A decluttered wardrobe could lead to a happier life
HOW do you feel when you open your closet? More to the point how does your closet feel? Buried beneath those bargain rail leg warmers, way too skinny jeans and unworn dresses is a pile of useless emotional baggage. Bet you didn’t see it. Well, guess what? You’re not alone.
Your closet is more than just a collection of clothes. It’s a deeply personal space containing layers of old energy which, when coupled with an evolutionary gathering instinct, can create chaos. And let’s face it; a chaotic closet is not a happy closet.
I should know. For years I lived with the ironic dilemma of having a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear. As a fashion journalist and a stylist I hid behind a litany of work-appropriate excuses for my slipshod shopping habits. I was a classic impulse buyer — of that there was no denying. My wardrobe was a citadel to the shiny and showy with little regard for that which I actually needed (see near-literal interpretation of phrase: ‘fur coat no knickers’).
For me, novelty trumped practicality. Nothing made me weak at the knees quite like a must-have need-it-now hot-off-the-assembly line fashion fix; or indeed, seeing my credit card statement at the end of each month. Despite my endless vows to downsize, I consistently found myself waving at the shadow of a Groundhog weighed down in turbans and kaftans screaming that he doesn’t have the right shoes (vermin can be real divas).
My closet had become an extension of my ego rather than that of my lifestyle; the excess of which was weighing me down both physically and psychologically. What’s more, my stockpiling habits were self-perpetuating, rarely resulting in a cull. In fact, decluttering simply reinforced the prospect of loss and emotional vulnerability leading me to procrastinate and over-rationalise as to why I ‘needed’ so much.
It was time to get real. What started as a simple tidying exercise soon exposed a full length mirror of emotional triggers. Like any clearing exercise, things had to get messier before they got better. Old attachments, a fear of change, regret and compulsion are the hang-ups that keep us locked into repetitive patterns — the majority of which play out in how we shop and why we hoard. Not only did the process shed a harsh glare on the person I was pretending to be but the naked bulb hanging over my shopping habits wasn’t exactly flattering. Once I got clear about my personal hang-ups, I was better positioned to confront my inner hoarder and reframe the persistent patterns that were creating war within my wardrobe.
And the best bit? I did the same thing with just everyone I knew and took notes. Enter The Happy Closet. The Happy Closet is a lifestyle/wardrobe decluttering service that explores the link between hoarding and happiness; well-being and being well-dressed. By combining mindfulness exercises with behavioural therapy, the service aims to help release the unconscious hoarding patterns behind six core closet personalities: Impulse Buyer, Secret Shopper, Doomsday Prepper, Tired and Emotional, Black Widow and Split Personality.
It has also been made into a web series for the Frockadvisor Vimeo channel. Each session involves a pre-consultation designed to determine your closet type. Together we’ll open the doors on the tics feeding your inner pack rat, identifying which items should be kept, got rid of or tweaked with a large dose of honesty and black plastic bags.
You’ll also receive a follow-up diagnosis (the hang-ups and habits lurking in your closet), prescription (a personalised closet health-care programme) and after-care (tips and tools to keep your closet happy). Bye bye dread and indecision; hello thoughtful dresser. Granted, stashing is nothing new: its roots date back to Neolithic tribes who would hunt and gather food for survival. But with the advent of the retail jungle, our hunting and gathering instinct has become more non-essential and as such self-motivated.
We’ve moved away from the tribe and have instead formed affiliations with stores and brands, viewing retail as a reward rather than a reason. With reward comes emotional release, a heady cocktail of endorphins that keeps us hooked on that shopping high — over and over again. It’s not that you actually need 40-60 pairs of shoes (*what the average woman aged 25-44 owns) and more to the point, have you even worn all 40-60 of them? Given home dwellers in Ireland and Britain have the smallest abodes on average in Europe (847 sq ft and 818 sq ft respectively according to Apartmenttherapy.com); the want-need continuum needs a makeover — sharpish.
As for me, it’s been a case of evolution rather than revolution. The strategies I’ve applied to my own closet have created more flow and ease — but only with consistent and considered application. Remember: This isn’t simply a decluttering mission. It’s about sifting beneath the layers of confusion and finding out what’s really driving our collective primal impulses — that hunter gatherer DNA that insists on colonising every square inch of space. If you’ve ever wanted to have more with less, then it’s time to discover how happy your closet can be.
Want to see what The Happy Closet can do for you? Contact Annmarie at closethappiness@gmail.com  or 087-9764920 to book your own personalised session.
Impulse Buyer is an image-conscious and socially-driven creature for whom capsule dressing is a futuristic styling tablet; not a way of life. Shopping is hedonistic, spontaneous; never planned and subject to frequent bouts of buyer’s remorse.
Secret Shopper is fashion’s MI6 agent. Purchases are made with separate credit cards,
online parcels are sent to a postal order box and all newly acquired swag is stashed so carefully
it risks never being found.
Doomsday Prepper is the original stockpiler. Operating on a well-honed survivalist instinct, she believes in being prepared for all wardrobe emergencies. Large stocked walk-in closets are her signature; so is the odd clothing avalanche.
Tired and Emotional is the proud owner of a love-worn wardrobe. A closet nostalgic, she holds onto clothes well past their sell-by-date in the hopes that she can somehow make them work. She never does...
Black Widow’s wardrobe bears all the hallmarks of the Twilight costume department. She even needs a flashlight to get dressed. The idea of testing a bright colour or print scares her half to death. That’s why she’s fashion’s undead.
Split Personality is the ultimate fashion player: afraid to commit to one particular style in case she misses out. Determined to keep her options open, her closets multiply according to her many moods, resulting in ever-decreasing space and a chaotic personal style.
* Face hangers in the same direction. Each time you wear a garment, reverse the hanger. After six months, review which items haven’t been worn and donate items to charity or a consignment store.
* Visibility is accountability: Use skirt hangers to display boots and tension rods to hang shoes.
* Household items do double duty as storage spaces for jewellery: use tea light holders for rings and paper towel rods for bangles. Top tip? Turn a cutlery tray on its head; add hooks, et voila, necklace display!
* Change of season? Put all off-season clothes in vacuum storage bags and tuck away in a spare cupboard or attic to create more space.
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