Style-ish Podcast: “The Wardrobe Reset: 6 Rules for Spring Cleaning”

Host: Shameless Media
Episode: September 9, 2025
Co-Hosts: Madison Sullivan Thorpe, Joanna Fleming
Special Guest/Producer: Kate Emma Burke

Episode Overview

This episode of Style-ish is dedicated to “resetting” your wardrobe for spring, with a focus on practical, actionable advice for a thorough, meaningful closet clean-out. Madison, Joanna, and Kate discuss their personal approaches to decluttering, sustainability in fashion, and share six top rules to guide listeners through an effective wardrobe reset — featuring both classic strategies and new listener-submitted hacks. The tone is warm, relatable, and peppered with humor and personal anecdotes, making tips both engaging and easy to implement.

Key Segments & Insights

1. Tribute to Giorgio Armani – [02:09]

• The episode opens with the news of Giorgio Armani’s passing at 91, reflecting on his lasting impact on fashion, his hands-on creative control, and his work across film and sports.
  • Quote (Madison): “The magnitude of what Giorgio Armani has done for fashion cannot be ignored... But also, this is one of the last sort of houses where the designer carries the brand's name.” [02:27]
  • Notable mention of Armani’s contribution to “American Gigolo,” “American Psycho,” “Wolf of Wall Street,” and even costuming in “Sex and the City.” [03:29–04:29]

2. Road Launch & Beauty Industry Dissection – [05:01]

• Discussion of Hailey Bieber’s Rhode launching in Sephora US/Canada/UK after ELF acquisition for $1 billion.
  • Quote (Madison): “It was actually the biggest launch in Sephora in their 50 year history.” [05:53]
• Speculation over whether Rhode will partner with Mecca in Australia, and comparison with Charlotte Tilbury’s launch.
  • Quote (Kate): “For me, it makes the most sense for them to go with Mecca... I think it would be the biggest launch for Mecca ever.” [08:03]
• Highlights the intensely beauty-obsessed Australian market and the importance of early access for local consumers. [09:23]

3. Weekly Recommendations & Life Hacks – [09:52]

• Kate: Recommends branding academic Eugene Healey & his insights on “friction” in modern life. [10:18]
  • Quote (Kate): “Friction is how we create meaning as humans... that extra time we have to take to achieve something or do something.” [11:14]
• Madison: Swaps in two tips: Anna Wintour’s candid New Yorker interview, and the resurgence of “dad cams,” film photography, and capturing life’s moments. [12:19]
• Joanna: Suggests “hanger hooks” for vertical wardrobe storage – easy, practical storage hack, especially beneficial for couples. [14:54]
  • Quote (Joanna): “They are like a little plastic hook that you loop over the neck of your hanger and then you can hook another hanger vertically on top…” [15:18]

The Six Rules for Spring Cleaning Your Wardrobe

1. Put Out-Of-Season Clothing Aside – [23:41]

• Store away winter clothes and accessories to clear main wardrobe space for current season.
• Use vacuum bags and airtight containers to keep items fresh and safe from moths and dust.
  • Quote (Joanna): “If the clothing you’ve put aside is definitely not going to get anywhere until it’s back in season, storing it away from your main wardrobe...is a great way to make space.” [24:16]
• Realistic about storage limitations, but enthusiastic about vacuum bags and grouping clothes by type.

2. Go Through EVERYTHING — Even Socks & Undies – [27:43]

• Complete clean means emptying all drawers, including underwear and sock drawers; clean and refresh storage (vacuum, wipe down, add moisture absorbers or scented liners/soap).
  • Quote (Madison): “My mum was always really big on, every six months going and getting fresh bras, fresh underwear, fresh socks.” [28:19]
• IKEA boxes recommended for drawer organization.
• Socks, bras, and underwear get particular attention — time to ditch ill-fitting or worn pieces.

3. The “On the Fence” Rule: Keep Maybes Visible for a Week – [33:22]

• For items you’re unsure about, hang them outside your wardrobe for one week, see if you reach for them; if not, time to part ways.
  • Quote (Kate): “What I do...is I hang them on the outside of my wardrobe for a week, and then I see over that week how often I’m, like, inspired to style them or not.” [33:41]
• Applies best to wardrobe staples (“workhorses”) over “show ponies” (occasional wear).

