How many times do you look in your wardrobe in the morning & think I have nothing to wear? And yet your wardrobe is full of clothing? It is common that our wardrobes can become black holes; full of clothing that fits, some that doesn’t, clothing that gets lost to the back corners 7 we subsequently forget about and then other pieces that get pulled off the hanger only to end up being placed straight back again. It is because of this that we only wear 20% of our clothing 80% of the time, scary! That means there is a lot of untapped potential in our wardrobes and the best way to tap into your wardrobe is to do a wardrobe edit. By the end of a wardrobe edit you’ll know that everything in your wardrobe fits & suits you, is in good condition (aka you can wear it now with confidence) and have new outfits & style inspiration (just like shopping from your own wardrobe).
1) Set Aside Time
I’ll be honest, to do a proper edit you need time. There is nothing worse than being half way through a job only to stop… often this leads to the other half never being completed or your concise decision making becomes clouded. Set aside an afternoon or evening where you know you won’t be interrupted and get stuck into the hidden depths of wardrobe. I like to put on some music I love or an inspiring podcast to keep my energy high and motivated.
2) Try on Everything
The best wardrobes are not always the most extensive or large but are full of pieces that fit you well, are in good condition and can mix and match well with the rest of your wardrobe to create many outfits. This means it’s time to go through every piece of clothing, this is best done with clarity so you can make concise decisions and to do that means going through sections. Try on all your jeans in one go that way you can decide do you need 10 pairs of jeans? Probably not! So which pairs are in good condition? Which pairs fit you best and are most flattering to your shape? Which pairs suit your style or don’t suit your style? Try all your jeans in one go enables you to judge each pair easily against another therefore helping you make confident decisions on what stays and what goes. Next try all your black pants, all your shorts, skirts etc You can see where this is going, keep repeating through each section until everything has been decided whether it stays or goes.
Clothing that goes:
- Doesn’t fit you
- Doesn’t suit your style
- Is in poor condition and can’t be repaired
- You don’t like
Clothing that stays:
- Fits you well
- Is in good condition
- You feel great in
- Can be mixed & matched with your wardrobe
- Suits your personal style (don’t know what that is? Discover yours here)
If something needs tailoring or repairs make sure this is done as soon as possible so it can return to your wardrobe to be worn and loved.
And remember, clothing doesn’t have feelings so don’t think you will hurt it by removing it from your wardrobe if it is not serving your needs, in fact it will be you hurting every time you walk into an overwhelming wardrobe.
Any sentimental clothing or accessories you have that you have that you don’t wear often or a keepsakes set these aside for step 5.
3) Donate
All that clothing that is in your go pile donate to charity if it is in good enough condition for somebody else to benefit from or dispose of thoughtfully. Brands like Zara and H&M reuse textiles to make new garments ( reward you for doing so), just drop off at your nearest store to find out more. Make sure you do this ASAP, whatever you do don’t let it go back into your wardrobe, you said no for a reason!
4) Hang the Good Clothing Back
Anything that made it to your love it pile needs to go straight back into the wardrobe. Rearrange your wardrobe to how it was set up previously (by changing the layout of your wardrobe your brain will be able to scan and find you clothing that you may have missed before the edit). This doesn’t mean a wardrobe renovation. It’s as simple as hanging clothing differently such as by type & colour or even by go to outfits making it easy to get dressed in the morning. Make sure clothing you wear frequently is hang towards the front of your wardrobe or most accessible part and the clothing that is worn rarely (such as event pieces, gowns, coats etc) are hung at the back.
To keep clothing in good condition it’s important to hang and fold clothing correctly, Use flocked hangers that stops clothing from falling off and are streamlined (giving you more wardrobe space) for anything that needs to be hung. You can get a box of 30 for $10 from Kmart. Use storage boxes and shelves for clothing and delicate materials that can be stretched when hung such as knitwear. Lastly use scented sachets to deter silver fish and moths.
Stores like Kmart, Howards Storage World, Target and Ikea have great wardrobe solutions and hangers.
5) Store Out of Season & Sentimental Pieces
Your wardrobe is prime realestate so prioritise the clothing you’ll wear now, the clothing for the current season. Fold away clothing that is out of season and store in vacuum bags to keep clothes from going musty and to reduce space in your wardrobe. Anything that needs to maintain hanging put towards the back of your wardrobe.
Lastly any sentimental items that are being kept but won’t be worn store these correctly to reduce wear and tear and ageing. To do this fold the item in acid free white tissue paper and place in a dust proof box with a scented sachet. And then place these out of the way such as in a high shelf or under the bed.
And that’s it! Once you get started it’s easier than you think, I promise. If you do need more information watch my YouTube that covers everything on wardrobe edits.