Making your wardrobe a happy place

Going from one season to another is never easy work. No matter the size of your wardrobe, it will never be big enough to accommodate every item you have. You can't keep coats next to summer dresses as you will never be able to see what you have tucked away inside. Now is the time of year to store away your seasonal summer clothes otherwise where are you going to put that amazing Mango leopard printed jacket you just bought? It's time to make a choice, and I can help you make it a clever one!

Here are five steps to organize your wardrobe that I use when helping clients detox their wardrobes...

1. Organisation is key

You need to be able to see everything you have in your wardrobe otherwise you will just never wear it. Hang up the important pieces, maybe on the same hangers as it gives your wardrobe a calm vibe and also looks luxurious. Fold your jeans and stack them so you can see each one, and purge your t-shirt drawer as there will definitely be some squashed up tee's in there that you no longer wear.

2. Make three distinctions

Make three piles, what you are wearing, what you can’t wear this season and what you are (honestly) not going to wear again. Keep everything you wear every day, even if it’s only a few tops and jeans. Make a separate pile for things that aren’t seasonally appropriate anymore. Put away these things in a suitcase and store them until it starts to get warmer. Now, nicely fold the clothes you keep and tidy your wardrobe. It feels more spacious already right!

3. What do to with the clothes you don't wear

Some pieces may have some value left in them, depending on the brand so sell these pieces on Ebay or Facebook. A bit lazy? Your niece/sister/cousin will always be happy to have some of your clothes. Want to do a good deed? You can give your beloved clothes to a charity shop! All you have to do is walk in with the bag of clothes and hand it to the till.

4. Filling the gaps

Now you can see what you have in your wardrobe and you can identify any gaps that you need to fill to pull outfits together. Make a shopping list and stick to it. If you often spend money on things you don't end up wearing then shop smarter. Before buying a piece refer back to your list and be honest with yourself on whether you will actually wear it or not. If you do bring the item home, if after one week you haven't worn it, take it back to the shop before your refund expires. No shame, you have one month to decide, take advantage of that!

5. Less is more...

Even if you have a large wardrobe or even dressing room, you don't have to fill it. Go through your wardrobe every six months when the seasons are changing and asses whether you have worn the item or not. If not pack it away, sell it on Ebay or give it to charity - you will feel much better afterwards so it's a win win situation.

If you need help with organising your wardrobe then I have plenty of experience in editing wardrobes big and small, this is a recent testimonial from a client-

" I cannot recommend Nina highly enough!  We met last week to do my colours and then to de-tox my wardrobe and I feel so much better now about how I look.  I finally have a wardrobe of clothes that suit me and colours that complement me, rather than a hotchpotch of items gathered over many years that I will never wear again.  Nina was kind enough to be available for me on email when I went off to Westfield to get my "must-buys" from the list she gave me, giving me advice on items to avoid and her views on the colours I'd chosen.  I was stuck in a major rut until last week - my confidence had been rock-bottom and I just felt dowdy.  Now I feel energised and have the confidence to go bolder and to carve out a style for myself.  Thank you Nina! xx "

Contact me now for your Autumn Winter appointment - nina@edits-styling.com

Edits guide on how to look stylish for a weekend away

edits styling notes

A quick getaway no longer means just tossing a couple of items in a bag anymore and jumping on a plane. Packing for a short trip just might be more difficult than packing for a longer one because you need to be prepared to have clothing and shoes for both day and night. Trying to fit everything you need into a small suitcase can be quite a challenge - unless you know what to pack.

My hubby and I are off for our first mini break in years and are getting on a plane with carry on, so perfect packing is essential. Having not packed for just myself and no kids for a number of years it's got me thinking about what to pop into my bag. So I thought it would be best to come up with a strategy before I started tossing clothes into my mini case!

Here are my strategic packing rules for a mini break -

• Make sure you have a good idea of what you'll be planning on doing throughout the break so that you know the appropriate clothing to bring. If you're spending a weekend in the country, you probably won't need a fancy dress and dancing shoes. Likewise, if you're going to spend the bulk of your time at the beach or lounging poolside, you probably won't need to bring long trousers. Checking out the weather beforehand is also a must!

• One key idea to rememberis to try to take clothes that can do double duty, especially shoes. Shoes can be heavy and bulky, so it's good to take as few pairs as possible. Take one pair that can go from day to night and a second pair that you can use as slippers, like flip flops. Because they're flat, they'll pack nicely, and you'll still look stylish any time of the day.

• The name of the game for clothing is versatility. Look for clothes in your wardrobe that can do double duty by pairing in different ways. It also helps to have clothes that can be dressed up or down. A pair of basic black trousers or jeans can be the base for many kinds of tops, for example. You can also change your look just by changing your jewellery. Packing a few select pieces of jewellery can help change your look, which can be important if you're wearing the same outfit twice.
• Learn to pare down the amount of items you need for your daily beauty regime to just the essentials you'll need over the span of two nights. Also be sure to pack mini-bottles of your beauty products. They'll not only fit better into a small bag, but they'll get through security at the airport.

I am hoping these hard-fast rules will help me when packing in the 20mins I have inbetween school runs, washing, working, cooking etc etc! Oh well, who doesn't want to go shopping on a mini break anyway?!!

Bon Voyage! x

My ultimate guide to New Year wardrobe organisation

A new year always brings with it the desire to start fresh, and in order to do that, it's crucial to get rid of anything excessive or neglected that's just wasting space in your wardrobe.

As far as I'm concerned, de-cluttering your wardrobe should be a year round job, as a Image and wardrobe consultant that is what I advise clients to do. But that does not mean it gets any easier everytime you do it. Infact it can be quite an emotional process to go through and you often need someone to support you whilst you set upon this sometimes mammoth task.

Over the years I have honed my de-cluttering skills and can offer you some amazing ultimate wardrobe clearing tips:

Self questioning is the most important part of the process. The more honest you are with yourself the higher your success rate.                   Does it fit? Have I worn it in the last year? Is there a reason it still has labels on it? Do I think this looks good when I wear it?

Set yourself a goal. Get excited about the end result by setting targets for yourself as you go along. Look on pinterest for ideas on how you want to organise your wardrobe. Do you want all your shoes in boxes labelled? Do you need new hangers? Do you want it colour co-ordinated or outfit organised?

If you have certain items that you know you never wear, but you can’t quite part with, put them in a trash bag in the back of your closet. After several months, get rid of all the clothes that you’ve forgotten about. If you remember an item and fish it out to wear it, it’s a sign you should keep it.

Every time you wear something, put it on the right hand side of the border. After 3 months, consider those things on the left hand side, the land of Things You Don't Wear and those on the right, the land of Things You Do Wear. You now know you don't wear them.

If all else fails (or you're just in need of a final push), give me a call. I will be more than happy to help!