If you have a wardrobe fit to burst that's filled with either clothes you don’t wear, clothes you haven’t worn, have forgotten about or you just can’t get rid of (we've all been there, no judgement here!) it’s time to take a good look at what you’re doing behind those wardrobe doors and maybe it’s time for a bit of a wardrobe overhaul and some organisation! Let the fun begin!
I know when I dedicate time de-cluttering and tidying any area of my home it’s actually really therapeutic. It’s up- lifting and I always feel so much better in myself afterwards too. I’m no Mrs Hinch but I do love a good clean and tidy, especially in a new year!
When you de clutter, edit, re organise, weed, tidy up (whatever you call it) your wardrobe you will find by the end of the process you’ve reconnected with what you have, you’ll find things you’d forgotten you have and you’ll also know what you need to complete your wardrobe too. There are real psychological benefits to doing this! And there is no better time than January to get this underway! Clothes are so connected to how we feel and if you feel great you will feel more confident in yourself too and that's off the scale important right now in these crazy times…
So where do you start …. it all starts with the preparation and planning - No need to open the wardrobe doors just yet, time for some reflection and some of my style success secrets first of all!
Ditch the guilt
Before you start, get in the right mindset for the task. Clothes hold a lot of emotion for people but holding onto pieces that don’t make you look or feel good, however much they were, or what occasion they were once worn for - if you don’t wear them now and aren’t in love with them anymore you I will put money on it now you won’t wear them again in the future! don’t beat yourself up over this!
Your wardrobe should feel like your own favourite boutique
The one that you love to shop in, with clothes that fit you, match your lifestyle and your aspirations. Clothes that make you feel and look good. I believe your clothes are a reflection of how you feel, when you are having a bad day it’s so easy to wear old clothes and not bother so much (we’ve all been there) but when you are feeling great, you dress well, you feel more confident, the day lights up? You have the power to change the way you feel through the clothes (and the colours) that you wear. Plus of course your wardrobe should have your much loved and worn favourites in it so when I say your own boutique this should be a sustainable boutique - one with clothes that you will want to wear season after season, it doesn’t all have to be new!
Life changes - embrace it!
If your life has changed and evolved look at your wardrobe and see if it has evolved with you. If you don’t like what's in your wardrobe, you have the power to change it! This is not frivolous, one thing for sure (generally) we all get dressed every single day! So it’s part of your own self-care to to feel good about yourself and happy in who you are and how you are seen - its about your own self esteem and self confidence! Open your wardrobe, does it reflect who you are and how you want to be seen!
Make a mood board
I get so much inspiration from Pinterest, magazines and online- take time to research looks and styles that you are personally drawn to. This is why it’s important to do this on your own! Don’t let others around you influence you, this is your style, your time to reflect yourself and your personality. Maybe there is a celebrity or public figure you follow and their style really resonates with you. Take some time to make a board and see what surprises this brings, really lean into it - look at the colours you, textures, styles, dresses, trousers, heels, flats?. See how much your wardrobe reflects the looks on your mood board before you begin. Think about how you want to look, think about your lifestyle and your job! You want your mood board to be real
and translatable to your wardrobe - what do you do, what do you need in your wardrobe!
Why are your clothes not being worn ?
OK, let’s just take a moment to think why the clothes you have in your wardrobe aren’t being worn (and lets not mention the pandemic here - although a very valid reason for not waring so much for the past 2 years I know! Statistics show women wear just 20% of their wardrobes on a regular basis! So look at the 80 % you don’t wear and think why that is - is it because you don’t like it, it doesn’t fit you, it’s not right for the occasion, it’s worn out, you’ve got three like it, or you’d forgotten you have it! If you’re off to a meeting could you pull together three outfits with ease that all reflect you and your style and make you feel confident ? Date night, what would you wear, is it easy to find an outfit. Find out what gaps you have for your lifestyle, Pieces sin our wardrobe should complement other pieces!
So now you’ve reflected and planned your style success (eeek) its time to start in the actual wardrobe Here's a few tips I share or help my clients with in our sessions together...
Take as much as you can out from your wardrobe!
I know this is challenge number one, as it can be a big pile but don’t let this overwhelm you, it will all be worth it! Make sure you give yourself an afternoon or a whole evening for the process! Get comfy and make sure you're near a mirror too for that all important 'trying on'!
Do you love it ?
