How To Wear And Love Every Outfit In Your Wardrobe
We’re a generation of mindless shoppers. It’s just become too easy. A quick lunch break fix or a sneaky evening online haul. So many of us are guilty of buying a new top or dress because we need something for a special occasion or it happens to be on the sale rail. And then, there we are, settling for a purchase that in our heart of hearts we know is not quite right.
Fast forward to Monday morning or a big night out and you’re hit with an attack of the dreaded what-to-wear syndrome. Frustratingly you root around amongst your vast collection of “what was I thinking?” purchases, you can’t find anything to wear and quickly descend into a panic stricken full closet crisis.
Well, you’re not alone. Although the average woman spends £83,498 (London ladies is £155,364) on 3109 items of clothing over a lifetime, 60 per cent admit that they still struggle to find something to wear for an evening out.
All of the clothes, shoes and accessories in your closet should make your heart sing. Don’t let those rushed buys winking at you each day as you open your wardrobe continue to torture you. Here are three ways to help you say bye bye to the guilt and start loving everything you have…
1) Analyse your lifestyle
Do the contents of your wardrobe reflect your current lifestyle? It’s reality check time. Examine what your average week looks like. What do you do with 168 hours — working in an office or from home, chasing bambinos around the playground, partying, working out, cocktails with the girls, attending a special occasion, date night etc. The list goes on and you’re the only one who truly knows what you get up to.
Roughly tot up the hours you spend doing these things and compare it with the clothes, shoes and accessories in your closet. There should be a synergy, for example, if you spend 80 per cent of your week working in an office then 80 per cent of your wardrobe should be work wear. If your wardrobe doesn’t reflect this, try repurposing the excess and creating new outfits. Or alternatively if it’s an item that doesn’t make you feel frickin fabulous then say cheerio, life’s too short to have a closet full of clothes that make you unhappy.
2) Mix it up
If your wardrobe is overrun with glam evening outfits from past spending sprees and your life has changed so that nights out are not as frequent, then it’s time to reuse them. Revamp other areas of your closet by pairing up dressy and casual pieces. Don’t let those once evening-only (and perhaps rather pricey) items sit gathering dust. For example, you could team up much loved designer silk slouch pants with a plain white cotton t-shirt, or match that pretty lace floral top with skinny jeans and ankle boots. You’ll be surprised at just how many new and exciting outfits you can create that are relevant and ready to wear for the life you lead now.
3) Test your wardrobe
Poking around your closet and pulling out items can be a really personal thing. Although cathartic, for some women it can bring up all sorts of emotions that you’re not ready to deal with. There’s often sentiment, stress, frustration, happiness, reminiscing and love all entangled in the clothes hanging there. If this is the case, then it’s time to get practical so that you can truly see what you wear and what you don’t.
Start by making sure that everything on hangers is facing in the same direction. Each time you wear something, return it to your rail and place it so that the hanger faces the opposite direction. After a couple of months it will soon become very obvious as to what you’ve been wearing and what you haven’t. It’s at this point that you need to have a honest conversation with yourself about whether a piece still fits with who you are and your life.
I challenge you to try these tips out. Becoming more mindful when out shopping and making the most of what you already have will help you have a more positive relationship with your clothes. Once you start to wear outfits you love and want to wear every day, a functional and fabulous wardrobe will become a reality. You’ll look and feel your best and banish those wardrobe demons for good.
