"Most women wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time".

I think this comes down to not really seeing what we own due to overflowing, disorganised wardrobes that don't function to their best. I'm sharing a simple way to organise your wardrobe so you can see what you have and get the most value out your clothes and wear everything all the time.

Benefits to closet curation:

• Easily seeing and accessing your clothes means you're more likely to get inspired and create new outfits.
• You won't get bored with the same old combinations.   (Usually the first few things you can see/reach).
• You'll stop wasting money buying double ups of things you already own but forgot you had because they're buried or lost in the back of your wardrobe, (or Tardis).
• It's easier to identify the gaps so you can spend on the things that will give you more options.

(For tips on how to fill any gaps cheaply and sustainably, check out my op shopping blog from December). 

Preparing:

• Put away anything you won't be wearing this season. I have safely stowed away all my winter jumpers, coats, heavy weight trousers, skirts, thick tights etc in suitcases on top of my wardrobe (tucked in with some lavender soaps and sachets to keep them sweet).   
• Leave out a couple of warmer things in case, but a cold snap mid summer is usually just that, - a snap - so a few things left out will be enough - you don't need your whole winter wardrobe out. 

(Apart from freeing up space, when you get your off season clothes out again in autumn, it's like Christmas
as you uncover things you forgot you had,  especially the things you bought in the end of season sales and 
only wore once or twice.)




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How:

• Group your clothes within your wardrobe for the different areas of your lifestyle eg: work, weekends, nights out or whatever works for you.
• Hang them by item type and colour (light to dark) within the groups and on separate hangers so you're not covering anything up.  

(You'll have heaps of free hangers now you have stowed away your off season clothes.)

• Do the same for knitwear, jeans, tees accessories and shoes and any other clothing you don't hang. You can use a shelf or drawers but arrange them so colours are visible.

​Result:

• You now have capsules, (or mini shops) within your wardrobe so you can quickly and easily select outfits by item and colour depending what you're doing that day. 
• By categorising them you won't waste time wading through to find things that work well together -  Work day ?- go to work section.  Night out? -hit the evening section and so on.

​Exceptions:

There will always be crossovers, for example:

• You may not have many clothes so those you do have need to cater to all areas
• You might lead a lifestyle where you can wear anything any time or prefer your clothes to be transitional or even trans seasonal.  

In these cases sorting them into colour and item, (like in a shop) is still a great idea as it enables you to clearly see what you own in a fresh way.

Tips and ideas:

• If possible, buy the black velvet hangers from K  Mart - they're strong, nothing slips off them, and they take up less room than most other hangers.  
• If this isn't possible use the hanging ribbons provided on most clothes to avoid everything ending up in a frustrating pile on the floor!
• Scarves work well looped onto a hanger or you can buy a scarf hanger cheaply to show off what you have.
• I keep my shoes in their original box with a polaroid photo on the outside (OTT I know but it works for me!)
• As you do this exercise you might want to check in with your "Style words" from my November blog and move on anything that no longer works.

For Fun:
Now you've got a curated closet, and are in outfit creation mode, jump on board with me for "Fresh Looks Feb", where you wear a different outfit every day in February. 

I'd love to see how you get on over on facebook and instagram where I'll be sharing what I come up with along with ideas and tips on how to style your outfits  and get the most possible value out of your wardrobe. I hope to see you there. #freshlooksfeb

"Fashion is about clothes - style is about the wearer".

So after my last blogs on finding your style and op shopping the savvy way - I decided to walk the talk on a recent road trip and follow my own rules and this is how it turned out:

My style words:                                    

Urban,  Elegant, 70's retro, Parisian vibe - (I made that one up).                                     

Gaps in my wardrobe:

• Skirts for work.
• Summer cardigans in light colours, (preferably the old school Glassons style - you know the ones V neck and buttons on sleeves).
• "Breton" style scoop neck striped tops after the 2 I bought at Cotton On 4 years ago finally wore out after much wear. They go with anything and add a bit of French panache - (well I think so anyway).

Modus operandi:

​Wait for husband to go get lunch in whatever town we are in and boom! - hit the thrift shops list in hand.  I realise this comes across as sexist and some partners or travel companions will be happy to join you but not mine so you have to be strategic to allow for maximum thrifting time, lunch can wait.

Result:
Pic one - The exact style and colour cardigan I was after and and an elegant skirt for work = $9
Pic two -  Striped scoop neck tee, ( I got 2 actually), parisian vibe = $7 for both
Pic three - Green dress - not on list but will be perfect for work and I have been wanting to wear more pattern. Platform wedges both 70's retro.  Shoes as new and a fiver, dress from Recycle Boutique Mt Maunganui and a bit dearer at $27 but still original and fun.

Conclusion:
So there you go, armed with your personal style words a list of what you are requiring op shopping can be a fun and efficient way to fill the gaps in your wardrobe and maybe score an extra treasure or two along the way for a song. (My total spend was under $50 and I got five items that i have incorporated into my wardrobe already).

Remember:
People of all shapes, sizes, styles and walks of life donate to charities and, if you have a clear picture of your personal styles and what you need to fill the gaps in your wardrobe, you can shop thoughtfully and with direction while exercising your creativity and saving money as well as the planet.

If you found this helpful - follow me on social media and look out for my next blog in late January -
"How to organise your wardrobe and wear all your clothes - all the time".

For help with your wardrobe woes call me to book a free 1/2 hour assessment.
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