Understanding My Body Shape Was GAME CHANGING For Decluttering My Wardrobe!

After putting this off for YEARS, over the last few months I've set a goal of really trying to successfully declutter my wardrobe to make way for just the things I truly love. I'd ended up in a situation where I genuinely had tons of clothes and nothing to wear!
I've tried all sorts of tips, tricks and methods to help me try to declutter my wardrobe, but a week or so ago I started trying something new and its has been completely game changing! I've gone from someone who found it incredibly difficult to let go of almost anything to realising why so much of my wardrobe wasn't really working for me anymore!
Over the last few years, I've come to the realisation that whilst a certain level of material things do add to your life, more stuff will not necessarily make you happier. This realisation hit me when I looked around my home that was filled with stuff (so much so I felt I needed a bigger house) and couldn't say I was particularly happier than when I lived in Spain (in 2008) when everything I had with me fit in one large drawer and a very small wardrobe.
These days I prefer to adopt a buy less, buy better approach, with a focus on quality over quantity, removing the clutter, adopting aspects of minimalism, and utilising my money in the best way possible.
WHERE ELSE TO FIND ME:
Instagram - / kirstyloukirby
Blog - www.kirstykirby.com
MAKE UP WORN:
MAC Warm Neutrals Palette
Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara
Benefit Brow Powder
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation
Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer
Laura Mercier Translucent Powder
MAC Bronzing Powder in Refined Golden
MAC Blusher in Mocha
MAC Lip Liner in Spice
MAC Lipstick in Velvet Teddy
NAILS:
Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Le Particulere
CLOTHING:
Dress - Jack Wills (several years old)
LIGHTING:
Natural Light (ie Daylight)
DISCLAIMER:
All products were purchased with my own money and this video is in no way sponsored. Should a video ever be sponsored, or should I receive goods for free to review I will always aim to disclose this either in the video or in the video description. My views will always remain honest and my own.
Items marked with an asterisk were received as a gift or as PR.
I do sometimes use affiliate links in my description, these links do not cost you any more to purchase, often you will receive a discount, but I may earn money from these links.

[@KirstyKirby]

I should have also mentioned that I’ve also developed a lot of acceptance that as we age many womens (and mens!) bodies change shape a little and some items that once upon a time were flattering no longer are. I could punish myself and try and force my body to be as it was 20 years ago, but it would likely be completely futile anyway!

[@tiffanybates3665]

This!! I'm late 20's and wow my body has changed from even just a few years ago. Not necessarily in a bad way just lost my straight up and down figure! For the photographs do you only take them from the front? Or also the back of the outfit to see if it's flattering from the back too? X

[@KirstyKirby]

@@tiffanybates3665 Hi! Yes we do change and I suppose it’s just part and parcel of life - I took footage and photos from all angles for my own viewing which was really helpful too.

[@amandawright3808]

What a fantastic idea, i have watched many many declutter and miminalism videos and have not see this. Thanks so much for sharing and being honest on how you are looking at these items on yourself it is EXTREMELY helpful! 💕

[@KirstyKirby]

I’m so so pleased to hear it was helpful! I discovered this tip entirely by accident. I’d been asked to start doing a few outfit posts on Instagram and when I would look back at the video or the photos I would sometimes notice how unflattering some of the items that were my go-to items in the past really were! I then started photographing all of the garments in my wardrobe and suddenly the things you didn’t see in the mirror were almost unmissable in the photos! It’s transformed how I feel about some of the things I’ve been holding onto for YEARS! Xx

[@maryellenstark9383]

Kirsty I really found this video helpful and I really appreciate how you work with and accept your body as it is today. I am a bit older than you and when I shop for clothes I often end up feeling disappointed because what I want to buy no longer looks good on my changed figure.

[@KirstyKirby]

Bless you! I’m currently working on a whole new series of videos around body shapes and colours and so on as this has been so incredibly helpful for me and I would love to help others too. So much of my spending has been related to buying the wrong things for my body and I really struggled through my thirties with it. Hopefully those future videos will help too 😊

[@gemmac629]

Great idea. It reminds me of Trinny and Susannahs TV shows in the 00s and looking at what suits a particular body shape. It's definitely happened to me where I've liked something in the mirror and then seeing it in photos from behind or the side as put me right off the outfit!

