Blog · August 31, 2026 · Andrea Lakeberg
When you declutter your wardrobe, two thirds of your clothes leave it. That's the norm, not the exception. And it almost never happens because someone owns too little. It's because there's too much of the wrong stuff and too little of what holds everything together.
Why can't you do it on your own?
Because every piece comes with a story hanging on the hanger. The price. The occasion. The person who gave it to you. The size you might fit into again someday.
I come in with no attachment at all. To me it makes no difference whether a very expensive blouse was bought the day before yesterday. If it isn't right, it can go. And if the trench coat inherited from your mother is back in fashion now that people wear vintage, then it stays.
That detachment is exactly what you lack when it comes to your own things. It isn't a character flaw; it's completely normal. And you're not alone: almost every wardrobe I open looks like this.
What a wardrobe typically looks like
Too full. Mismatched hangers. Things that should have gone long ago but somehow never do. The collected works of twenty years of living and shopping, all thrown together.
And in between hang the three or four pieces that actually get worn every week. The rest is just scenery.
The one question that decides every piece
Not "Is it pretty?" but: "Did I wear it in the last year, and if not, why not?" The second half of the question is the important one, because the why is almost always revealing:
- It pinches. Then it goes. You won't wear it next year either.
- It doesn't go with anything. Either a piece comes in that closes the gap, or it goes.
- I don't dare. This is the only "why" where we take a second look together. Sometimes it's only because it was never styled properly.
- It's too good to wear. Too good for what, exactly? If no occasion has been good enough for three years, none is going to come.
I allow one exception: the size that doesn't fit right now but realistically will again soon. Realistically means in the next few months, not someday.
What happens once two thirds are gone?
Then the real work begins: filling the gaps. Decluttering is half the job, and the less important half. What's missing afterwards is usually surprisingly little and surprisingly unspectacular:
- the perfect black tailored trousers
- two really good pairs of jeans
- one or two dresses
- a few tops that work under everything
- a transitional jacket or a bomber jacket
These aren't eye-catching pieces. They're the ones that make everything else wearable. Together we write two lists: a "must-have" list and a "wish" list. We go shopping with the first one; the second can wait.
How do I stop my wardrobe filling up again?
By no longer confusing quantity with choice. More is more: that's the most common misconception people bring when they come to me. It isn't about having a full wardrobe. It's about having the right things: high-quality, versatile pieces you can combine into lots of outfits.
Once you've understood that, you shop differently. Not with less enjoyment, but more purposefully. And then your wardrobe won't end up back in the state it's in today.
How long does it take?
Plan on three to four hours, but at least two. A walk-in closet takes correspondingly longer. It takes place at your home, because that's where your clothes are, after all, and that's where we have daylight. The session can be held in English.
And please don't tidy up beforehand. I want to see what it really looks like. That's exactly where the information is.
What often follows is a personal shopping tour, but this time with a concrete list instead of a vague feeling. You'll find all services and how they work on my page about fashion consulting in Berlin.
Decluttering FAQ
Do I have to try everything on?
Not everything, but more than you'd like. For the pieces you're unsure about, there's no way around it. In front of the mirror, it's decided in seconds.
What happens to the clothes we sort out?
That's up to you. Pieces in good condition can be sold or donated, and the rest goes to a textile collection bin; in Berlin you'll find them on many street corners. While we declutter, I sort everything straight into piles so you don't have to start all over again afterwards.
Isn't it emotionally draining?
Sometimes, yes. It can get hard when pieces go that mean something to you. But in the end it does almost everyone a world of good, and there's always plenty of laughter at my sessions anyway.
