As it's Spring and the season of having a good clear out I thought this post was due. In the past year I've been making a conscious effort to de-clutter my life. As much as I thought I was good at removing clutter I am also a shopaholic at heart. Every time I've downsized in the past I end up slowly replacing items again. This made managing all my belongings in my tiny corner of the world almost impossible.
I've had the most success with de-cluttering my wardrobe. I rarely have the opportunity to share my outfits on my blog, but I am so much happier with my clothes now (finally). It wasn't always that way though. I was obsessed with 'fast fashion' and that was a hard habit to kick. I thought having more stuff meant I'd have more to wear. It didn't. I had no real plan when it came to buying clothes and I never considered what my style was before either. I had to change my whole approach to my wardrobe and this is what helped me in making changes.
1 Start by taking everything out
Take every single item of clothing you own out of your wardrobe. If you leave items in the wardrobe it's easy to keep them, so pull it all out. I think this was the hardest bit for me as I hate mess. Once it's all out and piled up it can reveal just how much stuff you have and how much of a task you have on your hands. For me it was a bit of a shock seeing how much I'd spent on items that I'd never even worn, still with tags on. It was such a waste and it forced me to do something about it.
2 Sort into piles
The next step is to decide which items you want to keep, sell or give away. When de-cluttering also have a pile of items you intend to keep which may be 'out of season'. You can revisit them later when the weather has changed. Be critical with your keep pile. They need to be items you absolutely love and suit you and your style. Try clothes on, mix them with other pieces you hadn't thought of and think about the last time you wore them. If you haven't worn anything in the last year the chances are you're unlikely to wear them again.
3 Assess your 'keep' items
What you keep needs to be good quality (depending on the occasions / activities you need them for). I never used to spend a lot on individual items which left me with only a few pieces that would survive constant wear. Also, do the items you're keeping complement each other? The best wardrobe pieces have a bit of thought behind them. They work together cohesively so you have several outfit options with only a few items of clothing. It's like having a capsule-type wardrobe. It helps to choose a seasonal colour palette and the colours you love wearing most (for me it was neutrals, black and navy). It's good to limit yourself to a maximum number of clothes too in order to truly downsize. Your wardrobe isn't supposed to be restrictive so pick a number that suits you. The idea is to remind you that there's only so much space available for new additions.
4 Test your new wardrobe
The few weeks after downsizing will reveal how well your new wardrobe is working for you. There may be a few items you need you didn't consider before or you may have kept a few things you're not wearing. One trick is to turn your hangers around after you've worn an item. If after a month there's a few pieces that you haven't touched at all assess why not. Do you need to remove these items?
5 Be selective with any new additions
There's nothing wrong with following trends but will you want to wear that 'it' item in a few months time? The point is to get as much use out of your wardrobe as possible. Focus new purchases on wardrobe basics which you love which are always in style. Think denim, leather jackets, a simple (but killer) black dress. For me I've stopped impulse purchasing too - with clothing at least - and it's helped massively. I have a specific list of types of items my wardrobe is missing, even down to certain cuts, styles and colour. I look at a few options before settling on a purchase and make a conscious effort to buy better quality clothes. I'll still buy items in the sale or from 'cheap' retailers, but I'm fussier about making sure the clothes will last and fit with my style.
What's your approach to your wardrobe?
Lesley x
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How To Downsize & Still Love Your Wardrobe - Natural hairstyle for mens and womens