[@KirstyKirby]

I used to be a regular watcher of that show - I bet they would never get away with some of the mean but completely well intended things they used to say nowadays though! It’s awful isn’t it, I’ve had outfits where I’ve felt like I looked so nice and yet the photos revealed something entirely different! 🤦‍♀️😂

[@DazzleDust32]

Hi Kirsty. I really like this idea. Sometimes a cold, hard photograph can show us the truth about our clothes! Have a great weekend. 😁

[@KirstyKirby]

Yes that’s exactly it, I think we somehow project a little when we look in the mirror because we like the item and don’t always see the features that aren’t doing us any favours. Hope you have a lovely one too x

[@dominiquetheeasyminimalist]

I feel you, I choose, love and wear my clothes, I always can find a reason to spark joy 😂. I love the idea you brought and I’ll try it! Covid + menopause = 15kg extra on my petite frame, and sadly most of my beloved outfits will never fit me again… I unsuccessfully tried to sell them, but most women would rather buy new cheap fast fashion rather than used high quality garments 🤷‍♀️

[@KirstyKirby]

I’m sure you’ve seen my previous video about selling items - I find it challenging too and it’s such a shame. Many of my clothes that I will likely never wear again are in such beautiful condition- probably one of the reasons I’ve kept hold of them! - but they are worth so little if you try to sell them, if you can sell them at all. I’m sure you still look absolutely lovely as you are, but I do know what you mean. So much of what I have was from a time when I was in the gym every day and lived for the weekend and nights out with the girls - my body and life was just so different. I’ve had to come to a sort of acceptance that I have to let them go 😕

[@July4ik]

I do also make a video of me in the chosen look in a mirror to have better understanding of how it looks when I stay and move:)

[@KirstyKirby]

It’s such a good way of getting an objective view isn’t it!?

[@July4ik]

@@KirstyKirby yes, and it is a good helper later, if I can't decide, if I should return to purchase it:))

[@bloomsfromedenxo9010]

Great idea Kirsty, I’ve never heard of this approach before 🙂

[@KirstyKirby]

Thanks for watching! Xx

[@Eva-wr9by]

Such a great idea! Thank you!

[@KirstyKirby]

Thanks so much for watching! X

[@jodoherty540]

Thanks Kirsty! ❤

[@KirstyKirby]

Thanks for watching Jo! X

[@kathleenkaleookalanismith8724]

This is a great video!! This is really going to help me get rid of more of my clothing yay!!

[@KirstyKirby]

I’m so pleased you enjoyed it! It’s genuinely made a huge difference to me, I’ve kept texting friends telling them they need to try this too! 😂

[@kerryryder6357]

I’ve been doing this for the past couple of years and it’s really helped me confirm what my true style is, what suits me and what colours work better for me. X

[@KirstyKirby]

I agree it helps colour wise too. Colour analysis sessions can be very expensive but you can do a lot yourself by just snapping yourself in various colours. I’m letting a lot go based on colour as well as fit.

[@kerryryder6357]

It also has helped a lot with those moments of not knowing what to wear so I’ve always got outfit ideas. I save them on Pinterest and group into seasons to make it easier x

[@KirstyKirby]

@@kerryryder6357 nice idea. Most of my clothing will sadly be going so I won’t be making outfit idea pins myself but it sounds like it works wonderfully for you! 😊

[@psmareseis528]

Nice video Kirsty. I was in the same situation 2 years ago but before I let go of my favourite pieces I decided to get colour analysis and bone structure analysis (Kibbe Body Types Test). And it was the best decision for my closet and wallet. It made the decluttering process so easy. Now I only own pieces that suit my body in colour that compliment my skin undertone (1/4 of my old closet). It also makes shopping for new items straight forward.

