A wardrobe audit is just what you need to start 2023 right

New year, new you. If that is what you proclaimed when the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve 2022, then a great place to start may be your wardrobe. A sartorial clean slate is not just a brilliant palette cleanser for the year ahead, but the ultimate sustainable fashion move, because a thorough wardrobe audit is the best way to make use of what you already own and – naturally – will prevent you from buying needlessly.

To prepare for your ‘big clean’ of 2023, we rounded up some of Scandinavia’s best style leaders for their top tips and advice for auditing your looks this year, and the surprising way you might just end up shopping from your own closet.

"First of all, you have to hold an emotional audit for your wardrobe," advises Julie Blichfeld, stylist, creative consultant and founder of cult Copenhagen vintage store Collect 23. "This means; you have to find out which pieces in your wardrobe you love and which you don’t love. If you don’t love it, it won’t produce good energy and you will feel bad about the fact that you don’t use it enough. The emotional audition may be the hardest part, but it definitely is the most effective way to start."

Related: “My wardrobe secret? One out, one in”: Trine Kjær on how she keeps clothing chaos at bay

Before you start telling your various Breton tees "don’t call us, we’ll call you," it might be good to get a practical, physical layout of your wardrobe. This is the first step for Celine Aagaard, Founder & Creative Director at Envelope1976. "OK, it may sound boring, but my best advice is to take out everything you have in your closet, and organise into categories and colours on the floor – to get a complete overview of what you have," she says. "Many of us forget what we have and buy almost exactly the same garments – and who needs five almost identical oversized blazers…?"

Oh, and if the prospect of auditing seems painful, rethink it. Danish fashion influencer Karoline Beltner makes a strong case for it being a wellbeing practice: "If you set the right atmosphere, and put on some good music, it can actually be quite relaxing. To have some to yourself to think, without looking into a screen, is really nice. And important!"

We hold on to our clothes for many reasons. Sometimes this is sentimental, other times because we keep kidding ourselves that we will wear it one day. Perhaps we’ve shockingly even forgotten we own it. In order to properly, objectively assess what to keep and what to throw out, you need to ask some serious questions – and be prepared to be ruthless.

"I think you should first think about how long ago did I use this garment and then, does this garment have sentimental value?" advises Anna Winck, a Copenhagen-based style influencer. "I think so many of us have nostalgia for something we wore at some point, and that's why it remains in the closet even though you have only used it one time. But you really have to ask yourself the question: How likely is it that I will wear it again?"

Karoline Beltner has a thorough process for her wardrobe auditing. "I start simple, with three categories. Is it a keeper, a maybe or a ‘it’s time to find a new home’," she says. "All my keepers are packed neatly back into my closet. I try on all my maybes, and begin the deciding process. Does it fit, is it too small, do I feel comfortable in it, does it need tailoring and do I even like this piece? With all these questions rummaging through my mind, I organise what to keep and what to resell."

Related: The ultimate step-by-step guide to selling your vintage wares like a pro

Beltner then gives her friends first look at what she's getting rid of. "What’s left I either donate or I resell it on platforms like Tise, Trendsales, Vestiaire and Depop," she says. "If I can’t decide, I dedicate a section of my wardrobe to the things I love but aren’t wearing as much anymore – knowing I will definitely circle back around in a year or two."

It’s easy to toss ill-fitting clothes, duplicates or pieces you know you are kidding yourself with by keeping them, but often deciding what to hold onto is a tougher process. After all, this is the process of shaping your wardrobe and defining the staples of your style in the process.

Related: Freja Kirk on her ultimate wardrobe hacks: “Keep all of your shoe boxes”

Blichfeld’s approach is the game-changing 'What would I pack if I was travelling in 14 days' concept. "Only let these 14 days of curated items stay in your wardrobe and pack the rest away," she explains. "After a couple of days you might think 'Oh I miss that special shirt for this outfit' or 'I need that blazer to complete this look'. Then you can unpack the hidden items and put the ones you were missing back in the closet and afterwards consider what to do with the rest. When we don’t have access to our entire wardrobe, the existing pieces are working harder and you will find new ways to style them."

Stylist Hilda Sandström agrees, saying too much choice is often overwhelming. "If there’s too much in your wardrobe, it actually makes it harder to choose what to wear," she says. "Instead, streamline to staples. Start simple: a pair of good denim jeans, a big blazer, suit trousers, a tank top in the perfect fit and a cashmere sweater! Then work from there."

Her top tip for making these decisions of what to keep? "Try to give your clothes a new life by styling it differently before cleaning them out. The more versatile you realise a piece is, the more likely you are to keep it."

Streamlining your 2023 wardrobe is all about making the pieces which make the cut, work harder. "Although living in Denmark makes this harder, I always consider if a piece may be used all year round," says Blichfeld. "When buying a summer dress, try to consider picking one in a colour and fit which may work with woollen tights, styled over some pants or with long boots. Then it becomes a hardworking piece in your wardrobe."

Aagaard also has some expert tips for making your wardrobe as hardworking and sustainable as possible. "Start by having a good overview of what you have – once you know this, you wear the clothes more often. Then, you should organize into categories and colours – so blazers are together, dresses in black with dresses in black, cream with cream, silver with silver etc, which makes using your wardrobe and styling it so much easier," she says. "Styling different ways is key, as is layering. But for the long run: if you buy items in more sustainable fabrics they will last longer, and they will be keepers in your wardrobe."

Related: 4 easy ways to make more sustainable choices in your wardrobe

So, get auditing! If you do it right, then your hottest place to shop in 2023 will be your own wardrobe.