The arrival of new season always brings the need to reinvent and update your appearance, change the old with the new and begin the process of rebooting and reorganizing your wardrobe. But, in my case, also the need to clear out everything, reduce the amount of clothes and fashion accessories and learn how to work with less. I know I tend to refer to myself here as "Zara hoarder", but the truth is I'm far over with my hoarding days. Over the time I realized that I don't want to be bothered with overflowing closet, neverending piles of clothes and tons of stuff I never wear or use; and what I really want is to simplify everything. I'm not saying I will now become a "10-items-wardrobe" type of girl, but what I will be doing is trying the reorganize the closet, cut down the amount of stuff I own and carefully choose these items I will be updating my look with. Maybe you would like to do the same? Then go through some of these guidelines
Reserve some time.
Sorting out your wardrobe is not a quick job, especially given the fact that we always seem to be unaware of the amount of clothes we actually own. A half a day or even an entire day on the weekend might seem like a lot, but it will be worth at the end.
Define your style.
Knowing what your style is half of the work done. But if you're still
trying to figure it out, try not to leave it for
the day of your closet clearout. Give your preferable style a go for
couple of weeks prior to it and see how it works. You'll come to the conclusion whether that Parisian chic or Scandinavian minimalism really suits you, or you feel much more comfortable in carefree boho style instead.
Trying to stick to your style will eventually prove to be quite challenging - you will always have a wish to try new things and that is perfectly ok. Staying tuned to seasons trends is the best way to evolve your style, but the trick is not to get lost and overwhelmed and pick only these that match your personality and the image you want to show. And never ever compromise the colors and fits that are most flattering on you.
Analyze your key pieces.
Once you know what style suits you the best, focus on the key pieces as the essential items that will help you achieve and pull off the desired style. For example, Parisian chic style will require blazers, classic trench coat, briton stripes. Maybe you will be happy to discover you already have that pieces in your closet or maybe you will need to buy them (more on that in the second part of the post).
Make a selection.
As hard as it may sound: no, you don't need to keep all your
clothes and yes, you can do without some of it. If our style is already quite well defined you will find at least one item that was a miss; if you have always been falling for trends many items will now seem dated to you; if you are trying to make a complete style
make over you will end up piling up all the clothing that just will not
do for you anymore. So where to begin? Carefully go through your clothes and first pick out the items are in no condition to be worn
anymore and have to be immediately tossed. Then focus on the items that are definitely worth keeping, and these are your key pieces and some of the complementary ones. Lastly, you will come across clothes that is still waiting to be worn after couple of season have past. Don't let them trick you into thinking you will eventually need them because you won't. These are the clothes you can donate or sell. Selling clothes you
don't wear is actually a great way to invest in new products, especially if you have a small shopping budget in the first place.
Write everything down.
Writing down everything you own is quite an overwhelming task but once you have selected which clothes you want to toss and which to keep, it will give you a great insight in what items your closet will be missing. If you made a significant closet clearance chances are you will be feeling quite helpless and like there is absolutely nothing for you to wear. But be strict and stick to the list, because one of the most common mistakes people made in this case is trying to immediately fill their closets up with bunch of new clothes so that it doesn't look empty.
Go for quality rather than quantity.
How many items are actually essential to your daily life? Truth to be told, I cannot tell you that because we all lead our own different lifestyles. But what can I suggest you is try to lower your needs but raise your standards, and be more demanding when it comes to material and quality.
Choose to invest.
Yes, quality has its cost and a pair or perfectly fitted trousers or a
designer bag may cost as much as five cheaper items together, but it is
not all about what you pay but what value you get in return. Investing can also mean putting in time and
effort to find the best quality and fit within the confines of your
budget.
Organize.
I always think that clean and organized space equals clean and organized mind, and I don't see why the same wouldn't apply to aesthetically pleasant closets too. What's the point of having a well thought wardrobe if it's not going to be kept neat, easy visible and easy reachable? Organize clothes in the way it makes sense to you whether by type, color and pattern; and carefully choose what pieces have to be to hang and which are better folded on shelves. If needed, invest in closet infrastructure such as hangers (all hangers should match to achieve a consistent look throughout your closet), shoe shelves, jewelry drawers (with individual compartments for each piece of jewelry or a pair of sunglasses), belt and tie racks. Maximize your space and make almost every single item visible. Chances are, if you cant see it you won't wear it.
Have you done the seasonal closet clearance already? I hope some of these tips will help you with the process
in case you still need to go through it. Looking forward to hear your thoughts and comments!
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