Closets feel cramped for a reason, and it usually isn’t because you don’t have enough space. You keep items that don’t fit your life, pieces you never reach for, and “maybe someday” clothes that create visual noise every time you get dressed. Many people assume decluttering means getting rid of a lot, but the bigger goal is keeping only what you can actually use.
This article breaks down the top three things that waste space in your closet and how to deal with them quickly. You’ll learn how to spot the categories that quietly take over, why they’re hard to let go of, and what to replace them with so your closet works better.
I’ll also share simple rules for keeping what you love and releasing what just creates indecision. By the end, you’ll have more breathing room and outfits that feel easier to put together.
1. Stuff That’s Way Past Its Prime (But Keeps You From Replacing It)
Socks, bras, underwear – major culprits. If you have a mix of really old ones that are no longer sufficient for their purpose AND fairly new ones you’ve bought along the way, that volume of old stuff creates a false sense of abundance.
Bras that don’t fit, aren’t supportive. Underwear that’s saggy, falling apart, has holes. If you keep it around, you’ll end up wearing it. Old fast fashion pieces work this way too – badly made clothes you’re hanging onto because they’re familiar or have ONE quality you like, but overall? They look bad.
If you took everything fitting that description out of your wardrobe, how much breathing room would you have? How much bandwidth for working towards better personal style?
Not everyone can replace everything at once. But if you never remove tattered things, you never have the motivation to replace them. Solution: remove everything that’s blah, put it in a box at the bottom of your closet or a bottom drawer – away from where its category usually lives. Pretend to be without it. See what you miss, what you reach for first.
I did this with pajamas recently. Uncomfortably overstuffed drawer of bulky pajamas I didn’t like, most carried over from a past life, worn out, ill-fitting. I kept thinking “I have SO many pajamas, I can’t buy more.” But every time I opened that drawer: “Ugh.” Always felt like I had nothing to sleep in.
One day I got fed up. Took everything out, started putting back only what I loved. It was TWO things. That entire drawer was just stuff wasting space. Suddenly I had a vision of five or six sets of what I actually love. That vision was motivating. Made it happen. Simplified my life. Comfortable every night, cute every night.
2. Clothes You WILL Wear Again… But Aren’t Wearing Now
Listen to me. If you’re not wearing it RIGHT NOW, what are you doing to yourself having it in your face every day? How can we live like this?
Box it up. Store it somehow. Even without much space – just get it out of your line of sight. Give yourself the gift of a capsule wardrobe culled from your larger wardrobe. This may be the number one greatest thing I’ve done for myself in terms of how I store and interact with clothes.
It’s not always seasonal stuff or things that don’t fit because your weight fluctuates (though those are great reasons too). Sometimes I just start putting stuff in a box: “Don’t feel like it right now. Won’t declutter it. Will probably wear it again. Just not vibing with it and don’t want it in my face.”
Forgive me for this digression, but you know that Montessori parenting advice about rotating toys? When all toys are out all the time, kids get overwhelmed, numb to possibilities, bored even with SO many toys. Put almost all toys away, have just six out for a week or two – they play MORE and get MORE creative. Switch them out, suddenly: “Oh my gosh, NEW toys!”
We’re all just toddlers. This is what I’m saying. If it’s not fresh to you, if you’re not reaching for it, if it’s not seasonal, if it doesn’t fit right now – GET IT OUT OF YOUR FACE.
Here’s my radical advice: anything you probably won’t wear this week (or this month if we’re generous) – if you hold it up and the answer to “will I wear this in the next 3 weeks?” is no – just put it away. You don’t have to declutter it. Just temporarily remove it. Could potentially change your life. THE DRAMA, HANNAH. Okay, moving on.
3. Stuff With Emotional Baggage
This is an umbrella category representing A LOT. Expensive pieces you never wear and regret buying. Gifts you don’t like. Things reminding you of your past self. Clothes that don’t fit because bodies fluctuate. Stuff that makes you anxious and you’re not sure why.
You don’t have to know WHY it’s laden with emotional baggage. But you’ll know if it IS – especially if you go through your wardrobe asking yourself this about each garment.
My radical advice: GET IT ALL OUT. I know that’s challenging. Here’s my guidance:
Have a “decide later” box. Separate from the “not vibing today” box. This is: “I need to decide if I’m decluttering this, but I can’t decide today.” A whole box of that counts as getting it out of your closet.
Archive beloved pieces you probably won’t ever wear again but don’t want to let go because of good memories. You don’t have to sell them OR keep them hanging in your closet. Sometimes keeping something for good memories causes bad feelings when you’re trying to whittle down to things you actually wear.
Donate to shelters. People knocked down by life who are trying to get back on their feet need high-quality, lightly worn clothing. Your expensive regrets? You don’t have to do all the labour to recoup the investment OR hang onto it feeling bad. Pay it forward. Turn your folly into a wonderful gift.
If you need to recoup investment, set aside a specific day for consigning/listing. Put it on your calendar. Work towards it. That deadline helps you have clarity.
And lastly: It’s okay to make the wrong choice. You might take a loss. You might have eventually learned to love something if you’d kept it. That’s okay. If it’s in your closet making you feel bad NOW, it IS bad. That’s less than you deserve. Even a slightly subpar choice is net positive – you took steps to take care of yourself and let go of the need for total control.
The 3 Things Wasting Space in Your Closet and What to Do About Them
Closets feel packed because too many items fail one of three tests: you do not wear them, they do not fit your current life, or they do not work with anything else.
The top space-wasters:
“Maybe” clothes (the guilt section). You keep them because they cost money or used to fit. If you avoid them for months, they block your real outfits.
Orphan pieces. These require a special bra, a specific shoe, or one perfect bottom you never have clean. If a piece needs a supporting cast, it rarely earns wear.
Backups you never choose. You own five versions of the same top, but you always reach for one. The rest just steal hanger space.
Common mistakes:
You organize without editing. Pretty bins will not fix a closet full of non-wearable items.
You keep “project” clothes that need tailoring, repairs, or styling you never do.
You store items in prime real estate that you wear twice a year.
Fast fix that actually works:
Pull out 10 items you wore most last month. Hang them together. That’s your true style core.
Move anything you did not wear in 6 months to a “prove it” section. If you still ignore it, let it go.
Your closet should support your daily life, not your fantasy life.
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And as you know, I seriously love seeing your takes on the looks and ideas on here - that means the world to me! If you recreate something, please share it here in the comments or feel free to send me a pic. I'm always excited to meet y'all! ✨🤍
Xoxo Giulia
