In my job as a personal stylist I see a lot of wardrobes and the most common statement is ‘ I have clothes, but still have nothing to wear’.
I don’t know about you but I used to spend a lot of time in front of the wardrobe deciding what to wear, trying to find something that fitted, was right for that occasion. The image below was me on a daily basis a few years back. I’d normally end up crying, saying I have nothing to wear. My husband would glance around at the wardrobes and roll his eyes. Ofcourse I did have clothes to wear, a lot of them. But nothing went with each other. I had skirts but no tops to wear with them, I had patterned trousers and patterns tops, nothing to create an outfit.
I also pick my outfit emotionally, so how I feel on the day has a big impact on what I am going to wear that day. If you’re like me I feel like I change dress size daily as well so how things fit also has a big impact.
But I can help with all of this with some simple tips to help you get started:
My 3 Top Tips on creating a wardrobe you wear every day:
Colour
Colour has the biggest initial impact on the way we look at our clothes and outselves. You maybe someone that loves colour and has a wardrobe full of it or someone that has a sea of black and grey when you open those wardrobe doors. When you get the colours right, everything can mix and match very easily. I helps because you can create several outfits with minimal clothes, when everything mixes.
Scan your wardrobe, are there any colours that stand out wrong with everything else. Do you like them? Are they colours you wear? These could be either the things that have to go or the key items you absolutely love and need more of. Try some of the colours on, how do you feel in them? Happy, fun, young, or dull, boring and lifeless.
Colour is a great starting point for seeing what clothes you absolutely love and want to keep. If you’re not sure where to start with colour, take a look at my colour analysis session.
Fit
Now I know exactly how you feel, you keep that gorgeous dress you love in the wardrobe because one day it will fit or you spent a lot of money on it. You might have half your wardrobe like this. It’s draining each day when you look at those items and know you can’t wear them…. yet. So take them out. Put then in the loft or spare wardrobe. Keep them because you love them but you don’t need to put yourself through that each morning. Every few months go and try them on, if they fit, they can come back in.
You want a wardrobe, that when you open it, everything in there could be worn that day, I you wanted to. It helps get rid of the daily beating yourself up feeling because it still doesn’t fit.
Styles – Prints, frills, collars
Does your wardrobe have lots of dressy dresses or casual work from home garments but nothing for anything in between? Just like the items that don’t fit, put the dressy dresses in another wardrobe. You don’t want to sift through the cocktail dresses every day trying to find you lovely outfit that’s perfect for a barbeque or going out for lunch with your friend.
Have everything you love to wear daily, in your main eyesite when you open the wardrobe. Your favourite jeans and dress, not the gardening clothes. This really helps in the morning to reach for an outfit.
Also check that what’s in there relates to your life now. Is the wardrobe filled with corporate suits from a job you left 4 years ago? Or maybe it’s filled with frilly dresses that you hate but they were ‘in fashion’ and all that was available last summer from M&S. Keep the clothes you love in the main wardrobe, clothes that make you feel good whether you wear them to the shops, the pub or out with friends.
One recent client on my style workshop, discovered her classic style and then it all made sense to her as to why she felt wrong in slouchy clothes. She needs and likes a collar on a top, een in her casual clothes, shoes such as loafers not rounded pumps but hadn’t realised that was her style. We created a style board for her and it all started to make sense.
If you struggle knowing what your style is or what suits your body shape, take a look at my style sessions. I guarantee you have a style but you may not realise what it is yet.
Your clothes aren’t just clothes, they help you be you, more confident, happy, relaxed, they are personal to you and your confidence.
Working through these 3 top tips will help you discover the things and colour you love. It will also help you to create a daily wardrobe that you can wear instantly. You may find you have a lot of trousers you love but need some plain tops. Most importantly it will help you feel confident with the clothes in your wardrobe and help you to see, you have lots of amazing clothes to wear.
If a session in person isn't quite for you yet (I get it as its a personal thing letting someone route through your wardrobe) but you would like to detox your wardrobe fully and want to do it in your own time and just you, then the Dream Wardrobe Workbook is perfect for you as it's just like I am there with you, guiding you through, holding your hand.