If the idea of putting on every piece of clothing you own seems both daunting and unnecessary, you might want to think again.
Experts say the viral “try it on or toss it” trend circulating on social media platforms like TikTok is an incredibly effective way of decluttering your wardrobe.
“I’m trying on everything on in my closet to see what I should keep and what I should get rid of,” American content creator Claire Pullen tells her audience in one video with more than 601,000 views. Pullen made a series out of the chore, with each clip dedicated to a different style of garment, including jackets, belts and tops.
New Zealand-based fashion influencer Brooklyn Ellis also posted about her process of trying on everything she owned. “I’ve just handed in my master’s thesis and so finally I’ve got time to do this,” she explained in her video, before proceeding to walk the audience through every top she had in her wardrobe.
Ellis and Pullen are part of a growing trend where creators seek to declutter their wardrobe via the seemingly tedious method of trying on every single item of clothing they own. There are thousands of videos of people standing in front of their wardrobe, and putting pieces on one-by-one.
Decluttering the wardrobe is a task everyone has to face at some point and often, it involves being confronted by an overflowing wardrobe, which can prompt procrastination and overwhelm. But is it necessary to try on everything you own to declutter? Every single piece? Really?
‘Try it or toss it’
“Yes, ‘try or toss’ is spot on,” says Jo Carmichael, professional organiser and founder of All Sorted Out.
While it might take longer, the “try it or toss it” method often yields insightful epiphanies about your clothes. “You actually realise you’ll never wear it, or that it surprisingly looks ‘wow nice,’” says Carmichael, who also notes that due to online shopping, many people don’t try clothes on before buying them, leading to items not fitting properly and barely being worn.
Cath Buxton, owner of My Curated Life, agrees this particular method is effective at helping you declutter your wardrobe, and is often her first step with new clients.
“It allows you to see the true volume of your clothes and grasp the scope, which can be quite shocking – most of us only wear 20 per cent of our clothing 80 per cent of the time,” she says, explaining that it forces you to decide on every item, face hard truths and introduce accountability that isn’t there when you’re simply looking and assessing.
Buxton advises starting by sectioning out your wardrobe into smaller categories that don’t feel as overwhelming. “Doing it this way allows you to see how much of that category you own as well as how many similar items, and keeps the task manageable,” she says.
Embrace ‘micro-decluttering’
Rather than attempting to declutter your entire wardrobe in one go, it’s actually preferable you take an ongoing approach to minimising your closet.
“A big overhaul is great, but my biggest tip to keep on top of your wardrobe (or any space in your home) is micro-decluttering,” Buxton says.
Put a basket at the bottom of your wardrobe and make “one per cent decisions all the time”, she suggests. If you notice, for instance, that you’re always going past the same piece and have never found a time to wear it – “pop it in the basket right away”.
Navigating complex emotions
Our clothes hold memories, and are often associated with personal aspirations, relationships or experiences. So decluttering and cleaning out the closet can quickly become an emotional activity.
“I always talk about the process first, so they’re kind of prepared,” Carmichael says.
Reframing how you view your clothes is a powerful way to move through the emotions, says Buxton.
“The pieces in your wardrobe should reflect your current identity and support the life you’re living and what you’re doing right now, not a past version of your story, nor a future aspirational version of a life you wish you were living,” she says. “Letting go of these pieces can be liberating and allow you to be present in the now.”
Ultimately, the end result makes all of it worth it. Carmichael says overhauling the wardrobe space is “the icing on the cake”.
And you won’t just have more physical space, but more mental clarity, too. “Having fewer, more intentional pieces in your wardrobe eliminates decisions, makes getting dressed easier, and allows you to focus your time on more important things,” Buxton says.
“Your wardrobe should serve you, not the other way around.”
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