Is 40% of your wardrobe redundant?
How to detox your wardrobe – my 10 step guide.
By now we are well into autumn and your summer wardrobe is but a distant memory. But what’s your wardrobe looking like for this season? Is it full of clothes that you just don’t wear? Do you struggle to sort through what you have got to find an outfit to wear or is it a bit sparse because after lockdown you can’t fit into much? Or perhaps, you’ve just got the wrong things because you’re now working from home so don’t need all those business suits?
So now could be a good time to re assess your wardrobe, but how do you do this effectively?
1. Well, firstly if you are serious about this you need to find yourself a couple of hours uninterrupted where you can take everything out – you need space to work with! Ideally, it’s best to do this with a friend who will be honest and practical about the choices you are making.
2. We wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time – so you need to question what it is about the 80% that is not so right – it could be colour, shape, style – ask yourself should these be going back?
3. If you’re not sure about a garment and haven’t worn it for a while, try it on again and look at it critically in a full-length mirror. Try to assess why it works or why it’s not quite right on you.
4. Certainly don’t put back clothes you haven’t worn for over a year, these definitely need to be considered carefully. If it’s something you want to keep for sentimental reasons, store it somewhere else.
5. If it doesn’t make you feel good and put a smile on your face, don’t put it back.
6. Organise according to your lifestyle. For example, ‘work clothes’ together and ‘social clothes’ together.
7. Have the current seasons clothes accessible. So, if it’s winter, summer clothes should be somewhere else, or in the least accessible part of your wardrobe.
8. Remember the more clothes you have, the harder it will be to outfit and find what you are looking for! In my experience, if people are being honest with themselves, they can discard up to 40% of their wardrobe, obviously depending on how many clothes they have.
9. What about those items that have hardly been worn, you might even have something with its original tag on? Before these go in the bag think about why they are wrong – we all make mistakes at times, impulse buys etc., but this could be money spent on other things so check you don’t make the same mistake again!
10. When you put things back always make sure the garments and hangers are facing the same way in the wardrobe. This means you can easily flick through and see what you’ve got.
If you follow these simple guidelines, you’re bound to discover new outfit combinations along the way and find it much easier to make outfit selections in the morning.
As people get to grips with issues of sustainable wardrobe’s I increasingly find my customers really value this service. Without exception my clients find this a cathartic and liberating process that helps them better understand and develop their own sense of style.
So, if you’d like me to be your honest friend don’t hesitate to get in touch.
For more helpful styling tips why not follow me https://www.facebook.com/LesleyClarkeStyleAdvisor
or Instagram: lesleyclarkestyleadvisor
