear it in the next 12 months?
Is this piece comfortable? Am I able to wear it for an extended period without it taking up mental space?
How easy is this to care for?
A note on occasion wear, maternity and nursing clothes
I do keep a couple of dresses for life events such as funerals, weddings and going out, but I ensure I keep it minimal. That way, when needed, I have a couple of options, but they aren’t taking up my whole wardrobe. I ensure my daily wear items make up the majority of my wardrobe.
I’ve also stored my minimal maternity and nursing items between babies. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, I continued to wear 80–90% of my wardrobe, as it’s made up of comfortable, stretchy and easy-to-wear items. Hence, I only needed a few maternity pieces.
Whether it’s adding a few things to your shopping list or decluttering one small section of your wardrobe, do one thing today that your future self will thank you for.
