Has this ever happened to you? You open the doors of your wardrobe closet and, even though it’s teeming with clothes, you sigh and say, ‘I’ve got nothing to wear!’ If this sounds familiar, it may be time to have a wardrobe revamp! Out with the old and in with the new!
Review
When updating your wardrobe, you must first look through all the items you have – and start separating these into two: the ‘will keep’ pile and the ‘will not keep’ pile. You could have a middle pile, the ‘not so sure if I’ll keep or not’ and toss the uncertain ones in it. However make sure that by the end of the day, before you start hanging up your clothes again – the middle pile’s gone. You can’t afford to have a middle-ground group because, chances are, you’ll end up keeping all of those and clutter your closet even more.
Separate
When sorting your clothes, you simply have to be ruthless. Discard the clothes that no longer fit. The rule of thumb is that, if you haven’t worn something in a year, you most likely won’t wear it ever again. Don’t keep them because you’ll wear them when you drop that last 5 lbs, or because you think bell bottoms will be in fashion again. Just don’t. By the time you lose that last 5 lbs, that item will be out of style, and bell bottoms will (probably) never be the ‘in-thing’ again.
The same tenet goes for clothes with sentimental value – however, you can bend the rules a little on this one. You can keep the last shirt your dad gave you before he passed away but not the shirt your ex gave you for you to sleep in. You can keep your wedding gown but not all the bridesmaids dresses you had to wear for your other friends’ weddings (perhaps keep one that flatters your figure best – and the one that you can use for other ‘dressy’ occasions.
When you’ve sorted out your pile and have neatly put the ‘keeps’ back in the closet, it’s time to get rid of the ‘won’t keeps’ – and storing them in your garage doesn’t count. You’re likely to dig into that pile later on.
Discard
There are many ways you can dispose of old clothes. You can donate these relatives, drop them off at 2nd hand shops (the Salvation Army, for example, has second hand stores), sell them online or hold a garage sale, and even offer them to Vintage Clothing outlets. The choices are endless! Once that’s done and, if you managed to earn something, it’s time to go shopping!
Buy!
Shopping for clothes need not to be a bank-breaking exercise. You can get good quality clothes and not spend a fortune. The first thing you need to do is choose clothes that have classic cuts and colors. These may appear boring but you can always add more life into what you wear through your accessories. For example, a classic black skirt and white top can come alive if you wear a big red belt. Besides, with neutral hues, you have more flexibility to mix and match these with other items, like those that are already in your closet.
You should also shop around first. Have a leisurely wander around shops and look at styles and prices. A white blouse at one store may cost less at another. Make sure, however, that you do not sacrifice quality. What’s the point in saving a little on a shirt that will need to be replaced after 2 washes? You might as well buy the slightly more expensive shirt that you can wear several times over.
Forget labels. Why get a branded pair of shoes that will cost you half a year’s wages when you can get a similar type of a lesser known brand for a fraction of the cost? They are shoes. The main purpose of shoes is to protect your feet. You won’t be taking your shoes off and showing off the brand to everyone, will you? But if you do need to own a branded piece of clothing you can look out for bargains on the internet, go to Outlet stores, or visit 2nd hand shops. One person’s trash could be another one’s treasure!
Finally – look out for sales and take advantage of the reduced prices. Clothing stores hold sales for many reasons. There are out of season sales, Christmas sales and clearance sales, just to name a few. Granted, some sales are held at the end of the season – but you can always keep these off-season clothes for the next year.
Take Your Time
One more tip: you don’t have to replace your wardrobe overnight. People with great wardrobes have collected, accumulated their clothes over a long period of time. They just know when to shop and what to shop for. Perhaps, before you go shopping, visualize the clothes you want to own – you can collect images and post them on a scrapbook or on Pinterest.
And you’re done!
After scouring stores for the best bargains, you now have a brand new wardrobe – and you didn’t have to max out your credit card in the process. And, if you’ve shopped correctly, it’ll be years before you have to do this whole process all over again. Meanwhile – enjoy your new set of clothes and strut it like you mean it.