Fashion Magic 101: Closet Decluttering Tips

Make your closet feel a thousand times better about itself.

I have a new book, out now! It’s called Little Guide to Fashion Magic: A Mindful and Mystical Approach to the Everyday Art of Getting Dressed. This post is an excerpt from it.

If you’re ready to shake things up in your life, start with your closet.

Get LITTLE GUIDE TO FASHION MAGIC here

A good closet clutter-clearing session isn’t just about making space—it’s pure fashion magic. Think of it like tuning up a beloved instrument or polishing a car until it gleams: it’s satisfying, energizing, and sets the tone for everything else.

Do it to fine-tune your wardrobe and get it ship shape. Do it whenever you feel stuck, bored, or just like you’ve got some stuff you don’t like.

You sharpen your fashion magic powers by being conscious of, and intentional about, what you’ve got. When your whole closet is full of stuff you love, that looks great on you, and that you have fun ideas about how you might wear, your life will improve in a million ways.


But what you’re about to do is so much more than clutter clearing. It’s also an opportunity to notice things that need ironing, repairing, or adjusting. Like maybe you would totally wear something, but first you need to cut the sleeves off or tear a few inches off the bottom. Or maybe you need to try on some stuff and notice other ways you could wear it, like by rolling up the sleeves or pairing it with something unexpected, like knee socks, or fun earrings, or a tie. And if a waist is a little too tight but everything else about the garment is great, maybe you want to take it out yourself, have it altered by someone else, or try stretching it out for a while to see if you can create more comfort.

Speaking of which, listen up: our bodies are always changing. And that’s fine. And good. And normal. So, sometimes your stuff will be too big and sometimes it will be too small. Neither one of these is superior to the other. They are both just totally valid reasons to get new clothes. So yay!

The idea of your body changing likely inspires all sorts of emotions, from euphoria to pride to dread to straight up panic, but that’s all the result of messages that are icky, harmful, and false. Certain sizes of bodies are not superior to other sizes of bodies. Certain ages of bodies are not superior to other ages of bodies. No one should go around hungry and exhausted all day to try to force their body to look a way it doesn’t want to look.

We’ve all absorbed a ton of unhinged messaging from our culture, and we can’t help but suffer as a result. Acknowledge that. Then remind yourself that negative thoughts about your body aren’t true and don’t even originate with you. They have been implanted via a toxic and insidious cultural narrative.

We will continue to suffer from an endless onslaught of this messaging, but we can simultaneously continue to deprogram ourselves from this creepy cult, over and over and over again. Forever if necessary! Or for however long it takes. And one way to do that? Have clothes that fit and are comfortable. And don’t have clothes that don’t fit and aren’t comfortable. Ok? Ok.

I beg you, let your body look how it looks today, and celebrate it, and dress it accordingly, and comfortably, in clothes that fit. Because your body does so much for you, and it’s perfect.

Ok, now grab a nice big bottle or glass of water or something else hydrating. (Clearing clutter always makes me thirsty.) Play some music that makes you feel like your most confident and amazing self. Or, if you’re feeling tender, maybe something heartfelt or angsty. Anything that feels stirring and right to you in this moment will do.

And maybe light a stick of incense or a scented candle or diffuse some essential oil (this part may be a nonstarter if you live with any animals, children, or fussy adults).

Now, let’s get started. Pull out a big chunk of your wardrobe. Like, maybe your entire rack of clothes, but if that’s too overwhelming, then one substantial portion at a time will be fine. You could also start with your entire dresser or just one of your drawers. But, if you have a compact wardrobe or a very large room (or both), you can probably go ahead and pull every single thing out in one go.

You might want to do a little cleaning in the closet or drawers while you have everything out of there. Like a vacuum or a quick swipe with the duster, say.

Once you’ve pulled stuff out and cleaned the empty space little bit, look at each item individually. Try it on if you haven’t for a while. Does it feel great? Does is support your visions, goals, and dreams? Does it fit the vibe that you want? Do you love it? Does it fit you right? Have you worn it lately? And if you haven’t worn it lately, do you feel excited about wearing it soon? If it needs to be repaired, are you willing to repair it ASAP? Like, maybe even right this minute? Do you feel fabulous and comfortable in it when you are sitting, standing, and walking?

If you do want to keep it, put it back in your closet. If you don’t, tuck it into a trash bag to get it ready to donate. Or throw it out if it’s trash. (Like if it’s old underwear or a stained white shirt or socks with holes.)

Repeat this process with each section of your wardrobe. Pull everything out, examine it, and only put it back in if you still want it. It doesn’t have to be flashy or exceptional – it just has to be something you like, feel good in, and will wear.

I know you know the feeling of something just kind of hanging there and bumming you out. You might think to yourself, “I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it, and I have room for it, so why not keep it?” Well, I’ll tell you why not. Because it brings your whole vibe down. Don’t devalue yourself and your wardrobe by keeping it around. Get it out of there and make your closet feel a thousand times better about itself.

Once you go through everything, you might have a lot of stuff you don’t want, or you might have a little. You might have a ton of stuff you love, or you might have a few pieces left hanging. Regardless, you will be familiar with what you’ve got, and you’ll start to have fresh ideas about what you need more of, what new styles you’re feeling this season, and how certain pieces go together. You’ll also have a great opportunity to organize your stuff so it’s accessible and easy to find.

Once your closet is singing with joy, it’s time to donate the extras. Or to throw a clothes swap. (If you’re not sure what this is, look it up.)

Either way, remember that you’re taking what’s worthless to you and transforming it into value for someone else. You’re not sending out junk—you’re sending out wealth and beauty. And I believe that what we send out comes back to us multiplied. So, donating and swapping are ways of transforming what you don’t want into beautiful new energy that you do want. Like, you get rid of a bunch of old clothes, and in time you will attract beautiful new (or new-to-you) ones for amazing prices, or maybe even for free.

And that’s how you clear out your closet to lift your mood, polish up your wardrobe, and improve your life. Have fun with it and do it often.

Did you try this? Or do you have other clutter clearing tips you’d like to share? Please speak up in the comments below!

Here’s where you can get the Kindle book for just $3.99.

P.S. For all you longtime readers: Little Guide to Fashion Magic is a new, improved, and far more streamlined iteration of Magical Fashionista.