Last month I talked about ‘less is more’ and reviewing your wardrobe. Well, now it’s April and we are officially in Spring it’s the perfect time to give your wardrobe a dusting off! So, here’s my 5-step guide that will certainly help you with those morning meltdown moments or what to wear for that impromptu invitation –
1. Now this is going to take more than half an hour because I want you to take everything out of your everyday wardrobe and then try lots of things on. So, you’ll also need that full length mirror to hand and a couple of uninterrupted hours, depending on the size of your wardrobe and when you last did this!
When you see everything out on your bed it’s a good reminder of how many clothes you actually have, especially when you’re struggling to decide what to wear and feel you have ‘nothing’.
Having a clear out will help give clarity to your wardrobe, it can help curb your spending habits and nail down your personal style. You’ll be less tempted to make new purchases when you can clearly see what you’ve got and how it works together as outfits.
2. Before anything goes back into your wardrobe (of course only one item per hanger!) I want you to question:
Why did I buy this and how do I feel about it now?
The garments that don’t really work for us are usually things we buy as an impulse purchase, perhaps because we’re having a bad day, feeling menopausal or we think we need something to wear in a rush as nothing looks good or fits properly,
Does it still fit?
Do I like the fabric?
Does it flatter my body shape?
Does it fit with my current lifestyle?
Does it reflect my personal style, is it how I want to be seen by others?
Will it make heads turn because I look effortlessly put together?
3. From here you’ll end up with a few piles –
Things that may need washing, repairing, de-bobbling, altering etc.
Secondly, a pile of garments you are ready to part with but remember the purchasing mistakes you made because they are valuable lesson to take on board to prevent future errors. Some of these items you may be able to sell on Vinted, or get together with friends for a clothes swap, or repurpose in some way. For example, when your wool or cashmere jumper has come to the end of its life and can’t be darned or repaired any more you can send it off to Cashmere Circle – just email them and they’ll give you postage details – info@cashmerecircle.com and they will transform it into something new.
Then the last pile is the ‘keepers’! Clients often ask me how long you should keep something before you decide it’s time to part ways. Well, my answer depends on your responses to the questions I have posed. I would also quote Marie Kondo here and ask if it sparks ‘joy’ because if it doesn’t give you a positive feeling then it’s not a keeper.
On the other hand, if it suits you, remember fashion is cyclical and always comes back round! Or a useful guide to use is the #30Wears rule – to help you work out what to keep or cull – will you wear it on at least 30 occasions?
4. So now you need a clear vision of how to style everything that earns a place back in your wardrobe. That’s where the trying-on comes in – what will that garment go with that you already have? How can you outfit it differently to create new options? Play around and experiment. If you don’t normally tuck in your top, give it a try, I’m a big fan of the French tuck to create some definition. Layer things in different ways, mix old faithful’s with newer purchases.
5. Now think about how everything is going back in your wardrobe. If you haven’t got decent hangers, now is the time to invest in some slim velvet ones which you can easily get from Amazon or the like. They are space saving and will grip your clothes, so no falling off and disappearing to the floor of your wardrobe to be lost for months.
Organise your clothes in garment type or colour, whatever works best for you and try the hanger trick – put everything back facing the same way and when you wear something turn the hanger the opposite way round. Then you can go back through a few weeks later and check what’s not getting worn.
I’d love to know how you get on, so please do share your experiences with me. We all need to become more mindful and intentional shoppers. It’s our responsibility as consumers, as well as the retailers, to prevent so much over consumption and wastage. A staggering 92 million tonnes of global textile waste is discarded each year and there is already enough clothes produced to dress the next 6 generations!
As always, if you need any help with any aspect of your styling, don’t hesitate to give me a shout!
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