WARDROBE EDIT CHECKLIST.

Are you stuck in a wardrobe funk? Is your wardrobe bulging but you have nothing to wear? Uhuh, I hear you ladies!When I meet up with clients for a wardrobe edit they are in the same predicament, and yes I’ve been there too.

We get caught up buying ‘individual pieces’ and then find we have nothing to wear them with. We go for ‘one hit wonders’ and ‘show pony pieces’ and don’t give enough thought to our basics. What we actually need are work horse pieces in our wardrobes, you know the ones that are going to work hard and pair back with lots of items helping you to create a whole load of outfits.

When we get that sorted then we can add in the ‘hero’ pieces. That’s when we can add a few on trend pieces to keep our wardrobes current. So how do you get there?

+Get it out!… Get every item out of your wardrobe and drawers and put them into piles of categories, bottoms, tops dresses etc, then break them down into sub categories of shorts, pants, skirt etc.

+ Cull the pieces that are looking shabby, you know… misshapen, torn, faded and pilled. Throw them out or use them as rags. Don’t give them to charities to sell, I used to work for Red Cross and trust me no one wants to part with their cash for pilled, torn clothing.

+ Now cull again! Get rid of the pieces that don’t fit properly, are just plain ugly or totally the wrong colour.

Getting lighter hey!

+ Let’s get real, if you have lost weight or put on weight take a real serious look at your wardrobe. Are you just hanging onto stuff for sentimental reasons? Do you think that even if your weight does change that you will want to slip into the items you’re holding onto? If you honestly think you’d go a shopping trip then get rid of the old.

+ Think alterations. Some items may be worth a visit to  a dressmaker to let them out or bring them in but really, let I go if it no longer serves you. You might even like to sell the better quality pieces online to fund a few new pieces.

+ Take a look at your wardrobe basics like tees and tanks, are they in good condition? Perhaps some need replacing? Remember things like underwear, shape wear and layering items need a good sort too.

+ Give your jackets and dresses the once over, they may need a trip to the dry cleaners to freshen them up. Same with your scarves, they can get a bit musty lying in the draw so a few times a year I will throw mine in assorted lingerie bags and give them a gentle wash for a freshen up. Yes a scarf or two…

In an ideal world my wardrobe would look like this…a girl can dream right 🙂

or this…

but it doesn’t and I don’t ever think it will, I’m cool with that. Instead I share a wardrobe with my Mister and it’s small. When we purchased our house (16 years ago) I thought our wardrobe was fancy because it was  a built in…oh what I would give for an uptown walk in robe these days.

One day when a child moves out I will have a lady room (already planned) but until then I need to get creative with storage.

+ Bedroom storage doesn’t have to be perfect or schmancy but it does need to be functional and something you can keep in order. Think outside the square and use items in a creative way, like a vase for belts, dish for rings, paper towel stand for bangles.

+ Vaccum and clean your wardrobe and drawers. Sounds simple but I bet it’s not something you do regularly. You might even like to line your drawers with some pretty scented papers while you’re at it.

+ Get your coat hangers under control. I went through a stage years ago of using white wooden hangers because I liked the look of them but learned real fast that they take up heaps of extra room in my teeny tiny wardrobe. They are fab for boutiques displaying up market pieces but if you need to hang volume you need slender coat hangers.

I’ve been using these flocked slimline hangers for a couple of years and they are awesome. They take up so little room, nothing slips off them and I can pick them up at Howard’s Storage, K Mart or my local Foodland. I do still love a padded hanger for delicates and the odd plastic one sneaks it’s way in for heavier items.

+ Now hang your clothes. I prefer to colour block my clothes (hey I worked in retail it’s what I do) but you can also hang in categories so you know exactly what you have.

+ In my bedroom tees, kaftans, sportswear, swimwear, pants, scarves and layering pieces all go in their own drawers. I’m not a person who irons, instead preferring a quick steam if an item needs it so I don’t care about creasing my clothes when I store them. I fold them and pop them in the drawers then have more time for things like blogging and swimming at the beach. It’s how I roll.

+ Boots and shoes are stored in their boxes, I’m also a fan of these plastic shoe storage boxes, great for quickly seeing what you have.

+ Write a list of the gaps, the things you really need to buy that will pull all your pieces together into hard working outfits.

+ Treat your clothes with care and respect and they will reward you season after season, after all you worked hard to purchase them.

Of course if you get stuck, hire a stylist for a wardrobe edit (pick me) because they come in with lots of knowledge, fresh eyes and no emotional attachment to your wardrobe.

Oh and I didn’t even touch on accessories…that’s for another day.

Til next time,

Jen x