9 Types of Clothes You Can Declutter Immediately

Have you ever looked into your closet and felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of items? It’s a common scenario for many, but it doesn’t have to be that way for you. To get you started, here are nine types of clothing items you can consider removing from your closet today:

0:00 Intro
1:08 Non-Fitting Clothes
1:26 Untouched for a Year
1:38 Damaged Beyond Repair
1:51 Special Occasion Outfits
2:05 Memory-Laden Clothes
2:22 Unwanted Gifts
2:31 Uncomfortable Shoes
2:45 The ‘I’ll Fit into This Again’ Garment
3:06 Emotionally Charged Items

---
Recent videos:

7 Life Changing Strategies to Change Your Spending Habits Series

24 Things to Declutter in 2024

---
Most popular videos:

3 Things to Buy to be Happier, According to Science

Top 10 Things to Declutter Right Now

---
You can read more tips in my newest book, Things That Matter: Overcoming Distraction to Pursue a More Meaningful Life:

Read hundreds of articles on decluttering and owning less on the Becoming Minimalist blog.

---

[cs]

I recently purged my clothes that I used to wear to the office. I’ve been doing telehealth since March 2020 and realized if I ever do have to stop working from home, I’ll get clothes for that then. And I also finally got rid of my “cancer clothes” - scarves and caps I wore in chemo, and post-surgery compression items. If my cancer does come back I’ll re-buy that stuff, but seeing it on my shelf just made me feel sad and scared.

[NicholasHallows]

I used to buy a band t-shirt after every gig/show I went to back in the 90s and early 2000s. I had bags of them in the attic, and they were all too big for me (as was the style at the time). When I discovered minimalism a few years ago I photographed them and sold them on ebay. I made £££s and it completely funded a holiday to Vietnam.

[i.m.]

Around 2015, I had a massive weight gain due to a myriad of issues but kept my "skinny" clothes in the closet. Finally, I decided to donate the clothes so that at least somebody could use them. Lo and behold my weight-loss efforts (calorie-counting) started to make a difference and I am so happy and grateful! Now my closet is pretty bare but I love it that way and will be very deliberate about any new pieces.

[Christine-zkhk]

The only thing I disagree with in part is clothes you haven't worn in over a year. I have a couple of outfits that I wear for special occasions, like weddings. I'm retired and my daily clothes are very casual. So that is what I mainly have. But occasionally I get invited to something where my daily casual clothes aren't appropriate. So I keep 1 or 2 outfits for those rare times. Better than having to go out and buy something.

[franceskueh]

I declutter my clothing occasionally, but the one piece I will never throw out is a top my late mum bought me, before her cancer diagnosis.. it’s been nearly 15 years and I still cherish it..

[TamaraJoy]

I watched, hit liked, ran to my wardrobe and spent a super productive hour or two going through everything with all your tips in mind, trying on clothes I hadn’t worn in ages, looking carefully at the fit, quality, usefulness etc… wow! 3 bags later I feel sooo much lighter. Thank you!

[JoVo]

I’ve been decluttering for about 3 years now and I’m finally starting to let go of the things that I’ve passed over many times before. I’m getting brutal with my own honesty.
And once you give yourself permission…it’s truly liberating.
Loved this topic Joshua.
Clothes are so personal and easy to unintentionally hoard.

[Dina]

Soon after my beloved ❤ husband passed away, I tried to donate his clothing: suits, jackets, coats, etc . . . but psychologically I was not ready. I would break out in tears every time I tried to do it because I felt like I was trying to erase his memory. I must admit it took me years to finally get around to doing it even though the clothes were taking space in the closet. The clothes were in good condition and was happy to know someone would benefit from my donation. Others might disagree but that’s just me, a sentimental woman.

[kimking]

I found that decluttering my clothes has also significantly reduced my laundry chore. I can't wait as long to do laundry, so I end up with much less to do. Great ideas in this video!

[robertarisz]

Damaged clothes - I keep them in a separate bag that I dig into before going on trips. You can get one more wear out of them before discarding while on the road. It saves travelling around with dirty laundry and frees up space for things you might pick up on the way.

[susannegiesen]

I have always been slim, although I always ate a lot and always loved eating. But when Menopause came along I gained a lot of weight, althogh I haven't changed anything in my diet. Then at one point I realised that I will never be able to loose the weight, so I gave away all my slim (and very nice) clothes. Short time later my love passed away and through grief I lost so much weight (without wanting to) that I ended up totally skinny (My weight at that time was 50kg). So I regret that I had given away all those clothes because they might have fit me then - even though they might have been a bit too big. So I had to buy a lot of because I had less money I started buying most everything second hand, so it was affordable at least....Nowadays my weight is pretty normal again- thanks to the Lord🙏Greetings from Germany 😊

[daisydukes]

I’m not getting rid of clothes I love unless I absolutely know I will never fit into them. I buy nice clothes and only what I love. I’m fitting back into clothes since I lost weight and I’m so glad I kept them!

[cjhoward]

I wear all my different clothes. I couldn’t just wear the same black tshirt over and over again. Variety is the spice of life 😀👍🏻

[kakylong]

My Hubby & I recently cleaned out our garage & got rid of several huge garbage bags full of clothes. It felt good to get rid of them & gain back the space in our garage. Great video. 😊

[Gcuve]

I have a different take on this. I have half my closet full of things I bought but never wear. This is a constant reminder of my past overspending and I use it in a positive way to remind myself why I shouldn’t buy more. The scarcity mindset that I feel when I over-purge my space doesn’t work for me. I need to have all my extra books, kitchen stuff, makeup, etc, etc around me to feel like I am satisfied and don’t need more. Whatever works for the individual to minimize the pull of consumerism is the best choice.

[janetstonerook]

I had a lot of somber clothing items from my years as a hospice worker. I kept them for years after retiring thinking I could use them as wardrobe stretchers. Wrong! I always felt like I was going to a funeral! I felt so much better just donating all of them!

[kellywade]

This video is a breath of fresh perfection. Duration, pacing, lighting, music choice, narration and practical, doable content.

[marystackpole]

My Life is much improved since I found your site and I have great satisfaction knowing people are benefitting from my donations, so it's a Win-Win situation! I was a poor kid who needed more clothes and now I am very comfortable and like my mother said "Share the wealth!" It makes me very, very Happy to do so!!! Thank you Joshua!!♥️♥️♥️♥️

[dsr]

Clothes are the hardest thing for me to get rid of. My excess pieces are stored neatly, awaiting the day that one of my current pieces wears out. They are like money in the bank, and I never buy anything new since I retired a few years ago. Part of me says to get rid of them. The other part says I'm saving myself the time, inconvenience, and cost of eventually having to replace them. Sigh... The struggle is real.

[eckehareckbert]

Love that it was straight forward, short and informative. I have no time to listen for long intro as other content creators videos