Editing is a great way to refresh your style and declutter your wardrobe ahead of the warmer months — but it can be a daunting task. Caro West, Personal Stylist and Wardrobe Editor from The Styled Wardrobe, offers five practical tips on how to edit your wardrobe with ease.
Depending on the size of your wardrobe, you might need a few hours or even a whole day. Make sure you set aside enough time so you won’t be rushed and you can enjoy the process.
- Start by sorting your clothes into categories. For example, tops, bottoms, dresses, outerwear, etc. Don’t forget shoes, accessories and handbags. This will give you a clearer picture of what you have in each category and help you identify any duplicates or items you no longer wear.
- Create three piles. Throughout the edit, create three piles, The Yes’s, (wear all the time) The No’s (donate or sell) and the Unsure’s (love and want to keep but unsure how to style). I suggest sentimental clothes are kept in a box or different area to free up space in your wardrobe for the clothes that you actually wear.
- Try everything on. This might be time-consuming, but it’s essential. Trying on each piece of clothing will help you assess its fit, comfort, colour, condition and how well it goes with other items in your wardrobe. If it doesn’t fit properly, isn’t comfortable, the colour washes you out, or it’s dated and had better days... it’s time to let it go. Try to take the emotion out of your wardrobe.
- Donate or keep. As you go through your clothes, ask yourself some tough questions. Do you feel confident when wearing the item? Does it align with your current style and lifestyle? Have you worn it in the last year? Is it versatile? If not, it’s likely time to part ways. This gives you the space to recognise what is truly missing from your wardrobe to bring all your outfits together. The editing process allows you to “shop with intention” for these pieces, which will save you money in the long term be eliminating impulse buying.
- Organise. Hang the Yes’s and the Unsure’s, (all the clothes that deserve to be there), back in your wardrobe. There are many ways to organise your wardrobe, but I suggest to my clients to hang by item and then by colour. It makes for easy dressing. Jumpers are always best folded and drawers are best filled with smaller items such as underwear, activewear and sleepwear.
THE STYLED WARDROBE
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