Unlike the Fourth Doctor and Romana, I don't have a wardrobe housed in something that's bigger on the inside. I have half a double wardrobe shared with Rev T. And no more. (He's very firm about that).
To manage my share of the space more effectively, I converted to the minimal wardrobe back in 2015. I don't do it in the same way now. Instead of buying 5 items each quarter, I try to buy less new items overall and replace things when they wear out. I keep the number 5 in mind to make sure I don't buy too much.
Doing things this way helps me feel less stressed, less less guilty and helped me own less, but better clothes. It's also meant I spend less money.
It's helped me appreciate the clothes I own and feel more confident. There's always something to wear. Everything in my wardrobe goes together, suits me and works for the life I have. That's saved me time as there's less faffing about in the morning deciding what to put on.
As I'm - fingers crossed - less likely to need coats, gloves and boots I've sorted through my wardrobe. (Which sparked this post). Getting out clothes I'll need as the weather warms up, putting away things I won't need until later this year and giving away items I no longer wear has made me feel quite excited. Summer is coming.
Doing things this way helps me feel less stressed, less less guilty and helped me own less, but better clothes. It's also meant I spend less money.
It's helped me appreciate the clothes I own and feel more confident. There's always something to wear. Everything in my wardrobe goes together, suits me and works for the life I have. That's saved me time as there's less faffing about in the morning deciding what to put on.
As I'm - fingers crossed - less likely to need coats, gloves and boots I've sorted through my wardrobe. (Which sparked this post). Getting out clothes I'll need as the weather warms up, putting away things I won't need until later this year and giving away items I no longer wear has made me feel quite excited. Summer is coming.
If you want to give the simple wardrobe a go, here's some tips:
Think about your lifestyle and clothes it needs. Think about how you want express yourself through your clothes. I work full time so need office wear. I also need clothes for weekends and holidays. I don't go to the gym so don't need sports gear.
Then comes the fun bit. Browse Pinterest, magazines, go window shopping and search for clothes that fit your life that you like. Look at fabrics and colours as you want things that go together. I like neutral basics, flattering silhouettes, colours and patterns. I'm not big on accessories. Knowing what kind of clothes you like also helps when you're deciding what to keep and what to pass on.
Edit.
Gather your clothes together and go through them. Do it in sections if you've got loads. Clothes one week, accessories the next and shoes another. Put them into piles by type:
- Keep things you wear, love or need.
- Discard things you don't wear, don't feel happy in, don't fit or were a mistake. (Been there, bought that. Wished I'd kept the receipt).
- If there are items you're not sure about, ask yourself if you'd buy it if you saw it in a shop today.
- Put items you want to keep but need repairing or cleaning in a separate pile to tackle later.
Arrange.
Put items back in the wardrobe in a way that works for you. I arrange by type - dresses, skirts, shirts etc. I pack out of season clothes away for next time after washing and repairing them.
Maintenance.
Look after your clothes - hang them up, fold them neatly, keep them clean. Go though your wardrobe every so often and pull out unwanted items to pass on. I do this when putting away the winter clothes away and getting out the summer ones. Work out what, if any, new items you need. (I'll talk about this in another post).
As mentioned previously, I've found doing it this way means I buy less, buy better and make fewer mistakes. Saving time and money. If you decide to give this a try, let me know. I'd love to know how you get on.
Mufasa is very pleased to have made his second appearance in the #Shankyoupets round-up run by Heather over at Shank You Very Much. Thank you!
Have a wonderful half term everyone and see you on the other side. I'm having a few days off work and looking forward to some family time with Rev T and the Tubblet. What have you got planned?
Sharing with all these great Linkys
I seriously need to get better at this - I love buying new clothes and hate throwing old ones out - it's a bad combo! We are about to move bedrooms and will have reduced space, so I know it's going to have to change. I did give three sacks to charity this week though and already feel so much clearer for it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking to #coolmumclub
Well done :) It's amazing how much better a good clear-out makes you feel. All the best for the bedroom swap. :)
DeleteWhat a great idea - it's so organised! #Stayclassymama
ReplyDeleteSounds better than it is ... :) I'm not very organised at all
DeleteI won't tell if you won't ;) #KCACOLS
DeleteI did a charity sack yesterday and have recently done a TOY CLEANSE too! Love having a good clear out #TheListLinky
ReplyDeleteA toy cleanse! Now that really is a parenting win! Congratulations.
