Editing and Refreshing your Wardrobe this spring...

So I found a blouse recently when editing my own clothes and it felt like I had been shopping without spending any money! This is the wonder of truly getting to know your wardrobe - there are new outfits crying out to be created, old pieces wanting a new lease of life and items which we can say goodbye to and free up space and clarity. So many of my clients tell me how 'cleansing' and 'refreshing' the experience is and wished they had done it sooner!

So here are my Top Tips below on Refreshing your Wardrobe…

1. Get everything out and create YES, NO and MAYBE piles – the NO’s can go to charity shops/dress agencies for re-sale, gifted to friends/family, once they are a NO just say goodbye to them and put them in a bag and remove them from your space. Now this is where we consider the MAYBE’s. Can you make them work for you by creating a new outfit, do they need cleaning/repairing/adjusting or do you have to work too hard to make them work for you? If so they are a NO. Goodbye!

Sort in to YES, NO and MAYBE piles

2. Be honest with the MAYBE’s! Really look at why they’re a MAYBE – is it the wrong style for your Body Shape? Is the dress simply the wrong colour for your skintone? Could you repair it, adjust the buttons, shorten/lengthen it to suit? Is it something you long to love or feel you should because it was a gift? If it’s not right for you and you don’t love it enough to repair/dry clean get rid of it! Then once you have deciphered the MAYBE'S into YES and NO's then you can have fun!

Can you repair anything or customise to make it relevant?

3. Get decent velvet hangers having all of your clothes on one style of hanger makes it easier to assess what you have, looks great, saves a huge amount of space and are practical as delicate clothes like shirts, blouses hang better on them and don’t lose their shape.

4. Re-hang into colour order with bottoms separated either at the front or the back of the wardrobe. I store my bottoms inc skirts, trousers at the front, dresses at the back and tops in the middle. I find this helps me create outfits and look at ways of putting different looks together. You may prefer to separate it out into styles so tops, bottoms, dresses etc it depends how you use your space and what works for you.

5. Do you have any gaps? Re-organising your wardrobe will help you work out where your weaknesses are – for example if you notice you don’t have a decent blazer or your jeans are all looking tired you can decide if you want to add those to your shopping list. Always think about creating outfits and it will ensure everything in your wardrobe works hard for you! Make mindful purchases – can you create three outfits with each piece and can you imagine yourself wearing it in five years time?

6. Get creative! Play with the remaining clothes - how many new outfits can you create with what is left? Think outside the box,undo, tuck in, wear layers, button up, wear loose and long - go for it! If you need inspiration Pinterest is a great place to browse or why not get some magazines and see what inspires you then see if you can recreate those looks using the clothes you already own. Have fun with it!!!

Dressing and style should be fun, empowering and liberating! Having a good clear out leaves you feeling energised and renewed and as always with style – less is definitely more! Clearing space doesn’t mean you have to fill it up, just let it all breathe and spend time looking through what you already own. You’ll be surprised what outfits you can create with fresh eyes and an open mind. Less clothes, doesn't mean less outfits!

And if it’s all too much or you simply don’t know where to start that’s where I step in. Message me if you’d like a no obligation chat about where you’re at with your style and your journey, book in for your FREE Style Consultation… and let’s talk about you!

Abbey x

Find out about my Wardrobe Refresh services here.