6 Life Changing Benefits of a Massive Clothing Purge

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Before I lived in a small space, I never worried about how many clothes I had in my closet. Until I pushed myself to downsize, a clothing purge had not been high on my list. But once I completed my wardrobe cleanse, I could clearly see the benefits of dressing with less and was able to kick my “closet anxiety” to the curb.

What we keep in our closets and put on our bodies each day is a much bigger deal than most of us would like to think. What we wear and how we feel in our clothes can impact our demeanor for the entire day.

Are you still thinking about decluttering your closet? Here are six life-changing benefits you’ll receive when you complete a massive clothing purge.

1. You can see everything in your closet.

The ability to see and access all your clothes is one of my favorite benefits of the closet purge. The days of digging through clothing squished together like sardines are over.

I didn’t realize how much anxiety those smothering clothes gave me until I organized them so they could actually breathe.

Ideas for organizing clothes:

In Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, the author discusses how to fold your clothes. When you fold them a specific way, they will fit in a drawer, bin, etc., without stacking or hiding under other items.

When you can view everything in your closet, you’ll also be able to gauge what you aren’t wearing and quickly free yourself of it.

2. You can get dressed fast.

It’s not a myth. You can get dressed way faster with fewer clothes than when you have a massive closet with lots of options.

Extra time and decision fatigue are why Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple, wore the same outfit every day. You don’t have to go as far as to wear the same black top and jeans as Jobs did, but the idea of an outfit formula is helpful when dressing with less. 

When you purge clothes, what remains is only the outfits you absolutely love — the items you wear every week and know you are confident and comfortable wearing.

Since you don’t have that many clothes, you’ll know your outfits inside and out. Which tops look good with what bottoms, what dress with what shoes, and what jewelry and accessories complement the outfit best. 

You won’t have to think twice when getting dressed.

3. You will naturally keep your closet small.

A clothing purge doesn’t happen overnight; it will require time and energy to complete. But once you have put in the time, you will automatically start to reconsider new items before making a purchase.

The effort you put in to cleanse your wardrobe also gives you a deeper understanding of your priorities within your closet.

A few examples of what I learned from my purge: 

• I don’t love preppy styles on myself anymore
• As I get older, I only wear comfortable shoes
• I’m not as into bright colors as I used to be

Now that I’m in tune with my changes in style, I’m one step ahead when I see something that I THINK I’ll wear. 

Once you’ve decluttered, you’ll be more selective about what you allow in your now curated masterpiece — no more buying a ton of clothes on a whim! You’ll be willing to take the extra steps to limit decluttering in the future.

4. You won’t feel guilty every time you open your closet.

Don’t underestimate the impact your closet has on the start of your day. Opening your closet is one of the first things you do in the morning. How that experience makes you feel will dictate your mood and how you begin your day.

If you look in your closet and immediately see the jeans that are too small, the top that makes you look too broad, or the floral dress that cost you a fortune but you’ve only worn once – it’s unfair to you.

Clothes that don’t fit you, are no longer your style, or still have their tags hanging from them only make you feel guilty. We all experience changes in our body and style, and guess what – we make purchasing mistakes. It’s part of life.

We get used to feeling stress and anxiety when we open our closets and start desperately searching for what to wear. I know I did – but this shouldn’t be the norm.

Getting rid of clothes that make you feel guilty is the first step to changing the vibe in your closet.

5. You can hone in on your personal style.

During your wardrobe purge, you’ll naturally start to recognize details within your style.

As you continue to get rid of items, you’ll most likely notice a pattern in the things you keep. Whether it’s florals, neutrals, color, a preppy look, an edgy look, or a more minimalistic style – you’ll be able to identify a common theme.

There are many examples of minimal or capsule wardrobes that include only neutral tones. There’s nothing wrong with this, but don’t think just because you want a smaller wardrobe, it needs to be neutral colors. You can dress boho or have neon colors and still have a small wardrobe.

Maybe you like headscarves, colorful totes or heels, statement earrings, or wear your makeup a certain way. All these things put together can be unique to you and your own signature style.

Remember, fashion is temporary, but style is timeless! It’s worth taking the time to find your style.

Read more about Building a Minimalist Capsule Wardrobe.

GET STARTED: One of my favorite books for getting in the mindset to explore your style and purge your closet is The Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees. I still love to reread this anytime my wardrobe needs an adjustment.

6. You’ll start saving money and time.

A good closet purge is a gift that keeps on giving. Once you’re genuinely happy with your closet, you’ll save money and time due to your new knowledge of managing your wardrobe.

How a Purge will Save You Money

How a Purge will Save You Time

Bottom line – after you’ve decluttered your closet, you’ll spend less time whipping out your credit card and more time enjoying the clothes you love.

How to Purge Your Closet

We’ve covered some great benefits of purging clothes, and congrats on making it this far! 

If these benefits sound good and you want to get serious, check out our post on How to Be Ruthless When Decluttering Clothes for a deep dive into three reasons we hang on to clothes we don’t need and three ways to get started clearing out your closet.

Want to learn more about downsizing your closet to a minimalist wardrobe?

Check out our 5 step guide to downsizing your wardrobe.

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