Fit for a Queen:
In order for every item in your wardrobe to 'work', it must fit you. And by fit you, I mean fit you today, right now, not in a month or so when you promised yourself you will fit into it. Walking into your wardrobe each morning should be a joyous occasion filled with outfit possibilities only limited by your imagination, not your clothes. If you have to wade through all the items that don't fit you or flatter you, then you are setting yourself up for constant disappointment. My advice is to get rid of everything that does not make you look and feel amazing. Not necessarily throw them out, just remove them from your main wardrobe so you no longer have to see them every morning and resort to eating your body weight in chocolate.
The next step is to hang everything by 'type' - all jackets together, all dresses together etc - as this will really help you decide what to wear without falling into the "I usually wear this with this" scenario. If you are particularly neat, you can also hang by colour, a system that keeps my OCD brain very happy indeed. Having uniform hangers does wonders for making your wardrobe look and feel organised.
Archiving:
Now that you have rid your wardrobe of items that do not fit, it's time to archive. Every six months, I go through my wardrobe and select a number of items for 'archiving'. These are clothes that still fit and that I love, but are either a little dated or I am simply bored of wearing them. Instead of discarding them, I archive them. I have an archive storage facility (an old suitcase) in my garage that houses all of my archived clothing.
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| My selection of clothes ready for the archives ... and yes, this even includes jeans! |
How it works: Each time I retrieve my archive suitcase, I go through what was stored away 6 months prior. I then decide if it worth staying in the archive, returning to my wardrobe, or being moved on. Six months is a great time for distance and perspective. Often items I am not ready to get rid of when they go into the archive, come out six months later with no emotional attachment and are ready to be discarded.
Many stylist believe that if you haven't worn something in a year it must go. I don't subscribe to this theory. Many times I have successfully reintroduced an item into my wardrobe from years prior, at which time it has become 'vintage' and completely adds value to my wardrobe. (The trick to this is knowing 'how' to wear an older item in a modern way). As long as your clothes are working for you, and they fit you, have as many as you like!
Saying Goodbye:
Not all unwanted clothing needs to find its way into the rubbish. Items that are still in good, clean and wearable condition can be donated to your local charity shop, where you not only get the thrill of helping others, but you get to watch for your recycled item to turn up on the streets of your suburb once again!
An alternative is to sell your clothing and turn the money into something useful ... like new shoes.
There are many local markets where you can hire a stall to sell your unwanted items. You can sell them on eBay, or one of my favourite places to go is the Take 2 Markets, where they sell only womens wear in a great atmosphere. The next Take 2 Markets is in Geelong West on March 6th, and the one after that is in Hawthorn. Careful - you may come home with more than you sold! (click the image to go to the Take 2 Markets website)
Life Support:
Tailoring is another alternative to breathe life into older clothing. Skirts can be shortened, pants and jackets can be altered and dresses updated to ensure they fit well and flatter your figure. This is often a cheaper alternative to buying new clothes. (Luckily I can sew and alter all my own clothes, however if you have a great tailor, be sure to let me know so I can share the details).
Shoes are another item that can benefit from a good clean and heels / souls repaired. Some of my most comfy shoes are over 10 years old, but look like new because I have them re-heeled and souled when needed.
Help:
If you cannot possibly face the task of cleaning out your wardrobe, don't forget that I do it for a living!
Click here to visit my website, and remember that help is only a phone call away!
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