What’s a ‘wardrobe detox’ and will it improve how I dress?

Detoxing, but make it fashion.

If you’re a woman who’s been on the internet or had a health- or diet-related conversation with other women, you’ll undoubtedly know what a ‘detox’ is. Celebrities famously love them, the juice industry has made bank from them and your co-worker has likely raved about the success of her newfangled detox diet. But it’s unlikely you’ve thought about detoxing in a fashion sense. 

When I first heard about a ‘wardrobe detox,’ I was a little confused. How does it differ from a regular wardrobe clearout, and why would we need to go so far as to ‘detox’ our closets? 

For more on rehoming your wardrobe, head to our Pre-Loved section.

What’s a wardrobe detox?

At its core, a wardrobe detox is a practice designed to make your closet more curated and functional. If you’re often finding yourself surrounded by the contents of your wardrobe but unable to pull together an outfit that feels authentically ‘you’, then a detox is probably in order. According to my research, a wardrobe detox requires you to meticulously take stock of everything you currently have in your closet and to make some difficult decisions (fellow Libras, I’m sorry). 

Do you really need eight pairs of black pants? Why do you have a wardrobe full of button-ups that you almost never wear? Is it outrageous to own so many high heels when you only wear them a few times a year? By asking yourself these questions, and categorising and sorting what you already own, you’ll end up with an entirely refreshed wardrobe. The idea is that the detox process also helps you hone in on what you do and don’t like fashion-wise, providing you with a clearer understanding of what to eradicate from your wardrobe and what to welcome with open arms going forward. 

Importantly, a comprehensive wardrobe detox is also a fantastic way to make money from the clothes hanging unloved and unworn in your closet. Listing these pieces on a resale platform like eBay is a low-stress way to generate a tidy sum of money, with pre-loved fashion sellers making, on average, between $400 and $500 in their first year selling on eBay.* This is money that can be put towards new (or preferably pre-loved – eBay has practically every label and style you can think of) pieces that actually align with the current iteration of your style.

To find out more about wardrobe detoxes and how they can improve our personal style, I spoke to two Australian stylists, Madeline Assi and Holly Karas. Madeline views a wardrobe detox as a chance to clear out “anything you no longer wear or feel connected to” and also an opportunity to take stock of what you own (and might have forgotten about). Holly tells me it’s the “process of going through your entire wardrobe and decluttering pieces that are no longer fitting your personal style or lifestyle”. 

Obviously, a wardrobe detox is a little more time-consuming than stuffing a bag full of items to drop off at your local op shop. It’s much more in-depth than that and can provoke feelings of overwhelm (well, it does for me, at least). So, what’s the best way to approach it? “Breaking your wardrobe up into sections makes it feel way less overwhelming than trying to tackle your whole life’s collection of clothes at once,” explains Madeline. “Anything that you haven’t worn in the last year or so, or that doesn’t fit the way you want it to, are good places to start.”

Holly breaks her items into three categories: yes, no and maybe. “To go a bit deeper, the no pile should be divided further into sell, donate or recycle,” she says. “If you’re unsure how frequently you are actually wearing your clothes, there are two tricks. One is to take a photo of your outfit every day and put it in a Notes app. [The other is to] flip all your hangers around to face the opposite way and each time you wear something, put it back in the other direction. After a month, you will have a solid visual representation of what you are actually wearing,” she explains.

How can detoxing your wardrobe improve your style?

If you notice you’re barely reaching for an item, it doesn’t mean it’s time to pass it on. Spend some time considering why that particular item isn’t getting the wear it deserves. Sometimes, it’s more about fit than form, meaning a visit to your local tailor might be in order. I can tell you from experience that this is a particularly satisfying component of the detox. I recently had a handful of items I’ve owned (but not worn for years) tailored, and it’s reinvigorated my wardrobe. 

It’s made me feel like I have a handful of brand-new additions to my closet despite the fact these pieces have been sitting around gathering dust for years. Sometimes, all it takes to elevate your personal style and bring some creativity back into your outfits is an injection of newness, even if the items aren’t technically new.

“Sometimes you find gems you completely forgot about, too,” Madeline reminds me. Those gems you forgot about can either be brought back into regular rotation or, if you find they just aren’t working with the way you like to dress anymore, they’re ripe to list on eBay. 

But decisions like these aren’t always easy, so I ask Madeline how she distinguishes what to keep, sell and donate when doing a wardrobe detox. “If I wear it regularly enough or it has a special meaning, I keep it. If I never got around to wearing it, I’ll most likely sell it, and if it’s in good condition but I don’t reach for it anymore I’ll donate or list it – the whole trash-to-treasure concept comes in handy,” she says.

Holly tells me that she stores her ‘maybes’ somewhere out of sight for a month or so and if she finds she doesn’t reach for them in that time, then it’s a no and they need to be donated or listed.

The best part about listing your items on eBay is that they have a high chance of actually being snapped up by someone. With such a vast and engaged audience of buyers, you can almost guarantee that there’ll be someone out there who’s lusting after a pair of vintage jeans exactly like the ones in your wardrobe.

Holly suggests jumping on Pinterest before you start a wardrobe detox and making a moodboard for your style and closet. “This will give you a frame of reference when sculpting this new version of your wardrobe by providing a sort of end goal. Also, afterwards, try not to rush and impulsively buy all new things to replace what you have parted with. Sit with the new gaps in your wardrobe for a while and then you can make a more informed decision on what you actually need to find next.”

When you have a clearer idea of what the gaps are, you can start browsing eBay to find them at a price that won’t break the bank. With a clearer understanding of your style and the items you’re looking for, you can make your searches more specific and sign up to be notified via email each time more items are added to these search results.

Holly believes a wardrobe detox is an important way to check in with yourself on “what you actually like and what feels like you at the moment”. You’ll become more aware of what you own and what you want, which will ultimately give you a clearer understanding of your style (and make getting dressed a lot easier). “Going forward, you’ll have a clearer idea when purchasing new items on what fits your wardrobe and your style, and what doesn’t,” she explains.

Make a day of it

If you’re keen to undertake a wardrobe detox, make sure to set aside at least half a day, if not a whole day or one weekend, to really do it justice. Madeline reminds me the benefits of a detox aren’t just relegated to your closet either. “It’s also a great way to declutter your mind,” she tells me.

I ask Holly how she gets the most out of the detoxing process. “Try everything on! You can’t make an informed decision just by looking at your clothes – you will forget how scratchy that one jumper is! You need to touch and feel everything. Try to get it all done in one day. Trust me, if you get tired halfway through and start putting things away, you will never finish,” she shares.

On the day itself, I’d suggest laying out a few large bags you can categorise items into – e.g. to be tailored, responsibly disposed of through a fabric recycling program like RCYCL, donated to your local op shop or listed on eBay. Be ruthlessly honest with yourself. Sure, you might love that voluminous pink blouse you bought at a little boutique in France, but is it genuinely something you can see yourself ever wearing again? If the answer is a resounding no, then you’re probably being overly sentimental, making it the ideal piece to list on eBay. That way, it can find a new home with someone who will give it the wear it deserves.

To start rehoming your wardrobe, head to eBay. 

*Based on eBay’s internal data between July 2020 and June 2023, showing the average value of sales made by new or re-activated sellers.