4. Haven’t Worn it in 12 Months? Let it Go – [38:59]

• The classic rule: if it hasn’t been touched in a year (except for formalwear), move it along.
• Sort outwear into “donate, sell, recycle” piles for maximum impact and easier decision making.
  • Quote (Madison): “If you haven’t worn the item in 12 months, you’ve got to start asking yourself why, and it's probably gotta go.” [39:29]
• Big plug for using textile recycling programs like UPPAREL for unwearable items. [39:46]
  • Quote (Kate): “They make their own fabric...Up Tex, and it’s a fully recyclable material that they make. And they also help close the loop on textile waste.” [40:08]
• New pile: “Would I Wear it if I Changed it?”— consider tailoring to refresh well-loved pieces.

5. Fit Test Everything – [46:12]

• Try on all items — if they don’t fit (and can’t be tailored), they go.
  • Quote (Madison): “Keeping them in your wardrobe can make getting dressed a lot harder and you just kind of get a bit overwhelmed.” [46:11]
• Discussion around the emotions tied to letting go of clothes that no longer fit, and the benefits of selling or swapping vintage/sentimental pieces.

6. Listener Hack: The Coat Hanger Trick – [50:09]

• At the beginning of the year, flip all hangers backwards. When you wear something, turn the hanger back the right way.
• After a year, whatever’s still backwards should be cleared out.
  • Quote (Joanna): “At the start of the year...you flip all of your hangers backwards...whatever’s left on the unworn hangers after a year goes into the sell pile.” [50:11]
• Alternative: Second set of hangers for worn clothes only, for extra clarity.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Sentimentality & Letting Go:
  “Do you know when Marie Kondo was like, does it bring joy?...Every single one of them...I attach memory to a lot of my clothes.” (Madison, [20:14])

• On Tailoring:
  “If you can tweak it, would you wear it?” (Madison’s advice for repurposing well-made pieces via tailoring, [43:21])

• On Body Changes & Guilt:
  “Keeping them in your wardrobe can make getting dressed a lot harder and you just kind of get a bit overwhelmed...your wardrobe might look really full, but then in reality you’re only really using like a quarter of it.” (Kate, [46:12])

• On the Listener Hack:
  “Stylish listeners, you are a clever, clever bunch of people.” (Madison, [50:38])

Implementation & Takeaways

• Each host commits to at least one new rule — Kate will liberate herself from ill-fitting clothing and use the money to reinvest, Joanna will tackle the undies and socks drawer, Madison aims to clean more regularly and try selling select high-value items.
• Overarching advice: be kind to yourself around body change, focus on sustainability, and make spring cleaning as “frictionless” as possible.

Useful Timestamps

• [02:09]: Giorgio Armani tribute
• [05:01]: Rhode/Sephora/ELF deal breakdown
• [09:52]: Weekly swaps and recommendations
• [15:18]: Wardrobe storage hack
• [23:41]: Start of spring cleaning rules
• [24:16]: Out-of-season clothing advice
• [27:43]: Deep clean everything (socks & undies)
• [33:22]: “On the fence” items hack
• [38:59]: “12 Month” rule & textile recycling
• [46:12]: Fit test and body image talk
• [50:09]: Listener hanger-flip hack

Tone & Style

Conversational, self-deprecating, and open; the episode balances practical advice with personal stories and is welcoming for listeners at all stages in their wardrobe journey.

Quick Reference: Six Rules for Spring Wardrobe Cleaning

1. Out-of-season clothes out
2. Go through everything, including socks and undies
3. Hang ‘unsure’ pieces visibly for a week
4. If unworn in 12 months, move on
5. Fit-test and lose what doesn’t fit
6. Listener hack: flip coat hangers at year’s start

For a more streamlined (and less stressful!) spring clean, try blending these rules with your current habits — add a little friction where it creates meaning, and let go where it adds stress.