How to detox & Edit your wardrobe

There is no shame in having a bit of clutter in your life. We all lead busy lives with kids, work and life admin which is why it can be difficult to organise our time to organise our things. But with so much time spent at home right now, it’s a good time to get organised, declutter and create spaces that help create a sense of tranquility and happiness.

“Discard anything that does not spark joy”

Became a life saying a few years ago from Marie Kondo, whilst I do not practice the same decluttering techniques, alot of what she says about happiness coming from the items we own and the way they make us feel I’m in agreement with. At this time of year when the seasons are changing it is easy to continue buying in the same patterns we always do, buying things that don’t suit us, buying things that we already have, buying things that we never even wear. By starting with what you have in your wardrobe now it will set you up to spend your money better on things you need, that suit you and that make you feel good about yourself.

My wardrobe detox

As ever I did my own wardrobe detox this weekend when the weather finally turned colder. I packed away all my Summer clothes into air tight bags and popped them away in storage. I was then able to see what I had in my wardrobe and assess it for the coming Autumn and Winter months. Here is what I did -

1. I set aside the time to detox my wardrobe without any interruptions from kids, errands or having to stop half way through leaving the bedroom in a massive mess.

2. I was armed with my storage bags, bin liners, a note pad and my long mirror to try things on.

3. I started by pulling out all my favourite Summer pieces and putting them away, I also identified if there was anything that I hadn’t worn and anything that might need either repairing or throwing away. I made an honest assessment about what I wore, what I loved wearing and what were the reasons for me not wearing some pieces.

4. I sorted the Summer clothes into 3 piles; Keep, toss (charity, ebay or bin), & a maybe pile.

5. Once I had all of the Summer items out of the way I worked through the rest of my wardrobe and pieces I had packed away that were for the colder months.

6. I did the same technique and asked myself questions whilst also trying some items on. Does it still fit me? Does this reflect my style? Do I love it? Has it had it’s day?

7. After a mammoth try on session I added some pieces to my piles of charity, toss and Ebay. I kept out the things I really loved and can see myself wearing in the coming weeks. I left some pieces still packed away like really heavy knits so to save space in my wardrobe for what I want to wear right now.

8. As I was going along I made some notes of things that I had to throw out cos they had holes in or looked over worn but I wanted to replace and these pieces I added to my A/W wishlist which I will share with you very soon.

9. I cleaned my wardrobe and drawers and put everything back in neatly so I can see what I have when I get dressed everyday.

10. I now have to deal with my piles; a couple of buttons to repair on a blazer and boilersuit and a small pile of pieces to put on ebay, plus a bag for the charity shop.

How I felt afterwards is still with me now, I feel a weight has lifted off my shoulders, I know what I need for Autumn to plug the gaps and my wardrobe looks inviting once again as it is free from clutter.

Reviewing your wardrobe is the first step in finding your style. Great style comes when you discover the colours and pieces that make you feel fantastic. This is what I want to help you create. If you need professional help with your wardrobe then contact me now for your home visit consultation and let’s bring the joy back to your life.

Spring overhaul - how to reassess your wardrobe

Right now we all have feelings of anxiousness, fears as to what the coming days, weeks or months might look like. Creating order, focusing on something fun and thinking about the future positively could relieve some of your anxiety. One thing is for sure we have finally hit Spring and the temperature is slowly rising so its getting time to put those heavy woolly jumpers away and pull pieces long forgotten about through the depths of Winter out of storage.

Now is a great time to reassess what you have in your wardrobe, by keeping your wardrobe in great shape it will prepare you for the coming season and give you a clear list of what you need to buy new. Every wardrobe needs regular updates, your life isn’t static and your style evolves with you. As the weather is varying this process might take a couple of weeks to fully move into Spring due to some days being colder than others, but I feel it’s time for a change, time to be inspired and produce some positivism whilst being at home.

So grab yourself some great storage bags, a pen and piece of paper and follow these steps to do a seasonal overhaul yourself -

1. Make sure you are assessing everything you own, from boxes hidden under the bed, clothes stuffed into wardrobes, bags in the loft and coats shoved into cupboards under the stairs, once you start you won’t want to stop!

2. Either do it in sections such as; Go through Winter before looking at your Spring/Summer clothes. Or do by clothes type; start with trousers, then skirts, then dresses…you get the picture. Or just pull everything out and create one big pile on the floor or bed and start with whatever is on top of the pile.

3. Sort into 3 piles:

   Keep - Keep the pieces you adore and still wear all the time, add these back into your wardrobe. If things need repairing or dry cleaning then make sure you keep these aside to attend to.

   Toss - Remove every item you don’t wear and decide if it can go to a family member or friend, can be taken to the charity shop or is past use or reusing for anyone and needs to be binned.

