Keep, bin… zen!
THE CLOSET CLEANSE FOR INNER PEACE
Messy celebrities have wardrobe whisperer (and Lily Allen’s former PA) Vicky Silverthorn on speed dial. Kate Wills offers up her (shambolic) wardrobe to the woman creating harmony at home for the A-list
IT’S 10PM ON A FRIDAY NIGHT and I’m texting someone pictures of my underwear. No, not like that. The smalls in question are folded into colour-coded sections in my drawer. This is what happens when you spend the day with Vicky Silverthorn (far left), professional declutterer and wardrobe whisperer.
It’s appropriate that it’s my pants that have got me so excited. Vicky’s book Start With Your Sock Drawer: The Simple Guide To Living A Less Cluttered Life claims that just reorganising your underwear will lead to a whole new streamlined way of living. Vicky, 36, has been decluttering celebrity homes for more than six years, and has touched more pop stars’ pants than even the most ardent groupies. She is now inundated with requests from people who want to streamline their stuff. From hanging up all of Ed Sheeran’s hoodies by colour, to cleaning out Jamie Dornan’s kitchen cupboards and arranging Suki Waterhouse’s shoes, in A-list circles she’s
the go-to girl if you need to have a clear-out – hence the name of her company, You Need A Vicky.
Vicky and two assistants arrive at my flat at 9.30am full of energy, brandishing ‘skinny hangers’ (as opposed to my own motley assortment) and a label-maker. After a quick cup of tea they get down to business, pulling everything I own out of my built-in wardrobes (which resemble a jumble sale rammed into the Tardis). I know I have a lot of clothes, but I’m still shocked to see the towering piles of Topshop in front of me. And even more aghast when Vicky pulls out a few dusty, mould-covered tops from the very bottom of my ‘floordrobe’.
‘I recommend that all my clients take everything out of their wardrobe and give it a wipe down and vacuum every six months or when there’s a change of seasons,’ says Vicky, possibly noticing how embarrassed I am at the very visible dust at the bottom of mine. ‘Not only is it a great way of preventing moths, but it forces you to reassess everything with a fresh eye and work out what you’re still wearing, and what you’re not.’
Cut to Vicky holding up every single item I own and asking me to make an ‘instinctive decision’ between three options: Yes, No, or Try On Later. ‘Oh, but I really love that and it might fit me one day’ is not an option, sadly. I do end up with a big ‘dry-clean’ pile though, for all the things I do truly want that have stains or need mending. Vicky is a gold mine of amazingly useful tips, such as using a razor to get a bobbly jumper looking like new. Or this memorable one: ‘Shoe bags aren’t just for posh people. Your shoe has touched dog poo on pavements and then it’s rubbing on your clothes.’
Unlike famous Japanese declutterer Marie Kondo, Vicky appreciates that while a black T-shirt might not inspire an outpouring of joy, it’s not practical to throw out all your basics. And she’s also not one of those ‘If you haven’t worn it in a year’ types. ‘You might still really love something and the only reason you haven’t worn it is because it’s been buried under all your other clothes.’
I’m pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to say goodbye to most of my wardrobe, especially when Vicky has mantras like, ‘If you walked into a shop and saw it now, would you buy it?’ and ‘Could someone else enjoy this more than you?’ Most of the things I end up chucking feel like a no-brainer. But every time an expensive piece I’ve barely worn gets held up – like an APC blouse with the tags still on – I feel a wrench of regret and guilt. ‘Let go of this item and you get rid of that negative emotion,’ says Vicky. ‘Turn it into a positive by imagining the happiness someone will feel when they see this in a charity shop.’
I also struggle ditching anything with a sentimental attachment, like two bridesmaid dresses from my best friends’ weddings. ‘Every bride says, “I want to get something you can wear again,” but I’ve never ever complimented someone on a dress and had them say, “Oh thanks, actually it was my bridesmaid’s dress,”’ jokes Vicky. ‘This could become a great prom dress for someone,’ she adds, holding up the floor-length nude chiffon, which promptly gets put on the charity shop pile. Sorry BFF!
Once everything I’m keeping is in a pile, it’s time to start folding and my lounge now looks like an Abercrombie & Fitch stock room. It’s mesmerising to watch, like origami but with my sports bras. Everything gets sorted into sections, including a drawer that’s labelled Holiday, containing my bikinis (neatly stacked), my too-short-for-london shorts and maxidresses. ‘This is a great trick,’ says
I’ M PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AT HOW EASY IT IS TO SAY GOOD BY E TO MOST OF MY WARDROBE
Vicky. ‘Now when you’re going on a beach holiday you can just transfer this drawer’s contents into your suitcase and you’re good to go.’
And although Vicky patiently shows me how to fold things, she’s realistic about how likely I am to keep my wardrobe looking exactly like this. ‘Life’s too short to be folding your underwear, but if you can keep them in drawer dividers then it not only looks neater but you’ll be saving time every morning because you won’t be rummaging around.’
My dresses, skirts and tops get hung on Vicky’s signature skinny hangers from left to right, and in sections grouped together by colour and lengths of sleeve. My wardrobe now resembles a boutique, and I start to feel like I’m falling in love with my clothes again. ‘That little boost we get from buying something new isn’t sustainable,’ says Vicky. ‘But the elation you feel from having an organised, stress-free wardrobe lasts and lasts.’
Having decluttered so many famous people’s homes, is she ever tempted to keep any of her celebrity clients’ cast-offs? ‘I’ve got enough clothes,’ she says, totally zen. ‘I don’t need any more.’
That evening, I feel weirdly drained and Vicky texts me to say, ‘Today is the day you start living with less.’ During the night, I suffer a couple of pangs of worry over the things I’ve got rid of, including a bright purple underwear set that I never, ever wore. But over the next few days, I feel the kind of uplifted calm that I’ve previously only felt after a two-week yoga retreat. You know the phrase ‘tidy house, tidy mind’? Try having a tidy wardrobe! ‘ Start With Your Sock Drawer: The Simple Guide To Living A Less Cluttered Life’ (£12.99, Sphere) is out now