With many of us in isolation at the moment, people are really taking this opportunity to hit catch up on nagging tasks and hit reset on their life. I have noticed there are a lot of home wardrobe edits happening at the moment, so I put together five key questions to ask yourself when you are cleaning out your wardrobe to determine whether to keep an item or move it along.
Have I worn this piece in the last six months?
We all have those items in our wardrobe which do not see a lot of love. Sometimes it’s due to wardrobe organisation, it might be due to the fact that this item was not a good purchase. When going through your wardrobe, pull these pieces out first and really interrogate what it is that has kept you from wearing them. Obviously this process does not include special occasion pieces or super seasonal items such as coats so put those garments aside for the sake of this exercise. If an item has not been worn in six month, its time to challenge whether is belongs in your wardrobe at all.
Does this piece suit my current lifestyle?
Our lives are ever evolving, and sometimes this evolution is so subtle, we do not even realise we have shifted into a new life phase. Take into consideration where you are in life now and whether a piece is still relevant for you. Perhaps you used to have a corporate career and now you work from home, or are a stay at home mum. Maybe you have a lot of party clothes from your clubbing days, but realistically are only out at a bar once or twice a month now. Really be honest with yourself and make sure the pieces in your wardrobe are pieces that truely serve you in this moment.
Does this piece fit me well?
When a garment fits you correctly not only does it do wonders for your figure, but it looks more expensive. A well tailored piece from Zara can look just as sharp as a piece five times the price point, if it fits you well. My advice is to try everything on and scrutinise the fit. Is this a piece that just needs a little tailoring to get the leg length just right? If so, is this something you are realistically willing to do to prolong the longevity of this garment? If not, it’s worth considering whether this item belongs in your wardrobe. For the record, I couldn’t recommend light tailoring enough. If it means you can get more wear out of your garments and minimise your contribution to landfill, all the better.
It’s important to also review items that are too big, or small for you. We all keep pieces in our wardrobe for the day we “lose weight to fit into them” but really, this is not serving us, and only contributing to clutter in your wardrobe and mind. If you find your weight fluctuates and sometimes you do fit these pieces, then I would store them away in . your wardrobe out of sight, so only the garments that fit you right now are on display.
Can I come up with three outfits for this piece?
The key to a hard working wardrobe that lends itself to endless outfit combinations is one filled with versatile pieces. It’s a personal rule of mine, that a garment must be able to create at least three outfits in my existing wardrobe before I purchase it. I know when I was young, I certainly fell victim to high trend pieces that could only be worn a certain way. This meant I really was not seeing the cost per wear pay off for the garment and thus essentially was a waste of money and precious wardrobe space.
When you are going through your wardrobe, challenge yourself to come up with three outfits for any garments you are questioning. A great method is to go on Pinterest and search for outfits related to that specific garment, eg “brown biker jacket outfits”. You will be served lots of inspiration and hopefully already have lots of the pieces already in your wardrobe. If you are still really struggling, I would consider removing this item from your wardrobe.
Is this piece stained, damaged or in poor condition?
I am a huge proponent for mending and prolonging the longevity of your garments. In my opinion this is the least we could be doing to do our part in sustainability. Even if an item isn’t “sustainably made”, it doesn’t mean you should treat it like throw away fashion. Everything that comes into our wardrobes should be pieces we love, value and appreciate. If you are not willing to have pieces mended to prolong their lifespan, they might not belong in your wardrobe. Of course sometimes pieces are damaged or stained beyond repair. For these items I recommend recycling them. Planet Ark has some great resources for you to find your local fabric recycling initiatives in your area.
If you have items which are just plain worn out because you love them, consider whether they are a piece that still has a place in your wardrobe, and if so, seek a replacement for this garment.
I hope these tips were helpful. I would love to know if anyone has any further tips they live by when they are cleaning out their wardrobes.
If anyone needs support or to be lead through a wardrobe edit process, I am offering this service virtually at the moment. Sometimes it’s helpful to have an objective point of view and a fresh perspective. Personal stylists can be really invaluable for this reason, Check out my Online Services page for more info and to book.
If you are struggling to find ways to style a particular piece in your wardrobe I am currently offering FREE mini sessions over Zoom, where you bring one piece to the call, and I will suggest new ways you can style up this item. Click HERE for more info.
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