Heidi Klum's Wardrobe Evolution, from 3 Pairs of Heels to Her 'Hoarder'-Level Closet (Exclusive)

The multi-hyphenate star gets candid about how her clothing collection and style sense evolved throughout her career — "I have a really hard time throwing things away"

Heidi Klum is a supermodel, a super mom and a super collector who’s incredibly attached to the clothes in her closet which, she admits, makes her somewhat of a "hoarder."

“That happens when you don’t come from a lot of money,” the former Victoria’s Secret Angel, 50, tells PEOPLE exclusively in her Fall 2023 StyleWatch cover story. "I have a really hard time throwing things away."

The America’s Got Talent judge grew up in her hometown of Bergisch Gladbach, near Cologne, Germany to dad Günther, who worked in the perfume business, and mom, Erna, who worked as a hairdresser.

Related: 'Talk About My Body All You Want': Heidi Klum (Still) Has Nothing To Hide

Her modest upbringing was carried into the early stages of her career, which took off after she won a modeling contest in 1992.

“After Paris, Milan and London, I came to New York in 1994. I had probably three pairs of heels,” she says, specifically recalling a black pair, a silver pair and a gold pair that were always on rotation.

“If you look at old photos of mine when I'm on the red carpet and people were not giving [me] things, those are the shoes that I had.”

Related: Heidi Klum Reveals the Contents of Her Super Messy Closet: 'Where Does It Look Like I'm Going?'

Her closet looks different now. She owns a fashion treasure trove (which houses her beloved denim collection reminiscent of a '90s Gap store and a Christian Siriano bustier top made by the Project Runway designer who she met during her days on the Bravo reality series) that's reflective of her ever-changing taste and, quite reasonably, her IMDb page.

“For me, I have to hang on to everything,” Klum explains.

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Her 19-year-old daughter Leni, on the other hand, has a looser grip on her clothes.

Klum shares: “She's like, ‘Oh, I just got this. Do you want it? Take it.’ She's just easy to give things away, but I think it's because she's always had so many things, and I didn't. I have stuff everywhere. I have a huge walk-in closet. I have a really hard time throwing things away, because I know I'm going to wear this again at some point, and I do.”

Klum’s overflowing wardrobe comes in clutch. As a Gemini who cherishes her sartorial freedom and has a wandering fashion sense, she’s willing to try every and all aesthetics, whether she’s in the mood for “boho style” or itching to play “boss lady” for the day in a power suit.

She’s also big on sequins, which have been a staple in her recent America’s Got Talent outfit rotation (the show is wrapping up its 10th season this week).

“When I do AGT, most of the time I sit behind a desk, so it's really from the waist up. So I look for something that is of interest around here. And usually” — she motions to her breasts —“I like to have Hans and Franz on a good display. But it's usually sequins or something with a great texture. I love big earrings or doing different things with my hair.”

Her co-judge and friend Sofía Vergara also loves to glam up, meaning Klum always has a stylish comrade on-set. “Sofía and I have a good beauty and fashion thing going. Last week she was in yellow, and I was in red and people made ketchup and mustard memes,” Klum shares.

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