The Clean Wardrobe Method™: Step 1 Declutter Your Wardrobe

Step 1 of THE CLEAN WARDROBE METHOD™. Learn how to declutter with intention, avoid fast fashion traps, and build a timeless wardrobe made from clean fabrics that work for your body, lifestyle, and health.

By swissimpactstore

November 3, 2025

Table of Contents
1. How to Build a Clean Wardrobe That Lasts Forever
2. Step 1: Declutter with Purpose
3. A Mindset Shift, Not a Shopping Spree
4. FAQs

How to Build a Clean Wardrobe That Lasts Forever

By now, you know that up to 90% of our closets are made from plastic. Polyester, nylon, acrylic, elastane… all petroleum-based materials we wear every day. These fabrics trap heat, irritate our skin, and disrupt our endocrine systems. Over time, they break down into microplastics that end up not just on our clothes, but inside our lungs and bloodstream too.

Source: Penetration of Microplastics and Nanoparticles Through Skin: Effects of Size, Shape, and Surface Chemistry

And yet, we keep buying them. Why?

Because fast fashion made it easy to buy more, more often. And when the price tag is that cheap, we usually never check the fabrics it was made from. That item immediatly becomes disposable in our minds, so why bother. And why would they bother, if you keep buying it?

Yet, you’re here. You’re ready. You want to improve your wardrobe, go back to clean fabrics and do better in general. And I love that for you!

But…

Buying ethical brands won’t change much if your mindset is still stuck in the fast fashion loop. That’s why we start with a reset.

In The Collective, our private shopping club, we don’t just swap out Zara for a cleaner option. We look at your habits, your preferences, your needs. And that’s what THE CLEAN WARDROBE METHOD™ is for.

This is a 3-step guide to help you rebuild your wardrobe from the inside out. Not through theory, but through simple, clear, doable actions.

And it starts here:

Declutter with Purpose

This is not your typical declutter checklist.
You’re not being asked to get rid of everything or follow a minimalist boring aesthetic. This is about choosing what serves you now.

1. Sort Your Wardrobe by Season

Instead of dividing your wardrobe into “dresses,” “tops,” and “pants,” divide it by season based on your local climate, for example:

• Late Spring
  (end of April; when you’re officially putting your winter clothes away; perfect timing to sort out winter clothes you didn’t wear at all)
• High Summer
  (when it’s becoming really warm outside, perfect timing to sort out mid-season clothing from late Spring)
• Early Autumn
  (when it’s not that warm anymore, but not cold yet to wear winter clothes, perfect timing to sort out your summer clothes)
• Deep Winter
  (when it’s pretty cold; same logic applies here)

You don’t need to strictly follow this schedule, especially since sometimes seasons change too fast.

For example, we just switched our closets to deep winter, so this is the perfect moment to look back at your summer clothes and sort out items that you didn’t wear at least ones, and winter clothes that you have’t seen for a year and can now sort out with fresh eyes.

When you judge clothes inside their season, you’re less likely to romanticize them.

2. Use the Rule of 5

Now that your clothes are grouped by season, ask yourself:

Did I wear this at least five times during its season?

If not, it’s out.

Including:

• Sentimental items
• Gifts (especially if they come from your toxic ex...)
• “But it was expensive”

You’re only measuring what you actually choose to wear season after season.

3. My Favorite: If It Doesn’t Fit You Anymore, Stop Letting It Gaslight You

Enough with clothes for a “better you,” skinny you, or some unrealistic version of future you.

Keeping clothes that don’t fit anymore is like telling yourself you’ll only be worthy when your body changes.

As if something is “wrong” with you right now. Fuck that. If it’s uncomfortable for you now, it’s time to let it goooooo.

Let your wardrobe reflect who you are today, not some future version you feel pressured to become.

4. Check the Tags Inside Your Clothes Again

Separate natural fibers from synthetics, and I don’t mean throw everything out right away.

Just become aware of how much plastic touches your skin every single day.

Once you see it, you can’t unsee it, and the habit shifts naturally.

Keep natural fabrics like:

• Cotton
• Linen
• Wool
• Silk
• Hemp
• Cashmere

Avoid synthetics such as polyester, elastane, and acrylic, especially in items that have direct contact with the skin.

Coats, boots, sneakers, bags made from synthetics are tolerable since they don’t sit directly on your skin.

→ Need help reading labels? Check out our fabric guide:

How to Read Clothing Labels
What Materials to Avoid & Why
How to Care for Your Garments

5. Replace the Basics First

If you try to replace everything at once, you’ll either give up or go into debt. Neither helps you feel better.

The fastest way to make a difference is start with replacing the basics made from synthetics:

• Bras
• Underwear
• Pajamas
• T-shirts
• Tanks
• Athletic wear

They sit directly on your skin all day, touch sweat glands, lymph nodes, and intimate areas, and so prioritizing them over a plastic blazer you wear twice a year matters more.

Swap them into natural fabrics like cotton, bamboo, TENCEL™ Lyocell, or peace silk. These are breathable, gentle, and won’t shed plastic particles into your body.

Here’s a simple replacement plan:

• Each month: replace 1–3 high-exposure basics
• Each season: replace 1–2 statement pieces in natural fibers

That’s it. In a year, your wardrobe and your skin will feel completely different.