diff --git a/app/javascript/wardrobe-2020/WardrobePage/ItemsPanel.js b/app/javascript/wardrobe-2020/WardrobePage/ItemsPanel.js
index e2b3c385..6da13cf3 100644
--- a/app/javascript/wardrobe-2020/WardrobePage/ItemsPanel.js
+++ b/app/javascript/wardrobe-2020/WardrobePage/ItemsPanel.js
@@ -36,19 +36,13 @@ import {
 } from "@chakra-ui/icons";
 import { CSSTransition, TransitionGroup } from "react-transition-group";
 
-import {
-  Delay,
-  ErrorMessage,
-  getGraphQLErrorMessage,
-  Heading1,
-  Heading2,
-} from "../util";
+import { Delay, ErrorMessage, Heading1, Heading2 } from "../util";
 import Item, { ItemListContainer, ItemListSkeleton } from "./Item";
 import { BiRename } from "react-icons/bi";
 import { IoCloudUploadOutline } from "react-icons/io5";
 import { MdMoreVert } from "react-icons/md";
 import { buildOutfitUrl } from "./useOutfitState";
-import { gql, useMutation } from "@apollo/client";
+import { useDeleteOutfitMutation } from "../loaders/outfits";
 
 /**
  * ItemsPanel shows the items in the current outfit, and lets the user toggle
@@ -455,25 +449,7 @@ function DeleteOutfitMenuItem({ outfitState }) {
   const { id, name } = outfitState;
   const { isOpen, onOpen, onClose } = useDisclosure();
 
-  const [sendDeleteOutfitMutation, { loading, error }] = useMutation(
-    gql`
-      mutation DeleteOutfitMenuItem($id: ID!) {
-        deleteOutfit(id: $id)
-      }
-    `,
-    {
-      context: { sendAuth: true },
-      update(cache) {
-        // Once this is deleted, evict it from the local cache, and "garbage
-        // collect" to force all queries referencing this outfit to reload the
-        // next time we see them. (This is especially important since we're
-        // about to redirect to the user outfits page, which shouldn't show
-        // the outfit anymore!)
-        cache.evict(`Outfit:${id}`);
-        cache.gc();
-      },
-    },
-  );
+  const { status, error, mutateAsync } = useDeleteOutfitMutation();
 
   return (
     <>
@@ -489,10 +465,9 @@ function DeleteOutfitMenuItem({ outfitState }) {
             We'll delete this data and remove it from your list of outfits.
             Links and image embeds pointing to this outfit will break. Is that
             okay?
-            {error && (
+            {status === "error" && (
               <ErrorMessage marginTop="1em">
-                Error deleting outfit: "{getGraphQLErrorMessage(error)}". Try
-                again?
+                Error deleting outfit: "{error.message}". Try again?
               </ErrorMessage>
             )}
           </ModalBody>
@@ -502,7 +477,7 @@ function DeleteOutfitMenuItem({ outfitState }) {
             <Button
               colorScheme="red"
               onClick={() =>
-                sendDeleteOutfitMutation({ variables: { id } })
+                mutateAsync(id)
                   .then(() => {
                     window.location = "/your-outfits";
                   })
@@ -510,7 +485,9 @@ function DeleteOutfitMenuItem({ outfitState }) {
                     /* handled in error UI */
                   })
               }
-              isLoading={loading}
+              // We continue to show the loading spinner in the success case,
+              // while we redirect away!
+              isLoading={status === "pending" || status === "success"}
             >
               Delete
             </Button>
diff --git a/app/javascript/wardrobe-2020/WardrobePage/useOutfitSaving.js b/app/javascript/wardrobe-2020/WardrobePage/useOutfitSaving.js
index 9ceb5551..f0ae2c71 100644
--- a/app/javascript/wardrobe-2020/WardrobePage/useOutfitSaving.js
+++ b/app/javascript/wardrobe-2020/WardrobePage/useOutfitSaving.js
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ import { useToast } from "@chakra-ui/react";
 import { useLocation, useNavigate } from "react-router-dom";
 import { useDebounce } from "../util";
 import useCurrentUser from "../components/useCurrentUser";
-import gql from "graphql-tag";
-import { useMutation } from "@apollo/client";
 import { outfitStatesAreEqual } from "./useOutfitState";
 import { useSaveOutfitMutation } from "../loaders/outfits";
 
diff --git a/app/javascript/wardrobe-2020/loaders/outfits.js b/app/javascript/wardrobe-2020/loaders/outfits.js
index 09a111c9..ac73ab6c 100644
--- a/app/javascript/wardrobe-2020/loaders/outfits.js
+++ b/app/javascript/wardrobe-2020/loaders/outfits.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ export function useSavedOutfit(id, options) {
 	});
 }
 
-export function useSaveOutfitMutation(options) {
+export function useSaveOutfitMutation(options = {}) {
 	const queryClient = useQueryClient();
 
 	return useMutation({
@@ -16,7 +16,24 @@ export function useSaveOutfitMutation(options) {
 		mutationFn: saveOutfit,
 		onSuccess: (outfit) => {
 			queryClient.setQueryData(["outfits", outfit.id], outfit);
-			options.onSuccess(outfit);
+			if (options.onSuccess) {
+				options.onSuccess(outfit);
+			}
+		},
+	});
+}
+
+export function useDeleteOutfitMutation(options = {}) {
+	const queryClient = useQueryClient();
+
+	return useMutation({
+		...options,
+		mutationFn: deleteOutfit,
+		onSuccess: (emptyData, id, context) => {
+			queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ["outfits", String(id)] });
+			if (options.onSuccess) {
+				options.onSuccess(emptyData, id, context);
+			}
 		},
 	});
 }
@@ -80,6 +97,19 @@ async function saveOutfit({
 	return res.json().then(normalizeOutfit);
 }
 
+async function deleteOutfit(id) {
+	const res = await fetch(`/outfits/${encodeURIComponent(id)}.json`, {
+		method: "DELETE",
+		headers: {
+			"X-CSRF-Token": getCSRFToken(),
+		},
+	});
+
+	if (!res.ok) {
+		throw new Error(`deleting outfit failed: ${res.status} ${res.statusText}`);
+	}
+}
+
 function normalizeOutfit(outfit) {
 	return {
 		id: String(outfit.id),