Now look at each piece individually - does it fit ? does it flatter ? do you love it ? can you see yourself wearing it in the future ? I know that this is the time when money can come into your head (a lot) as you feel you’ve spent a lot on an item or so many pieces you don’t wear so can’t possibly part with them, or if you let lots of them go, how will you replenish them!? But maybe you won’t need to, maybe it’s time to reinvent your style, maybe its time to re invest in some ever lasting pieces that reflect who you are tight now. You can re sell items and honestly (with love here) if you don’t like things and have never worn them you won’t wear them, however much they cost - and they are just emotionally pulling at your heartstrings! Let it go.
Four piles ...
Time to make four piles : Keep, Maybe, Donate/Sell, Recycle - Simple - go through each piece and create four separate piles - be careful how much goes on the maybe pile though, this is not the excuse to put it all back in (not unless you love it all and want to of course)! Also a reminder to say if I had a £1 for every client who said to me they need to keep something for wearing in the garden I’d be a very rich woman! Yes of course be realistic and keep some pieces for wearing for doing jobs etc or in the garden but not a wardrobe full!
Recap of the questions to ask yourself:
Does it fit ? (if it doesn't let it go!)
Does it flatter me ? (Does it make you feel great)
Do I love it ? (this is so important - you have to love it to wear it)
Does it match my style personality? (not someone elses )..
Does it reflect me as I want to be seen ? (when you walk in a room, does it make you feel great)
Does it work for my lifestyle ? (life evolves, let your wardrobe evolve with you)
Does the colour flatter my skintone? (if not, how can you make it work )
Is it out-dated (and do you care if it is!) ...
Is it still in good condition... (if it's past it's best let it go)
If I haven't worn it - will I wear it ... how can I style it ?
Maybe pile - try it on - look at ways you can adapt these pieces. Only move to the donate /sell or recycle pile if you can’t make them work in your wardrobe or you don’t like it anymore! Sometimes we’ve found some hidden gems in clients wardrobes that hadn’t thought of matching with another item!
Recycle pile - if its old and its bobbles, threadbare or seen better days! Let it go! If its sentimental I am not going to tell you get rid of it but remove it , store it away but make sure your ever day wardrobe is a place that is filled with clothes you want to wear for your lifestyle right now.
Sell / donate pile- so many sites to sell clothes online now this is a whole post in itself - but you can make money from your clothes so be resourceful. One of the nicest ways to give back though is to donate clothes to charities - not a week goes by without a donation bag dropping though the letterbox! Take some time to fill one up or drop off your items at shops of donation stations.
Keep pile - now this is the one we love - take the pieces, make sure they fit you and they are clean (take to dry cleaners if needed). Hang them on slim hangers (the flocked ones are the best) - never wire!! Fold your jumpers - hanging them can stretch them!
Organisation
Well done, Now it's time to hang and store those items in your wardrobe in an order that works for you (yep, no point following rules you can't work with). Some people like to organise by colour, some by garment and style. For instance all black skirts together followed by blue skirts etc etc, Then when you've organised and hung all your bottom half, all black tops together, then blue tops! This is all going to depend upon the hanging space you have available. But try not to cram it all in, leave room to be able to move the hangers and see your clothes easily!
Create outfits - Now is the time for some fun!
Create mini capsules within your own wardrobe and take photos of flat lays (items laid out flat) and create style boards on your phone to remind you of what they are! It will make getting ready so much easier. You could even think about the week ahead and create your outfits based on your schedule! How many times have you thought it will be OK and you then try on 10 outfits in a hurry, discarding everything to the floor before selecting the same safe outfit to wear again because you didn't give yourself time to plan! Life is busy - planning really does help!
Identify the gaps
Now you should be able to identify the gaps that you need to fill to complete outfits in your wardrobe easily. Make a list and then when you go shopping you know exactly what you need to build your wardrobe into the style success of your dreams - no more buying mistakes!
And now you can go shopping!
You see when you've been through this process you are now ready to head to the shops with that super sensible (and happy) head on your shoulders! Of course it doesn't mean your head won't be turned by another beautiful black jumper, or another sparkly top (you are only human) but this time you may well find yourself asking yourself, do I really need it or thinking, no I'm OK I have enough or you might just really need it to complete a look!
Which leads me onto shopping like a pro with confidence - which is a completely different blog all together - coming soon !!
If you need advice or assistance with your wardrobe contact me for a Free Style Discovery Call and let's see how we can make yours a style success for 2022!