DeleteI always say if I didn't wear it for 2 or 3 seasons I don't need it. I buy me classic items and don't go with latest trends so I mix and max my clothing. That works well for me #stayclassymama
ReplyDeleteI do the same and try to take care of stuff so it lasts. Glad it's working for you as well and thank you for commenting
DeleteFab advice...I really need to sort out my wardrobe. I have clothes in it I haven't worn for a few years or some even ever. #PoCoLo
ReplyDeleteGood luck with finding the time to get it all done as I know you're super busy :)
DeleteI do clear out, but I'm trying to lose weight so I don't want to get rid of the next size down clothes so I've got something to wear. I do need another sort out because my clothes I wear all the time just tend to get dumped on the floor and chest of drawers so I can access them. My previous kon mari clear out order has gone to pots.
ReplyDeleteMy Kon Mari clear out order didn't last long either. I just don't have what it takes to be that tidy consistently. I've got a few things lurking at the back that I hope to be able to get back into as well. Good luck with losing the weight.
DeleteSound advice, I think I need a sort out of my wardrope, I find it a bit overwheming at the moment X #stayclassymama
ReplyDeleteI do small steps when I get overwhelmed and accept it'll take me weeks.
Deletei only have hanging space, no drawers, so i can arrange my clothes and see what i've got. I often put outfits together as i iron and put them away to mix things up #pocolo
ReplyDeleteThat's a good idea. I have four drawers which are packed. Rev T has the same and his are really tidy.
DeleteOrganising my wardrobe is on my to do list this week, glad I read this post now #kcacols
ReplyDeleteSo glad this post turned up just as you needed it. It's really strange how that happens :)
DeleteI had a good clear-out a while ago and felt much better for it. I have no idea why I hung onto some of the things that I did. #kcacols
ReplyDeleteIt's strange how we hold onto things but don't know why. Clear outs do make us feel better though.
DeleteI like the way in which you've organised your wardrobe. I group things together in this way for the girls but have colour organised in my wardrobe. #CoolMumClub
ReplyDeleteWhatever works. Grouping by colour is very tempting though and I bet it looks lovely :)
DeleteMy wardrobe is a complete shambles. I have a shelf in the airing cupboard and 2 small sets of drawers so have a tendency to wear the same things over and over again. I have pants that are 20 years old and really need replacing! Thanks for linking up with #stayclassymama
ReplyDeleteOur airing cupboard doesn't have shelves so I'm visualising this mound of clothing ... Good grief! Thank you for hosting
DeleteI bought a new shirt about a month ago so I'm pretty much set for the year. I also have been wearing the same ones for the past 20 years though, so I'm not sure if that counts #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteJust tell everyone it's vintage, drop in a few buzz words like slow fashion and you're sorted ;)
DeleteI need to have a proper clear out and oranise of my wardrobe! Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next time.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy! I love a good declutter :)
DeleteOh this is such good advice! My wardrobe needs a good clear out!
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking to #pocolo
Thank you for hosting each week :)
DeleteI had a huge clearout of my wardrobe a while ago and feel so much better for it. I don't tend to buy that many new clothes for myself so it has stayed pretty clear since which I'm really pleased with. x #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteExcellent! It does make you feel better though. It's really strange ...
DeleteWe go through our clothes once or twice a year and my son's clothes every three months or so. #kcacols
ReplyDeleteWe do the same. The Tubblet grows very quickly!
DeleteI don't have a lot of wardrobe space either. I try and go through mine and my daughter's clothes every few months to see if we can shrink it down a bit. I very rarely buy myself clothes, I've never been a huge follower of fashion lol.
ReplyDelete#KCACOLS
The Tubblet's clothes seem to breed and we have a cull every few months
DeleteNikki, I absolutely hate shopping. I know, I know, I'm not a "normal" woman! (I'm not crazy about chocolate either!) So that keeps me in line two ways: 1. I take reallyreallyreally good care of my clothes so they can last forever. 2. I stay the same size, not just year in-year out, but decade in-decade out, so I can keep wearing the same clothes.
ReplyDeleteI do 1) and am working on 2) because it means 1) can happen. The shopping I can relate to but chocolate ...! Thank you for commenting :)
DeleteI’ve just sorted through my wardrobe and swapped the seasons over, now that I’m convinced summer really is on its way, it was teasing us this year wasn’t it? Thanks for sharing with #pocolo
ReplyDeleteHopefully summer will be sticking around for a bit now :)
Delete