With our recent move, streamlining everything that we owned was high on the priority list. With every move, it always surprises me how much stuff we manage to accumulate or cling on to and half it remains unused. Admittedly, it does sound wasteful, to have all of this stuff and it not getting used like we intended and it bothered me a lot. I decided with this move to be completely ruthless and strip our house of all the unwanted goods, including my wardrobe.
Bagging things up for charity, to sell on eBay or simply dump in the bin was totally liberating and I’ve already blogged about how awesome this made me feel. I’ve now adopted a minimalist approach to life and this has extended to my wardrobe. I was tired of routing through heaps of clothes trying to put an outfit together in the morning and was desperate to edit my wardrobe to make getting ready speedier. I’ve very much into simple lines and colours, but my then collection of clothes screamed otherwise and it was giving me a headache.
I took it upon myself to create a capsule wardrobe that was accessible, could be mixed and matched easily and was full with well thought out pieces. I’m talking about a massive overhaul, but I wanted to do this on a budget. I would love to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe but at this time that’s just not possible. Instead, I’ve taken my time and removed the junk and kept what I would like to think are more classic pieces and things that I wear frequently. It all does sound extremely daunting and costly, but it’s honestly the best thing ever!
Reinventing your wardrobe doesn’t mean that you have to spend your life savings, in fact in some instances you may not even have to part with your cash at all.
Give Your Old Garms A New Lease Of Life
Have you got something that you really don’t want to throw away, but just can’t see yourself wearing it? Now is the time to get creative and think about how you can turn your old clothes into something magical. Upcycling has become a big thing in the furniture trade, but there is nothing to say that you can’t do the same with your clothes too. Restyling and giving a new lease of life to your old clothes so that they fit your current style is a great way to save money and add some sparkle back into your wardrobe.
Consider What You Are Purchasing
Oh, I really wished that I had done this from day dot. I keep thinking about all the money I would have saved and how many fashion disasters I would have avoided. Really thinking about how items will work with what you already own really helps a great deal in the budget department and its lifetime as a part of your wardrobe.
Identify Gaps In Your Wardrobe
Sorting out my wardrobe allowed me to identify where I had gaps in my clothing and things that I need to purchase to bring my capsule wardrobe together. I know that I need to stock up on basics items, cardigans, ankle boots for the winter and skinny jeans. This is another great tip on how to save money while editing your wardrobe so you don’t splurge on unnecessary items.
Make Some Money and Reinvest It In Your Wardrobe
One of the fun things that I enjoy about a wardrobe overhaul is selling my items on to others who will hopefully love them as much as I once did. Obviously, the biggest bonus of this is the ability to make some money from your old clothes, which you can reinvest back into your wardrobe and make it fabulous.
Know Your Style
Knowing your style comes with time – hell, I’ve worn some shocking things in the past, which I always come to realise during a wardrobe clear out! Recognising what suits your shape and personality, is one of the most important things when it comes to saving money. Buying something simply because you love it may be a waste of money if it doesn’t suit your figure and you end up hating it.
Invest In Key Pieces
I know this is a blog post focused on keeping to a budget, but I’m a firm believer in ‘you get what you pay for.’ Investing your money in key pieces like tailoring, jeans, coats and shoes may seem costly at first, but if they were built to last they will end up saving you money in the long run.
Creating a capsule wardrobe is one of the best things that I ever did. It’s freed up some time in my morning, but also added some clarity to my daily routine which I have missed for a while. Who knew that getting rid of your crap and starting afresh could be so liberating!?
I recently started doing this (thinking more strategically about my wardrobe, that is) and I think I want to do another reduction again to get it down from the massive entity that it is to maybe 20 pieces tops.
Getting it down to just 20 pieces would be an amazing achievement. I’m not sure that I could get there.
My motto is balling on a budget. Signature piece that will last a lifetime. Thanks for the advice.
Such a great way to live! You can’t go wrong with signature pieces.
I’m such a clothes hoarder so it would be really hard for me to reinvent my wardrobe and get rid off most stuff. Who knows, maybe I’ll try it at some point
You really should, it’s so liberating!
Great post Jemma. I try to do this every now and again. It feels good to free up the space.
Thanks Stella! 🙂
I like the tip about key pieces. I think a good pair of jeans and a black blazer are always good to have.
You can’t go wrong with a nice pair of jeans and a blazer. A great starting point for any wardrobe.
My normal wardrobe isn’t the problem…it’s my workout wardrobe!! But I figure that if I feel like I look good and feel good then my workout will be good.
Great tips!
Love that it’s your workout wardrobe giving you issues. 😀
These tips are great, I am currently doing this and just cleared my wardrobe out and filled a bag for the charity collection! I am trying to fill my wardrobe with key pieces now that I know what suits me.
Great to hear Georgia! Hope sorting out your wardrobe is helping you to feel great and making life easier.
Love this! I certainly agree with investing in key pieces. I think its so important to invest in one premium piece than to buy multiple cheaper pieces – they last so much longer!