January fashion magazines are all about decluttering and revamping your wardrobe, suggesting lots of lovely things we could go out and buy. However, I’ve just read a really interesting article from Red Online thats says just the opposite. It’s entitled “7 types of clothing you should get rid of immediately” (I’ve tweeted a link). It talks about an experience with which most of us are familiar, that moment of staring at your wardrobe full of clothes and feeling like you have nothing to wear ….. normal response is to go shopping. But NO Red magazine says that’s the last thing you should do. It recommends a strategic approach with a pen and paper and a “brutally unforgiving eye” to edit your current wardrobe and get rid of the excess. And before entering the shops, a good look at what is left. The article is definitely worth a look as it offers practical advice on how to declutter, listing 7 categories of clothes you should get rid of and within each, gives you some questions to ask yourself about the items you find in your wardrobe.
I think we have a tendency to underestimate the importance of clothes and see them as something trivial but as the article says;
“What you wear has a profound effect on how you see yourself”
… and I’d go further to say that how you see yourself has a profound effect on how you approach life and how others see you. I’m reminded of a statement by the artist Grayson Perry in his TV series last year on identity he says
“Our most beautiful and complex artwork … is our identity”
Clothes ARE important, they are more than just an outer shell to keep us covered and warm, they are a representation of who we are and they tell others things about ourselves.
Question: How much of your wardrobe do you actually wear regularly?
I reckon most of us would say 20-30%. Why? Probably because we are all juggling work, home chores, kids etc and there is no time left to think about wearing something different, we go for the easy option of familiarity. And we feel safe in that 20-30% about what we are saying about ourselves. And as for taking a strategic approach to either our wardrobes or shopping, who really has the time for that? We do exactly what Red say we shouldn’t and make impulsive purchases based on what’s available and looks nice in the shop. I find I am drawn to pieces and outfits in the store, only to get them home where they don’t quite look or feel as they did when I tried them on in the changing room so I end up taking them back! I’m definitely not strategic about selecting clothes because that would take the fun out of it, wouldn’t it? And I end up with a bit of a mix as most of my wardrobe is bought in charity shops where the choice is more limited. My friend, Katy, has a more strategic approach to her wardrobe, she’s lucky enough to have a built in rolodex in her head that she scans through when she’s shopping! However, she’d probably say that she’d like to mix it up a bit sometimes and be a bit more impulsive.
From our chats about our different approaches our Wardrobe Restyling service was born ….
I wouldn’t say we are brutally unforgiving but we are an independent eye able to view you and your wardrobe honestly and strategically. We’ve done some test sessions for practice and in exchange for other services and we’ve donated sessions for a couple for charity events. We’ve had a great response so far and I’ll be posting some client experiences soon. Unlike a straightforward styling consultation, our emphasis is on maximising your existing wardrobe by restyling and upcycling pieces you already have and we make suggestions of key purchases which will offer new outfits when combined with existing pieces in a client’s wardrobe. We like to give an honest opinion and guide clients towards creating a capsule wardrobe to suit their lifestyle, a part of their life such as a work wardrobe or a wardrobe for a particular event such as a holiday. We encourage clients to do some preparation in advance depending on their brief, then we arrive with a clothes rail, hangers and a camera … ready to rummage! We aim to leave clients with a good selection of outfits they didn’t know they had!