Curate a Wardrobe That Works for YOU
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What is in your wardrobe? Do you only have clothes that make you feel and look your best? Is everything in your closet suitable to the lifestyle you live now? Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what we really need in our wardrobes. Styles change, jobs and seasons of life change, and so do our bodies.
What do you need in your wardrobe?
We all have twenty-four hours in a day. If you don’t already know what you do in those twenty-four hours, track what you do for a month.
- Are you a stay-at-home parent?
- Do you go out to work and what type of work do you do?
- How many hours do you work?
- What do you do for physical exercise and how often?
- Do you go dancing every weekend?
- What do you do for entertainment?
- How often are you required to dress up?
- Do you work in a garden or do other messy things?
After you have determined what your lifestyle is really like you can put a wardrobe together that works for you. If a half of your waking hours is spent working five days a week, your wardrobe should reflect that. If you only go out for dinner or dancing once a month you don’t need a lot of dressing up clothes.
Seasonal closet cleanout...
The seasonal closet cleanouts are the perfect time to assess what you have and what you need in your wardrobe. Take everything out and examine each piece. Try things on in front of a full-length mirror.
- Does it fit properly?
- Is it comfortable?
- Or is it scratchy or stiff?
- Does it flatter your current body type?
- Do you like the style and colour on you?
- Can you mix-and-match it with other items in your wardrobe?
- Is it practical for the climate you live in now?
- Has it seen better days? Is it worn out, ripped or stained?
- Don’t forget to assess your footwear and accessories.
- Are there any pieces that are missing that you need?
What to do with things you aren't wearing...
If you are hanging on to items you never wear, ask yourself why.
- Did you spend a lot of money on it?
- Is it a sentimental item?
- Do you aspire to wear it someday? (This is your fantasy life, not your current life.)
- Is it a special occasion outfit?
Find another place to store items that aren’t serving you now or let them go. You can take a picture of sentimental things that won’t take up all that space. If something is in good condition you may be able to sell it for a fraction of what you paid. Or you could just donate it. You aren’t saving money because the money is already spent. For aspirational items, be honest with yourself. Are you really going to get back into it when you lose the weight, in this millennium? Give yourself a realistic deadline to achieve your goal, or let it go.
It might be a good idea to have something to wear if a special occasion comes up, but it shouldn’t be taking up valuable space in your real life closet. If you really love something and it fits you well, store it in a separate closet or breathable storage box.
Identify styles and colours that suit you...
Clothes that looked good on you twenty years ago and made you feel great, probably don’t anymore. There may be a few odd exceptions – a favourite sweatshirt or t-shirt, but chances are that your body has changed. Even if your weight hasn’t changed, gravity may have been working against you. Your preferences in styles, colours and type of clothing may have undergone dramatic changes. Following trends with cheap fast fashion may have dominated your younger years. Now you may prefer more quality, timeless pieces.
You may gravitate to warmer colours or cooler colours or you might like all colours. Picking one or two neutrals and a few of your favourite colours can make your wardrobe work better for you.
Mistakes I finally realized about my wardrobe...
True confession – I used to work in the fashion design industry. I loved fashionable clothes and tried a lot of the trends over the years. My wardrobe consisted of a lot of things that didn’t really suit my lifestyle as a single mom. Even when I got into nursing and spent most of my time in scrubs, I still hung on to my suits and “nicer” clothes.
Since I have semi-retired, I have finally figured out what works for me.
My top three priorities for my wardrobe are:
- Comfort.
- Practical and suitable for whatever purpose.
- Flattering to my body. (Must not make me look fatter than I am or show areas I don’t want to show.)
Other Insights I have about my wardrobe now...
- I won’t wear orange, yellow or any colour I really don’t like.
- Black and navy are my preferred colours for bottoms due to their slimming effect and ability to hide stains.
- Anything with spaghetti straps won’t be in my closet because I need to wear a proper bra.
- I don’t like showing too much cleavage.
- Other than basic underwear, I don’t want to have to wear anything else with an item. ie. a cami or slip with something see-through, or a jacket to hide an unflattering top.
- When buying any new items I will carefully consider what special under-garments it may need. And what else it can be worn with.
- Also, if I am buying something new, I will allow for weight fluctuations. (Tops are more forgiving + or – ten lbs.)
- All new clothes need to be tried on first. It doesn’t matter what size the label says – it just matters if it fits me.
- Some clothes look great on a hanger, but not so good on me.
- Styles that might have looked good on me when I was a teenager, would look ridiculous on me now. (Nothing too fussy.)
I hope This has been helpful to you.
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