Life-Changing Magic Of A 'One In One Out' Wardrobe

The one-in-one-out rule posits that for every piece you bring into your wardrobe, you must part with something else. It's hailed by professional organisers and minimalist advocates alike as a win-win for anyone who wants to sleep soundly (but still stylishly).

"When you follow the one-in-one-out rule, you are constantly intentional about what your wardrobe looks like," decluttering coach Amy Revell, host of the Art of Decluttering podcast, tells Edition.

"If you buy something but have nothing to get rid of, you ask yourself the question, 'Do I really need that extra piece?'"

So why bother with this approach?

The beauty of the one-in-one-out rule is that it doesn't state that you can't enjoy new pieces altogether – it's about making sure you really want or need the things you buy.

"It's really about conscious consumerism – if you buy six things that are on sale you've got this challenge for yourself that you now need to get rid of six items," Revell explains.

"Rather than thinking, 'The sales are on, I'm going to buy 13 items and just shove them into my cupboard', you're actually going, 'This is going to cost me something'."

Clear wardrobe, clear mind

Does this sound like a familiar scenario? By the time you get around to a massive wardrobe declutter. Racks are over-flowing, there are never enough hangers, and you can easily end up wading through piles of clothes on the bedroom floor, trying to find that particular nude cami.

If the thought of an effortlessly organised wardrobe where you can easily find what you need sounds appealing, then the one-in-one rule out might be for you given it keeps you consistently on top of your wardrobe wrangling.

"You almost want to graduate to 'one in one out' once you've done a good declutter and become intentional about what you need," Revell says.
Look into responsible ways to give your clothes a new life, through charity donation, swapping with friends or colleagues or reworking them into something new.

And once you're working with a decluttered space, you'll have a clearer mental image of your wardrobe when you're scrolling online for that new boho skirt.

"Having a good layout in your wardrobe allows you to interact with that space well," Professional organising expert Robyn Amott tells The Edition. 

"There's that mindfulness when you are shopping – you can visualise your wardrobe and see that you already have seven black cardigans so you can ask yourself if you're happy to supersede one for one you're about to purchase."

At the same time, the one-in-one-out rule means you're constantly managing your wardrobe space with minimal mental effort.

"It's a tiny task [to remove one thing from your wardrobe] so it doesn't go on a [mental] to-do list," Amott explains.

"You might get dressed in the morning and think, 'God I'm sick of seeing that top! Why do I keep scanning past it and never wear it? Let's get rid of it now'."

How to make the rule work for you

If you baulk at the idea of discarding your prized retro sequinned jacket or burnt orange heels you pull on once every few years, then note that Revell says it's completely fine if a sartorial one-in-one out rule is really not your jam.

"If [fashion] is a real joy to you, then maybe you would choose to have less consumerism when it comes to handbags or books or holidays," she says. "I don't think the same conscious consumerism rules apply to everyone."

Also note that there are no hard and fast rules about how many staple pieces you keep, with some minimalists finding they can subsist on 15 decent items, while others want a minimum of 45.

"If we get rid of everything that brings us joy... we end up not enjoying the life we have," Revell explains. "I think there's a really fine balance."

Invest in timeless pieces.