The real turning block that I had a clothing problem, was following a little in-office natter. The kind where we all expressed that this year was the year we will all properly de-clutter, including our wardrobes!
I expressed the idea of condensing my 37 pairs of jeans to a healthier number and my colleagues were shocked. Apparently 37 isn’t a ‘normal’ amount of jeans and 4-6 pairs is. Hmmmmm!
I have always considered a more ‘capsule’ wardrobe so to speak. And when I headed to New York back in December, I took this approach. I packed limited numbers of things, and items that could be mixed and matched to create different looks.
(This was partly due to the fact I wanted enough space as possible to pack more items after shopping but the idea worked! )
I loved the items I had brought along on my
So, to kick off 2019, I made the change, a clear out, a kick up the backside so to speak. Here’s how I did it, and with getting rid of 50% of my clothing collection.
Get it all out
Everything was out. From my wardrobe, drawers, storage under the bed. I gathered everything and put it all in one space. It’s a great way to get a good idea on the sheer scale of your clothing collection – and I was shocked on the amount I had.
Categorise
Once I had everything in one space, I categorised everything. Trousers, jeans, t-shirts, long sleeved tops, blouses. You name it, it was categorised. Again, it was great to see how much of some things I had, as well as duplicates!
Yes, no, maybe?
I sifted through each and every category popping every item in one of three piles. And I kept to those three piles. Keep, chuck, try.
My keep pile was mainly clothes that fit this criteria – a) I have worn and is known to fit and be comfortable b) I have forgetten I have, but adore all the same c) is a staple piece and will fit my capsule wardrobe ideal.
I was surprised at how, after I got into the swing of things, I was able to organise without question. My chuck pile very quickly grew and followed this general rule of thumb: a) I have worn but tend to avoid because uncomfortable b) haven’t worn in ages as no longer in style c) too small / big.
Surprinsgly, my maybe (try) pile was fairly small. I had just a couple of items popped on this pile for the pure reason that I was unsure if they fit. I liked the look of the piece and believe I would still wear, but wanted to double check.
Cut the duplicates
I do laugh at myself and my shopping habbits, as I have often purchased products, brought them home and realised I have the EXACT same piece sitting in my wardrobe. Cut the duplicates! If you have a very similar top twice, chuck the worn one. And bare this in mind when you head shopping next too. You do not need multiple, similar items. Broaden the horizon, unless it’s a white tee, you can never have too many of those!
Ruthless
Clearing out your wardrobe successfully is all about being ruthless! I am one of those that unfortunately hates getting rid. I keep styles just in case they come back into fashion. I have even kept clothing that’s too small on the off-chance I may just shrink in size.
This time around, I just said no. If it’s not something I have worn in the last 6 months, it was gone. I applied a strict mantra to every piece I was looking at and kept myself focused on the space I wanted to free.
Don’t be scared to buy new / expensive
This for me was the turning point before even clearing out my wardrobe. I have been known to, and have often bragged about the bargains I shop. For a long time, I would avoid at all costs items that cost more than £15. I am a huge fan of Primark and believed that keeping up to style was more valuable than the clothing pieces themselves. It would mean I would often shop cheaply, purchasing more items, than shopping middle range, key pieces.
With a little research and the mantra of changing my shopping habits I have changed my tune a little bit. I have decided that I would rather spend more on key, long lasting pieces that will enhance my wardrobe, and this has driven me with my clear out.
Changing my ideals has completely spurred me on to look at my current wardrobe pieces in a completely new light! I threw away t-shirts, dresses and jeans that were clogging up my space on the off chance I may reach for them again – and me being honest, I never was!
Going forward
Since it didn’t take me half as long ( probably six episodes of friends ), I very quickly analysed my now new wardrobe space and if there was a need for anything extra in there. I do have some key pieces missing, and as mentioned, there are some things I would like to upgrade from my
As I said before, i have nothing against Primark clothing, but for staple pieces like Black jeans and white t-shirts, going forward I would like pieces that I won’t have to keep replacing.
Overall, I am so happy with what I have managed to organise in my wardrobe. It’s something that I should have done a long time ago, and already feel much lighter after organising!
Have you recently organised yours?
Have I inspired you to slim line your clothing collection?
As always, share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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