Achieving Wardrobe Zen: Top Tips for a DIY Wardrobe Edit

The seasons are a-changing (still, backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards!!) If you’re sensible enough to have not bothered to switch your winter wardrobe out, and got your spring / summer fully back in, then first of all, well done and lucky you - you’ll be fine with all this inclement weather we’re having right now! And secondly, when the glimmer of hope of some more sunshine and warmth does really kick in, have you thought about doing a bit of a clear out whilst you’re switching over?

Not just the seasons changing but life in general for us again… Plenty of us will be heading back into an office soon, but also many of us will be experiencing a change with that - we’ve all done a lot more working from home, and flexibility with working looks likely to become more of a norm. We’ve all also become a bit more used to a relaxed way of dressing, and what was once your go-to ‘work wardrobe’ might feel a bit out of place or not quite right for the new situation. Perhaps this is why you’re contemplating a bit of a wardrobe re-shuffle?

Frankly, just the idea of being able to go out more, socialise and actually have more reason to get ready in the morning could be the driver for getting your wardrobe into shape!

Whatever your motivation, look no further for some helpful tips on managing your own wardrobe edit… It’s a good idea to do this before you dash out to the shops to buy more clothes - you’d be surprised how much you already own!

OK, first thing’s first, take each item and add to one of three piles… Whilst you are going through this process you might want to try things on and ask yourself:

• ‘Does this item make me feel at least 8/10 when I wear it?’

• ‘Does the colour suit me?’

• ‘Does the shape suit my body?’

• ‘Is it in good condition?’

• ‘Does it still suit my lifestyle?’

Once you’ve asked those questions pop them in the piles:

The LOVE IT pile - these are clothes you generally pick again and again, the ones you wear lots and always feel good in, the ones you know you don’t want to get rid of. You should only have items left in this pile that made you feel 8/10 or more!

The MAYBE pile - the clothes you sometimes wear, or you don’t wear but you’re not sure why. You might end up with some that answered yes to the above questions, but you’re still not sure why you haven’t been wearing it - don’t worry, we’ll cover that bit later!

The NO pile - you don’t wear these clothes, when you put them on they don’t bring you any joy and you don’t answer yes to your above questions. Frankly you’re not sure why they are still there. They might just be clothes that you have loved but have really seen better days (yes, we should absolutely get proper wear out of clothes, but when they are threadbare or have holes in, it might be time to say a fond farewell (sob…!)

Next up, let’s move the NO pile away - I know, there’s probably some stuff in there that you’ve spent lots of money on, or you were totally sure you would look awesome in it when you saw that A-lister wearing it, or that really trendy mum you saw in the cafe last month rocking it and you just had to buy it… That’s OK, we’ve all made these mistakes, but think about it - is it better off just hanging in your wardrobe unworn, or if someone else had the chance to give it a whirl, and love it? I mean, if you’re going to spend money on clothes they really ought to be worn by someone, right? You can sell these on, or take them to a pre-loved or charity shop.

Right, let’s get back to the stuff that you do like and is making you feel good… Your LOVE IT pile, and (at least some of) your MAYBE pile. It’s time for some experimenting!

In order for your clothes to work hard for you, you should be able to wear each item with at least three other things in your wardrobe. What better way to find out how to do this than experimenting with outfits? It’s normal and really easy to get stuck in a cycle of wearing the same things together all the time because we know they look good, but if you have a play around with outfits then you’ll be surprised how many different combinations you can create. Use your LOVE IT pile, and team it up with items from your MAYBE pile that you haven’t tried together before - you might be surprised that the reason you never wore that MAYBE item much was because you just never tried it with that LOVE IT item before!

Have a look in magazines / Pinterest / Instagram...basically wherever you get your inspiration from, and try to recreate outfits using the clothes you own. Also, have a think about your accessories (shoes, bags, belts, scarves, jewellery etc) - what could you add in to finish off this outfit?

You’ll probably find that there are still some items in your MAYBE pile which you are still unsure about - my advice would be, if you still don’t feel great in them, if they don’t give you a yes to the above questions, and you can’t find ways to incorporate them into three different outfits, then unless they have some sort of sentimental value, put them on the NO pile. If you’re not feeling quite ruthless enough you can always put them back in the wardrobe on a hanger turned the wrong way round - if it’s still turned round the wrong way in six months time then you are probably not going to use that item again!

You should be left with a more streamlined set of clothes that complement each other and can be interchanged in different outfits. They should suit you and your lifestyle, and you should want to wear them - I mean really, if you don’t want to wear something then it really has no place in your wardrobe!

Before you start putting those items back in (and be strong - don’t be tempted to sneak some of the rest back in!!) have a bit of a spring clean inside - wipe down the insides of wardrobes and drawers, and your hangers. If you have the space, hang up as much as possible, simply because it makes it easier to access. Otherwise, when you’re refolding things to go back in drawers, pop them back in in the most accessible way that you can - sometimes you don’t wear things just because you can’t see them (hands up who found some stuff they love just idling at the bottom of a pile in a drawer when going through this process?!). Have your accessories (shoes, belts, jewellery, scarves, bags etc) close to hand so that you can use them to finish off your outfit easily when you’re getting ready in the morning.

Now, there’s a chance that after all this experimenting you’ve still found there’s a couple of key items that you feel you’re lacking (maybe your cardigans all seem a bit dated and you want to update, or your jeans have all got holes in, or all your light neutral tops are suddenly looking a bit grey and washed out, you might just want a couple of this season’s key trend pieces to help your wardrobe feel refreshed...) - these are the items you can now go and shop for.

Because you’ve done a thorough audit of your wardrobe you won’t buy anything unnecessary, which will save you time and money when you’re shopping - WINNER!

Hopefully this advice will leave you feeling all zen, with a beautiful and sleek wardrobe full of clothes you love. However, I know it can still feel a little overwhelming, and if you’ve read this and are still thinking ‘How on earth am I going to do that myself?’ then head on over to the information on my sessions: The Colour Session (for advice on what colours suit you best) and The Signature Style Session (for advice on both colours, what suits your body shape and how to define you own sense of style) or The Total Wardrobe Workout (for all of the above including me being there to do the wardrobe editing with you!)

Investing in streamlining your wardrobe is not only cathartic (honestly, it’s like therapy doing a bit of a clear out!), it’s also a way to better understand your clothes and make them work harder for you; and to save time and money on shopping because you will know what you really need instead of hitting the shops without a plan.