   Store - Pack things away that you will no longer wear for the next 5/6 months, move seasonal pieces such as woolly jumpers, long sleeved t-shirts, knitted dresses and skirts and anything else that you would wear in the cold weather.

4. As you are putting items back into your wardrobe take some time to look at the pieces you have, try things on and figure out some outfits that you could start wearing now. Think about what you want to wear this season, what you feel is missing from your basics and statement pieces and what you want to reflect your style.

5. Write a list down of these pieces you have identified you need or want as you go along gives you a focus and gets you excited for the season to come. This can be organised by priority or items, do you own enough dresses for Summer, shorts for around the house, jeans for the coming months or a Spring jacket to see you through the next few weeks? This list will help when shopping online in the coming weeks, gives you focus, helps you to not overspend, or impulse buy and also gets you buying the right pieces.

Remember you don’t have to fill your wardrobe with loads of things to be happy, it’s about having the right things that are versatile and can be worn over and over again.

I’ve recently concluded that a reluctance to undergo a wardrobe detox is actually the fear of ending up with too few clothes. In our consumer-crazed society, we often choose quantity over quality. But this isn’t the case with most of my clients. The process of detoxing and reassessing your wardrobe can give you joy, happiness and clarity for what you already have in your life and the gaps you need to fill.

So what are you waiting for? Get culling. You’ll be surprised, at times you’ll be torn, but once you’ve started, I guarantee it will be hard to stop, so cathartic is the satisfaction from seeing a clearer wardrobe. If 
nothing else, you’re going to learn something about yourself through this process and I can help support you every step of the way.

The modern way to own a capsule wardrobe

The capsule wardrobe has had a modern update. It’s no longer about owning several timeless pieces such as a white shirt, black trousers, a navy belted coat, etc etc, a capsule wardrobe for now is just a regular wardrobe of perfectly interchangeable pieces that work for you. The number of pieces in your capsule wardrobe is dependant on your style, what your lifestyle is and whether you have a need for variety or don’t mind repeating outfits relatively frequently. There is no perfect number, but using clothes from your entire wardrobe rather than just seasonal opens up more outfit possibilities.

The reason the idea of a capsule wardrobe is current again is down to sustainability being at the forefront of fashion right now. More and more we are becoming conscious of what we are consuming, what we are spending our money on and where the product comes from. In 2020 it’s not #vintage that is the most buzzed about hashtag, now you’re more likely to see #preloved #reusedfashion #sustainablefashion #notbuyingnew and with fashion and style Instagram accounts leaning towards not buying anything new, it has become the most desirable fashion trend this year so far.

Project333 is a great example of this change in trends, Courtney Carver has written a book that is out this week outlining her minimalist fashion challenge that proves less really is so much more. "Be more with less’ is her over-riding message. Wearing just 33 items for 3 months is her challenge to the world, she has taken this simplistic approach to living and never looked back. She believes by stripping back your wardrobe, focusing on the core 33 pieces you will find joy that you have been missing. Read more and buy the book here.

The attitude to fast fashion is changing, outfit repeating is currently a badge of honour with finding new and inspiring ways to wear items of clothing is becoming the most coveted fashion idea to date. But in the real world, away from social media inspiration, is the capsule wardrobe actual attainable? Why build a capsule wardrobe and can we retrain our brain to not constantly seek something new to make us feel better about ourselves?

The benefits of a capsule wardrobe underpins all that I do as a personal stylist, I just talk about it as a ‘working wardrobe’ when chatting to clients and perspective clients. Building your own capsule wardrobe is a great way to become a smarter and more thoughtful shopper. If you have a wardrobe full of pieces that all work well together, then this will curb your impulse to constantly buy. As it’s your wardrobe you need to take a look inside it and see what works for you; what do you wear the most, what do you love wearing and what suits you the best?

You will find your own capsule wardrobe in amongst the stuff crammed into your wardrobe, and I bet you only wear 20% of what you have. That 20% is what you need to base your capsule wardrobe and your style on. It’s items you can rely on to make you look and feel good with minimal amount of effort and stress. The blazer is a building block for my wardrobe, something I can wear and rely on time and time again. I can put it with skirts, dresses, trousers and even joggers and the blazer instantly pulls the outfit together.

Pieces I find that work the best have minimal amount of fuss, can make a statement but are not trend driven and are versatile between my smarter work commitments and my casual weekend laid back styling. By identifying these pieces in your wardrobe you might start to see a pattern emerging within your choices, the things you like and what you wear the most. You now need to be able to jigsaw these pieces together to work as a versatile capsule wardrobe. The more carefully you plan your capsule and select your pieces, the better.

