Monthly Simplify - Wardrobe Clear Outs
Each month I pick one easy thing we can do to simplify our homes, diets and lives. This month, it's wardrobe clear outs.
My poor wardrobe is lonely. The bare hangers are rattling around and the doors haven’t been opened in weeks. Why? Because my clothes are nomads. They circulate between the ironing basket, my body, the washing machine, and back again. Rarely, at the moment, do they ever make it as far as my wardrobe.This is because I’m pretty lazy, and because ironing is my second most hated job .I also have too many clothes.So, in the spirit of new seasons (both natural and fashionable), this is what I’m doing to simplify this month. In October, I am simplifying my wardrobe.If you’d like to join in, follow my tips below and share your own in the comments. I need all the help I get. Comment, tweet me, come to my house. Seriously.
How To Simplify Your Wardrobe - the 3 R’s
1) Rate
Clothes past their 'sell by date'Tops that are a bit bobbly, trousers with a stain that just won’t come out, anything that’s looking a bit worn - they have to go. I have a t-shirt with a hole in it for crying out loud!A good rule of thumb is if you wouldn’t wear it in front of someone you want to impress (whether that be on a date or in a business meeting), don’t keep it in your wardrobe. You deserve more than clothes that make you feel crummy.Clothes you don’t wearIt can’t just be me that keeps clothes ‘just in case’. Just in case I lose a few stone, just in case I have nothing ironed, just in case they come in useful. See above, we deserve more.Embrace the bulge, or, if you do lose weight, reward yourself with something lovely and new! Anything that's a last resort or that you stopped wearing 6 months ago, has to go.Clothes out of seasonDespite the warm weather we’ve had in September, October’s chill has definitely started to bite so it’s time to put away the summer clothes. Set aside a drawer or a box in the wardrobe for your out of season clothes that you can easily swap in and out of each season.One thing to note though - if you don’t think your summer clothes will pass the 'sell by date' test when they come out again in May, then ditch them now.
2) Rid
Rather than just bin your clothes, look for places you can donate. Charity shops may not take most of your worn out things, so look for Air Ambulance donation bins (often found in supermarket car parks) to do some good with your cast offs.If you’re strapped for cash, you can also find recycling centres that will pay by the kilogram. Also if you have high value items it's probably worth having a go at selling them online first.
3) Replenish
Now for the fun bit. By now you will have got rid of most of the things you wear on a day to day basis, so you really need to get some more. Don’t just go on a mad spree though - be thoughtful about your choices and don't make the same mistake again.Buy outfitsEnsure that everything goes with everything else. This means you can buy less and get more value from the pieces you do have. It also stops you getting to this desperate stage quite so quickly.Buy quality piecesOften it is the cheaper pieces that will bobble up and let you down first. We can’t all afford to buy tailored all the time, and you should always buy within your budget. However, a great quality jacket that you’ll wear every day or a perfectly fitting pair of trousers that go with everything will serve you better than 8 cheap tops.Buy cross over clothesSome people like to have separate work and home wardrobes. I get it, but it doesn’t help with keeping things minimal and simple. I choose clothes that I can wear at work and at weekends too - it keeps the ironing load down and gives me good value for money. Plus I only buy things I love - don't limit the number of times you can look fabulous!