[@KirstyKirby]

Hi yes I’m familiar with colour analysis and body shapes, kibbe is ‘trending’ at the moment but it’s quite old, from the 80s. :) This is just a way I found helpful for decluttering, especially as our body changes over time even if we might not want to acknowledge it. Also in our younger years I personally feel we get away with ‘breaking the rules’ more - the first dress in the video was bought a very long time ago, and I wouldn’t have ever said it was a favourite, sorry if that’s how it came across. It was just a dress that highlighted the points I wanted to make. I also used to wear it with a jacket or cardigan which changed the lines significantly and as I mentioned, I was also slimmer at the time of purchase. Not everyone can afford to spend £200 on a colour analysis plus additional funds for body type analysis, especially at the moment with cost of living being so high, so this is a quick affordable option that can be done at home. Not sure if you’ve seen other videos but whilst I didn’t discuss colour in this particular video, I’ve talked about colouring and body shapes before.

[@agnieszka4925]

I loved the video! I only wish your video about how to keep warm on a budget during winter was still up. Tough months ahead for many of us.

[@KirstyKirby]

Unfortunately a load of videos got deleted by accident - sorry!

[@aliciaannewoodward]

First-time viewer here, Kirsty. Wonderful ideas, and I love your positive messages about body image. You and I have very similar shapes. The first dress would make me feel so uncomfortable. The second one is the silhouette of nearly everything in my all-dresses wardrobe. I will subscribe! ~Alicia

[@KirstyKirby]

Hi Alicia, not sure if you missed it but that dress was bought a very long time ago. I was in (in my opinion) incredibly good shape at the time as had not long changed careers from being a full time singer dancer. It didn’t feel remotely uncomfortable at the time. It’s also worth considering that in the late 2000s and early 2010s this was the predominant style and shape in all stores. The Michael Kors dress is much more recent and is named the ‘Kate’ dress after the Duchess of Cambridge. Thanks for watching.

[@aliciaannewoodward]

@@KirstyKirby Hi Kirsty! The older dress actually still looks great on you! It's all a matter of finding what we feel really great in, and that can definitely change over time. I'm catching up on some of your older videos right now and enjoying! 🙂

[@myname7303]

Great video Kirsty I just recently discovered your channel

[@KirstyKirby]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@arabellamagnolia3013]

Yes embrace our age ….wisdom…and accept our bodies for what they are ….and get rid of clothes…shoes etc that don’t make us feel good about our size…shape….and anything that is uncomfortable…..love who you are right now

[@KirstyKirby]

Glad it resonated 😊

[@sarahbee27]

My friend and I do this all the time but we send them to each other if we aren’t sure

[@KirstyKirby]

I’ve definitely done the old selfie to a friend for an opinion before, I just found taking footage from a very straight on angle made me see my clothing very differently and highlighted the shapes in my own eyes in a way it hadn’t before. 😊

[@TheLunarFire]

The hanger trick has always worked well for me in the past but my biggest issue with decluttering now is that my needs keep changing based on where I'm living or what the dress codes are

[@KirstyKirby]

If it works for you that’s great, personally I didn’t like it or really find it very helpful for a few reasons. I wasn’t suggesting it was bad (hope it didn’t come across that way), many have commented on other videos it’s what they have found helped, just wasn’t for me. I know what you mean, it can be challenging to keep a smaller wardrobe when there’s different things to consider like that. I find it can be challenging even decluttering summer items if it’s currently winter and so on. My next declutter is probably going to be quite brutal, this little exercise for me showed me that I’m not just holding onto clothes, but a former life, a former body. I’ve done it for a very long time and in many ways done myself a great disservice doing so. I’m grateful that this little tactic came about entirely by accident for me as I’m letting go of more than I ever imagined I’d be able to. Hope you are well!

[@counseling3863]

Did you have someone take the pictures for you or did you set up a camera? Fantastic idea. Thank you!

[@KirstyKirby]

Hi I set up a camera and took either video footage or used the timer function. Thanks for watching! X

[@dianemoore4644]

My question is " would I buy it if I went shopping now "

[@KirstyKirby]

Yes I suggest this to others, it’s one I definitely use when decluttering all items not just clothes. I just found that this made a difference with those items that I was perhaps finding more difficult to let go of.