Most of us are approaching the warmer months with glee, but open our wardrobes only to feel blah (yes - that is a technical term!).Faced with a sense of overwhelm, and that dreaded “I’ve got a wardrobe full of clothes, but nothing to wear”, we decide we need to go out and get lots of new pieces - woohoo! Whilst this is fun in the short term, it’s sometimes not so good on the wallet, and doesn’t necessarily solve the problem. We have now created more overwhelm, less space and no idea what actually lurks at the back of our closet.
Before starting, I suggest getting some good hangers. I use the flocked ones you can get at supermarkets - they’re inexpensive, but are perfect for your clothing.I find wooden ones take up too much room, plastic ones are okay but you need to ensure they have rounded ends so they don’t leave you with little “ears” on your shoulders, and metal ones - don’t even start me!
Remove everything from your wardrobe - yes, everything!If you don’t have a portable clothes rack, lie your clothes on your bed.Try to remove them in some sort of order; maybe lay dresses together, pants together, and so on.You will now have a great starting point for trying everything on.
Try on every piece before you put it back in your wardrobe, and only put it back if it:
is a great fit (no more than 2 sizes too big or small)makes you feel goodhas been worn in the last two yearsis in good conditionflatters your body shape
We all have pieces that we don’t wear but that hold some significance to us.It is fine to keep these, but if you can, store them away from your main wardrobe.And by the way, that LBD you’ve been holding onto for 10 years because “they never date”, probably needs to go too, because actually they do date!
Identify any gaps you have - write a list of pieces that would help create a more flexible and robust wardrobe; things like a good white shirt, a great pair of jeans, good blazer, etc.These are the garments I would tend to spend more on as they are investment pieces that you will have for a long time if you get it right.Consider “cost per wear” - if you wear them a lot, look great, and have them for years they are often cheaper in the long run than those cheap and cheerfuls that don’t fit well, and never look all that stylish.
Return your “keepers” to the wardrobe.Mine is very trans-seasonal so I organise it by tops, jeans, pants, dresses and jackets rather than by season, but do what works best for you.
Discard the pieces that have holes, are pilled or just need to go.Anything that is in good order should be donated to charity - this creates a double win.You will feel like you have a fresh new wardrobe, and someone will love the pieces that are no longer working for you!I always take mine to Nurse Maude, but there are many organisations that will truly appreciate your support.
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