With sustainability non-negotiable, we who love fashion are trying to find ways to tease our passion apart from over-consumption. In 2020 capsule dressing looks cooler than ever, a streamlined wardrobe frees a little more of your time and your sanity and you might just find your happy place too. To get me putting this into practice more I am giving up shopping for Lent. Today, 26th March marks the start of 40 days of breaking the habits of consumerism and spending money on things I don’t possibly need.

Join me in this challenge, I will be showing you my daily styles over on my Instagram page and tag me using the hashtag #edits40dayschallenge and let’s inspire each other to shop our wardrobe for 40 days without adding anything new. I have a great modern capsule wardrobe and I will be showcasing my styling, giving you tips and inspiration for you to dig out pieces in your wardrobe that you might not of worn in ages. With £140 million (&rising) of clothing ending up in landfill every year it’s time to break those buying habits and appreciate what we already have.

Lessons I've learnt from my wardrobe

Working as a personal stylist means that everyday I am lucky enough to spend time with lovely ladies and gents, surrounded by clothes, talking about clothes and shopping for clothes. It also means that everyday I impart my knowledge, expertise and passion about style, styling and what to buy for your wardrobe. You can quite often find me in a wardrobe talking about how to make your wardrobe work for you, how to style what you have and what missing links you need to make what you have more versatile. Along the way I like to teach my clients how to change their style for life, give them confidence to wear things they never would of picked up before and show them how to wear it. In the consultation we learn lessons along the way about mistakes made, how to be a more savvy shopper, what shapes are right for you and how to avoid shopping pitfalls in the future.

As a buyer in my previous career on a weekly, well daily basis we would consistently analyse the lessons learnt from the pieces we have brought to be instore. Why were they best sellers? Why didn’t they sell? What can we do next time? What do we learn from this to take into next season? So that’s exactly what I have done with my wardrobe. After extensive reflection on the investment that I made in Autumn 2019 I created my best buys (see previous blog) and to go hand and hand, what went wrong, what lessons can I take for when I am buying items from Spring. By doing this I want to learnt what I did wrong but also champion the things I did right so I continue doing those too.

Reviewing, detoxing and reflecting on your wardrobe is a great way to give you some focus if you are thinking about going shopping as it gives you the confidence to shop in the best way. Write a list of do’s and don’ts and then of what you really need in your wardrobe and stick to this list. Taking an intentional break from shopping helps you make smarter buying choices, makes you feel happier and more present in life too.

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There are some big lessons I’ve learnt which I hope will help me continue to hone my own personal style and rediscover some great tips that I can pass onto my clients too.

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BE BRAVER IN EXPERIMENTING

It’s ok to be bold. I wanted to push my boundaries more in Autumn 2019 and those pieces I brought that were bolder than previous styles paid off when putting outfits together everyday. It might have been colour, or print or style of the item that meant I was being braver, but pushing my comfort zone paid off.

Dressing for yourself is a form of self care, so making yourself happy through your clothes makes you feel 100% better. It’s not about following trends but about finding the style that works for you.

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QUALITY VS QUANTITY

A couple of knitwear pieces have taken a battering because I have worn them so much and therefore won’t be lasting until next season. But ones I have spent abit more money on will last for many years to come.

Having a budget and sticking to it is important, so impulse buying should be kept to a minimum. I really think about the choices I have made this season, it’s important to spend wisely, love what you buy but be realistic and true to your bank account.

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GIVING IT LOTS OF THOUGHT

Once I had an understanding of what I wanted my style to be every piece I liked I would really give it some thought. If I brought online I would try the items on with other things in my wardrobe, if it didn’t excite me or fit right or made an impact then I would send it back.

Not knee jerking and buying online or when in supermarkets is a great way to really think about whether you need that piece in your life. I know I have done it once this season with a skirt from Zara and it will be the only item going on EBay this week.

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LESS IS STILL MORE

I have learnt that I don’t always need to have more pieces to enjoy the wardrobe that I have. It’s good to impose a spending ban for a couple of weeks at a time to give yourself time to wear the pieces you have in your wardrobe rather than continually adding to it.

We always think we need to keep buying new pieces to update our wardrobe, but that isn’t always true. Spending time rotating, restyling and trying things on with other pieces in our wardrobe makes you more confident and happy that for the next few days you feel like you have some new outfits to refresh your style.

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IT’S AMAZING WHAT A PAIR OF SHOES CAN DO

My single best buy of last year (and most expensive) was my Grenson Nanette boots. I wasn’t convinced for a long time about these boots, I thought they were too big and clumpy but they have transformed so many of my jeans, skirts and dresses that I always feel like I have a new outfit on when I am wearing them.

Don’t under estimate the power of shoes, bags and coats, I say this all the time to my clients. They are investment pieces that finish off every single outfit and you will wear the shoes, jackets and bags more often than anything else in your wardrobe.

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If you need help learning what’s right for you and your style, then contact me for a consultation now.