Summer is coming to an end and that means it's time to put away our warm weather clothes and transition our closets for cooler temps. We still have some time in NYC until it is actually cold (the heat wave going on now is in the 90s), but the present is a great time to assess what you have in your wardrobe and what you may need to purchase for the upcoming season. Having an early plan for shopping means you can take your time and find exactly what you want, while paying a price you are comfortable with.
I love closet and wardrobe cleaning, editting and building, so I decided to do a three part series, one post on each of these topics. With a new season comes a fresh opportunity to clean out your closet, re-think your style and add some new pieces to bring your current items to life again. So let’s jump right in, shall we?
Session 1 - Cleaning out your closet for a
new season
September brings back memories of a new school year and with it the desire to update, reinvent and refresh. Maybe I am the weird one, but I love going through my closet, mulling over my items and pulling out items to get rid of. That feeling of purging unnecessary pieces and being left with only things I truly love is a great one. Here are my three steps to cleaning out my closet and creating my shopping list for a new season:
1. Go Through All Items In Your Closet
While it can be tempting to just jump right into the shopping phase with so many new styles in stores, trends on social media and sales going on, it is crucial to take a thorough survey of what you already have before adding new items. Some people find this step painful but it is absolutely necessary. Get some wine and/or a friend and spend an afternoon or night pulling out everything and evaluating each piece one by one. Try it on and see how it makes you feel - Do you never wear it because it’s not flattering on your body type? Is it a quality piece but not your style so you never felt comfortable in it? Did you pay a lot for it and feel guilty getting rid of it because you hardly wore it? These are all reasons to get rid of pieces in your closet and make room in your closet for items you love. It’s hard but you have to do it!
Some items you can quickly put in your reject or save pile, while others are more unclear. If you haven’t worn it in two years and it is not a sentimental piece - get rid of it. I have found that putting items I am unsure about in a bag under my bed is a great baby step on the way to removal. Once the item is out of sight, I realize I don’t miss it at all and feel free to now get rid of it. My first step with unwanted clothing that is in good condition is offer it to my friends and/or sister. If there are items they don’t want I will take them to Goodwill or Salvation Army. If you have the patience to try to sell the items, good for you. I usually don’t bother and just donate or gift.
2. Determine The Basic Gaps
Once you have sorted through and divided everything into ‘keep', ‘toss' and ‘donate’ piles, look again at what is left. Are you missing any crucial basics? This is usually when I realize I don’t have a quality white tee or I am in need of a new pair of black jeans. The point is to think about pieces you can and/or would wear all the time. Each season we all want to add some trendy items, but before you get to that point make sure you have all your basic bases covered. What exactly those ‘key basics’ are varies for each person, but my key basic items include : black skinny jeans, ballet flats, solid v-neck tees in neutral colors, leather jacket, chambray shirt, black cocktail dress, white blouse, black boots. If I need an update in any of these items, that takes priority over purchasing any trendy pieces. Take some time to think about your own key basics and what you what items you already wear all the time - this is a good indicator of what your key basics are and what you may need to invest more in.
3. Get Some Trend Inspiration
Put together an inspiration board on Pinterest of looks you like, people that inspire you and styles you would like to wear this season. Don’t overthink it, just pin what you like and feel inspired by. I usually add a bunch of images of outfits that are particularly inspiring to me whether because I like the color combination, the texture mixing or the silhouette. After you have a good amount of pins, take a look at some of the outfits you liked. Can you put together that look with items you already own? If so, great! If not, clearly define what you are missing from the looks. Do a bunch of your pins have a black fedora or ripped bf jeans? Are you gravitating towards creams, blushes and camels? Identify what specific pieces you will need to get to create your favorite looks this season and start making a list. No need to narrow it down yet, at this stage it is your dream list of new purchases. You won’t be able to get every piece to create every look, but identify the few key items that will have the greatest impact and help you get the most use out of what you already own.
Now you’re on your way to a fresh and amazing closet!
While it can be tempting to just jump right into the shopping phase with so many new styles in stores, trends on social media and sales going on, it is crucial to take a thorough survey of what you already have before adding new items. Some people find this step painful but it is absolutely necessary. Get some wine and/or a friend and spend an afternoon or night pulling out everything and evaluating each piece one by one. Try it on and see how it makes you feel - Do you never wear it because it’s not flattering on your body type? Is it a quality piece but not your style so you never felt comfortable in it? Did you pay a lot for it and feel guilty getting rid of it because you hardly wore it? These are all reasons to get rid of pieces in your closet and make room in your closet for items you love. It’s hard but you have to do it!
Some items you can quickly put in your reject or save pile, while others are more unclear. If you haven’t worn it in two years and it is not a sentimental piece - get rid of it. I have found that putting items I am unsure about in a bag under my bed is a great baby step on the way to removal. Once the item is out of sight, I realize I don’t miss it at all and feel free to now get rid of it. My first step with unwanted clothing that is in good condition is offer it to my friends and/or sister. If there are items they don’t want I will take them to Goodwill or Salvation Army. If you have the patience to try to sell the items, good for you. I usually don’t bother and just donate or gift.
2. Determine The Basic Gaps
Once you have sorted through and divided everything into ‘keep', ‘toss' and ‘donate’ piles, look again at what is left. Are you missing any crucial basics? This is usually when I realize I don’t have a quality white tee or I am in need of a new pair of black jeans. The point is to think about pieces you can and/or would wear all the time. Each season we all want to add some trendy items, but before you get to that point make sure you have all your basic bases covered. What exactly those ‘key basics’ are varies for each person, but my key basic items include : black skinny jeans, ballet flats, solid v-neck tees in neutral colors, leather jacket, chambray shirt, black cocktail dress, white blouse, black boots. If I need an update in any of these items, that takes priority over purchasing any trendy pieces. Take some time to think about your own key basics and what you what items you already wear all the time - this is a good indicator of what your key basics are and what you may need to invest more in.
3. Get Some Trend Inspiration
Put together an inspiration board on Pinterest of looks you like, people that inspire you and styles you would like to wear this season. Don’t overthink it, just pin what you like and feel inspired by. I usually add a bunch of images of outfits that are particularly inspiring to me whether because I like the color combination, the texture mixing or the silhouette. After you have a good amount of pins, take a look at some of the outfits you liked. Can you put together that look with items you already own? If so, great! If not, clearly define what you are missing from the looks. Do a bunch of your pins have a black fedora or ripped bf jeans? Are you gravitating towards creams, blushes and camels? Identify what specific pieces you will need to get to create your favorite looks this season and start making a list. No need to narrow it down yet, at this stage it is your dream list of new purchases. You won’t be able to get every piece to create every look, but identify the few key items that will have the greatest impact and help you get the most use out of what you already own.
Now you’re on your way to a fresh and amazing closet!
Next Up : How to
make what you have already in your closet work for this season.
Do you edit your closet each season? Any methods you follow? Let me know in the comments below!
Do you edit your closet each season? Any methods you follow? Let me know in the comments below!
No comments:
Post a Comment