Happy New year!! I am not one for making resolutions as I never really stick to them but I do love to have a good wardrobe detox. I think it's the best thing you can do to kick start your new year. It always gives me a boost and makes me feel even more excited about dressing for the new season.
So, it's the perfect time to pack away those festive jumpers, party wear and reassess your whole wardrobe. Getting rid of your ill fitted jeans, those bobbled jumpers and those trending items that you never wear will make way for a more considered and streamlined wardrobe. This will also help take out the stress of finding something to wear in the mornings. Plus, if you know exactly what you have in your wardrobe, you are likely to wear items a lot more.
My tips below will help you get started and guide you through to get your wardrobe looking it's best.
1. Start by pulling out all the clothes from your wardrobe into a pile so that you can see exactly how many clothes you have. You will need to be honest here... go through each item and ask yourself the following. Have I worn this in the last year? Does it still fit me? Does this item reflect my style? Can I wear this item more than one way?
Once you decide on each item, then divide them into piles i.e. keep, send to charity or need fixing. You may also have items of clothing that are sentimental or hold memories that you find hard to part with, if you wish to keep such items for this I advise you store them in a box or suitcase away from your wardrobe if you have the space.
2. If you struggle to decide on which items to keep why not call a friend who will give their honest opinion on what suits you. You can always rely on a best friend for their trusty advice.
3. It's also a perfect time to identify any gaps in your wardrobe. I.e think, do you have enough basic's in your wardrobe?? I believe basics are the building blocks of any outfit. So, these items are important to have. These will slightly differ from person to person. Mine are my everyday jeans, t-shirts and basic crew neck jumpers. These are the pieces that work seamlessly with all the other items in my wardrobe.
Note down any key pieces that you think you need, also think about how these pieces will work with other items of clothing in your wardrobe.
4. Once you have decided on all the items you want to keep then you can start grouping them together. i.e all shirts, blouses, day dresses and evening dresses. Organising your clothes this way will make it much more easier to find what you are looking for. You can even go as far as colour coding them in their groups i.e from the colour black, blue to cream.
5. If you are lucky to have a large wardrobe then I would hang jeans and tailored trousers on clip hangers. If you have limited space then simple fold them and place them where they can be seen.
6. All t-shirts and and jumpers should be folded. Why? because they lose their shape when hung on hangers. I must say I do love the clothes folding method by Marie Kondo. I like this way of organising my jeans, t-shirts and socks and underwear in drawers. If you are interested in seeing this folding method please check out the Kon Mari Checklist at Happy Home DIY. To view this article click here
7. Colour coding your jeans, tops, dresses and knitwear makes a wardrobe even more pleasing to look at. Of course you don't have to do this but I find it makes it much easier to find things this way, especially if you are looking for a particular item. Also, you will remember exactly where an item need to go back!
8. Never use wire hangers as they very easily bend and take clothes out of their natural shape. The best hangers to use are flocked hangers, they are slim and take up alot less space which will give you room for even more clothes!!! They are also brilliant to keep silky tops in place. You can also use wooden hangers but they do take up more space, I much prefer to hang heavier items on this hanger such as coats and evening wear.
Where to buy hangers: Tk Maxx sell a pack of 25 hangers for the bargain price of £8.99 Ikea sell a slim wooden hangers in a pack of 8 for £4
9.Before you start putting back your clothes in your wardrobe thoroughly dust, hoover and wipe down your wardrobe. (Make sure you do this regularly to detract any moths)
10. If you can keep suits and heavy evening wear in dust proof storage bags. I usually store all my heavy Indian suits this way. You can buy suit bags from Morplan, Ikea or even Ebay.
11. If you have the space, store all shoes in their boxes to keep them dust free. You can even add a photo at the front of the box or write down exactly what they are so you know what is inside. You can also buy shoe storage boxes, ebay do a great shoe storage. Click here
12. Roll up belts and store them in a drawer where you can see them. If you don't have a space then you can always use a shoe boxes that can easily be stacked. Ikea is a great place to find great storage solutions for accessories.
13. Hang necklaces where you can see them. Earrings can be placed in clear storage boxes. If these accessorises are out of sight they will be out of mind. So, if what to get more wear out of your jewellery then place them where you can see them.
Amazon do a great range of jewellery storage at good prices. To see click here
I hope you found my tips on wardrobe detoxing useful. Once you have de-cluttered your wardrobe you will have a more positive approach to getting ready on a daily basis as you can see exactly what you have. You may also find that you have twice as much to wear with half as many clothes.
If you find clearing out your wardrobe is too much of a stressful and daunting task, then why not hire me! Check out my services at www.thefashionstylefile.com
Many thanks for reading!
Jas x