I don’t know about you, but for me the joys of spring are always infused with mild panic. Birds are singing, lambs are gambolling, the mornings are getting lighter – and I’m spending them standing in my pants, whirling clothes around the room like a form of sartorial semaphore.
Yes, with the promise of blossom and alfresco brunches comes the expectation of a wardrobe overhaul. We’re supposed to crawl out of hibernation, peel off our polo necks and emerge: a vibrant, new-season version of ourselves. “Must-have” microtrends begin to rear their heads like cheery daffodils, magazines decry everything you bought last year as old hat (RIP slogan cap) and after a long winter it can feel bewildering, trying to remember how to put together an outfit that isn’t 90% wool.
And of course, this is traditionally the time to clear out and start fresh. As a born magpie, decluttering does not come naturally to me – but even I can see the appeal of a spring reset. It makes sense to take stock, work out what you love, what you need and what you can sell on to live a better life with someone else.
So where to start? I always recommend getting everything out and piling it all up in one place. Then pause for a moment, and look at that mountain of clothes. Survey it as though it were your own personal Everest, because it’s a lot harder to believe you have “nothing to wear” when you’re staring down the evidence to the contrary.
Next, we sort. Go through each and every item. Try things on, and style up new outfits from items you’ve never put together before (a good playlist helps here, so you can pretend you’re in a movie montage). Sort out the things that need ironing. Make a pile of clothes that need repairs or alterations, and then – here’s the radical part – actually get them repaired or altered. Come on, it’s spring! You can do this!
Then comes the edit. There is a popular school of thought that says you should part with clothes if you haven’t worn them for a year or two, but I’m here today to say: nonsense. Have you met fashion? Famously fickle fashion, which changes like the wind? No sooner will you have waved off those beloved skinny jeans/puffa jackets/pilgrim collars than they will be winging their way back round again.
If you’re still fond of an item, it still fits and you have the storage space, keep it. When you pull it out of that suitcase in a few years’ time, it’ll be like reuniting with an old friend.
But while some clothes are worth long-term commitment, there are plenty of others that deserve to be set free.
To work out what to sell, don’t focus on how on-trend they are; focus on how they make you feel. If the answer is any of the following: self-conscious, uninspired, on the brink of an identity crisis – it’s time to rehome them. The aspirational clothes you bought in an attempt to be someone you’re not, or for a life you don’t actually live (but someone does). The clothes you bought because they were discounted, and gorgeous, it seemed “rude not to”. The beautiful clothes you’re throwing around your bedroom while messaging “leaving right now, sorry sorry sorry!” with one hand. There is one place for all of those clothes, and it’s Vinted.
If spring is a time for new life, then that applies to unworn fashion, too. Pieces I’ll be selling on this season include a very cool wet-look blazer that makes me look very much like I’ve entered the Matrix on work experience, and a designer dress that I love but can’t move my arms in. They’ll both be perfect for someone, just not me.
The best favour you can do your listings is to take the time to describe things clearly, with as much detail as possible. How does it feel? How does it fit? Don’t put the burden on buyers to ask questions – if you can grab a tape measure and give a chest measurement, do it. Make sure your photos are well-lit and showcase colours and prints clearly. And while nobody’s expecting you to become fluent in TikTok aesthetics, if you can identify a “core” then it helps to add that in too. It’s not just a white shirt, it’s an “office siren” staple.
Once the funds start rolling in and you’ve cleared a little space in your wardrobe, then comes the fun part: refilling it, as needed.
Don’t go ham on microtrends, but search for stuff to help you get more wear out of those still-loved pieces that have slipped to the bottom of the mountain. Think layering. Vests over dresses, slips over thermals. My mum’s golden rule is that you should only buy something if you can name three pieces already in your wardrobe that you will wear it with – which is the reason I never got a backless sequinned butterfly top, but also a sound rule to shop by. This spring I’m adding a preloved sheer shirt and a vintage crew-neck cardigan in fine merino wool. Need it be said, but nobody’s mother could object to them buying a cardigan.
Accessories are always a smart way to make an old outfit feel fresh without a big outlay – if you’re not game for the return of the low-slung noughties leather belt, may I suggest a jaunty triangle scarf? Wool, silk or cotton, it offers immediate chic and useful warmth when those cruel April winds start to blow.
Finally, there’s room for a pick-me-up purchase. Silver shoes are one of those spring/summer ‘25 trends that are secretly timeless, and swapping my biker boots for a gleaming pair of £20 Italian leather Mary Janes I found on Vinted has put a new-season spring in my step.
Heck, I might even gambol.
Ready for your own wardrobe refresh? Start it on Vinted.
Photography: Phill Taylor/The Guardian. Hair and makeup: Bethany Anderson. Prop stylist: Zan Morley
