In the previous posts, we reviewed how to find your personal uniform, how to assess your space, determine how much clothing you should have, how to determine how many pieces to retire, and how to remove unwearable clothing.

Now that you’ve set aside clothing that is unwearable and dissonant with your personal uniforms, it’s time to review if there is still an excess of clothing to reach your target wardrobe size. If so, or if you know you’re holding onto some pieces “just in case” you’ll need them later, this post is for you. 

In this post, we’ll continue decluttering your wardrobe by overcoming the “just in case” mentality that many people have when it comes to keeping the less worn pieces in their wardrobe.

What is the “just in case” mentality? 

For the purposes of this post, the “just in case” mentality refers to the unreasonable storing of wardrobe pieces that are kept out of fear they will be needed in the future. 

Reasonable vs. unreasonable storing of wardrobe pieces

It’s likely that you have wardrobe pieces that are dissonant to your most common personal uniforms - like your personal work or everyday uniform. 

Let’s examine if those pieces are reasonable or unreasonable to keep despite their dissonance or infrequent use. 

Reasonable: Pieces that are needed for specific uses such as: 

• Formal occasions

• Actvities, like camping or skiing

• Seasonal  

Unreasonable: Pieces kept for no other reason other than:

• It’s good condition and potential to be worn

• Fear of creating material waste

• Fear of wasting money

Let’s review a few examples of both reasonable and unreasonable storing of pieces that may be kept in your wardrobe “just in case” it could be needed in the future.

Reasonable storing of wardrobe pieces  - example from my wardrobe:

I have a floor length gown in my wardrobe that isn’t practical to wear to work or in everyday settings. However, for the few formal events that I go to a year, it does get worn. I hold onto this gown “just in case” I’m going to a formal event.

Do you have any pieces you keep “just in case” you need it for a formal occasion?

If so, ask yourself the following questions: 

1. Does this piece align to my personal style? Yes, this pieces still aligns to my personal style because of the high neckline, dark base color and light pink and blue accents

2. Does this piece fit me? Yes, this piece fits me, but is admittedly tighter than when I first bought it.

3. Is this piece in good condition? Yes, this piece is in pretty good condition. It does have a few fabric snags in the back, but it’s not too noticeable.

4. Do I have the space to store this piece in a way that it’s easily accessible, discoverable, and won’t damage it? Not really. I have a dedicated closet for infrequently worn pieces, such as seasonal coats and formalwear. I do need to declutter the space though because it’s difficult to easily get this piece out.

5. Is this piece unique and special enough to warrant keeping? Yes, this is the only ‘black tie’ appropriate dress I have. The floral design is also unique and there isn’t another piece that could really be substituted for this in my wardrobe.

1. Additional help: Do you already have 5 other dresses, when your personal uniform cheat sheet dictates you only need 3, that align to your uniform? What makes this piece different and worthy of keeping? 

6. Will this piece be worn at least once or twice a year? It could depending on how many formal events I go to.

7. Is this a ‘timeless’ piece that can survive years of storage and still be worn despite changes in fashion trends? Yes, this dress is fairly timeless due to its classic silhouette and dark coloring. The shoulders can be worn in two different ways and one of the ways is more classic than the other.

If the answer to most these questions is “Yes”, like it was for me with the gown, then that piece would be a reasonable to keep in your wardrobe, despite it’s infrequent use. 

Important note:

Consider that even if you’ve answered ‘Yes’ to the questions above, a piece that’s in storage most of the time has a chance of no longer fitting you or aligning to your personal style when you do actually need it. Therefore, it’s important to really think critically about the above questions before deciding to keep a piece in the finite storage space you have. Otherwise, you’re keeping clutter in your closet and ultimately buying something new anyway.

Unreasonable storing of wardrobe pieces - example 1 from my wardrobe:

I have an Osprey hiking backpack in my wardrobe that isn’t practical for most settings. It was expensive, especially for me when I purchased it at the time, so I’ve held onto it for nearly 10 years “just in case” I go on a backpacking trip.

Do you have any pieces you keep “just in case” you need it for a speciality activity, like hiking?  

If so, ask yourself the following questions: 

1. Does this piece align to my personal style? Yes, despite buying this backpack almost a decade ago, it still aligns to my personal style given the natural base color and light colored accent as well as the tactical nature of the piece.

2. Does this piece fit me? Not really, this backpack is a little uncomfortable to wear and much more intense than what I need. I’m sure this could partly be addressed by adjusting the many straps on it, but I’ve learned that I’m not interested in backpacking and instead prefer short day hikes where a less intense bag is more appropriate.

3. Is this piece in good condition? Yes, this piece is in pretty good condition as it was used just once for a ~2 hour hike.

4. Do I have the space to store this piece in a way that it’s easily accessible, discoverable, and won’t damage it? Not really. This piece is currently stored on top of my wardrobe making it difficult to access it and the other pieces stored next to it given the lack of space.

5. Is this piece unique and special enough to warrant keeping? No. This piece is not special to me and I already have several other backpacks that better align to my personal uniform and needs.

6. Will this piece be worn at least once or twice a year? No. This piece has only been worn once and it was 9 years ago.

7. Is this a ‘timeless’ piece that can survive years of storage and still be worn despite changes in fashion trends? Yes, but I’ve realized that this backpack doesn’t make sense for my lifestyle.

If the answer to most these questions is “No”, like it was for me with this hiking backpack, then that piece would be a reasonable to retire from in your wardrobe.

The hiking backpack takes up space at the top of my wardrobe. It’s difficult to access other bags that are more frequently used because the hiking backpack takes up so much space.

Unreasonable storing of wardrobe pieces - example 2 from my wardrobe:

I have two Fjallraven Mini Kanken backpacks in my wardrobe despite not needing that many bags for my personal uniform. I purchased my first Fjallraven backpack in 2016 and loved it so much, that I bought a second one in the black color in 2019. I’ve kept both backpacks “just in case” one color better matches my outfit and out of guilt for getting rid of a piece.

Do you have any unnecessary duplicate pieces you keep “just in case” one piece better matches your outfit?  

If so, ask yourself the following questions: 

1. Does this piece align to my personal style? Yes. The Fjallraven Mini Kanken backpack has definitely fallen in popularity compared to when I first purchased it in 2016, however it still aligns with my personal style which is a harmonious blend of polished and practical pieces wit a sense of adventure and can be described as minimal, sporty, and chic.

2. Does this piece fit me? Yes.

3. Is this piece in good condition? Yes. The grey backpack appears to be in better condition than the all black one, although it could likely be cleaned up and restored.

4. Do I have the space to store this piece in a way that it’s easily accessible, discoverable, and won’t damage it? Not really. These bags are currently barely hanging on to the hooks inside my closet. They have also been stored in multiple places over the years and each location has never felt quite right. Decluttering the bags in my closet will make it easier to see what I have, ensure the pieces last a long time, and get frequently used.

5. Is this piece unique and special enough to warrant keeping? No. It doesn’t make sense for my personal uniforms to have two of this same bag. There are instances in my wardrobe where I have duplicates, but those are for pieces that get worn much more frequently.

6. Will this piece be worn at least once or twice a year? No. I tend to only use one of these bags. The grey colored one doesn’t show dirt as much, so I tend to use it more than the black one.

7. Is this a ‘timeless’ piece that can survive years of storage and still be worn despite changes in fashion trends? Not really. I wouldn’t consider this backpack timeless because it feels very associated to a specific aesthetic and time, however I don’t mind because I feel it also aligns to my personal style.

If the answer to most these questions is “No”, like it was for me with having duplicates of the same backpack, then that piece would be a reasonable to retire from in your wardrobe.

Do you really need a puffer coat in Texas? A note on seasonal clothing: 

A good friend of mine moved from New York City to Dallas, Texas a few years ago. She decided to keep her puffer coat, even though it’s not needed for Texas because she travels to New York and other locations with colder climates annually. She decided to keep the coat, even though its not needed for most of the year, because it would be too expensive to purchase when needed again. 

Tips:

• Let go of your guilt

• If a piece of clothing is already in your wardrobe, the act of creating waste has already been done. The best you can do at this point is be more mindful about what you choose to bring or accept into your wardrobe in the future.  

• The pieces in your wardrobe will eventually make their way to a landfill one way or another. Even if you keep that piece in your wardrobe until you die, sorry to be morbid, whoever is responsible for cleaning out your home, will need to remove it. If you donate or sell your clothing, eventually an owner will need to throw the garment away or recycle it. And whatever the piece is recycled into, will eventually be discarded as well. At some point or another, everything has an ‘end of life’.

• Therefore, it’s a fool’s errand to guilt yourself about creating waste when waste is inevitable the moment a piece enters your possession. Instead,  it’s  much more helpful to focus on being mindful about what you bring under your care going forward by changing your habits so you don’t contribute to future wardrobe waste. 

• If you’re holding onto clothing ‘just in case’ you lose weight, refer this previous post for guidance on how to handle.

Coming up next:

Declutter the sentimental items

Unlock a clutter-free closet! 

Subscribe to my newsletter to stay up-to-date with this Wardrobe Decluttering series, exclusive wardrobe trivia, and related projects.