Contrary to common misconception, wearing the same clothes does not have to be boring or uninspired. Experimenting between different styles in your own wardrobe can heighten your own love for fashion, while being the most sustainable option. There are different ways to fall back in love with your closet. By following these steps, your wallet won’t be the only one thanking you; rewearing clothing you already own is one of the highest forms of ethical fashion and reducing your footprint.
1. Disregard Fashion Trends
Overtime, fashion trends have gotten increasingly ridiculous, with the constant changes of nearly 52 micro-trends a year. It is better to simply ignore them, rather than fall into their trap. A way to do this is to stick to buying classical, sustainable pieces with long lifelines that can be paired in different ways. By unadhering to fashion trends, you are more likely to find your own preferred style. This way, you will stop unnecessarily buying new clothing whenever new trends come into the picture- and as a result, you will have less clutter and useless, unworn clothing taking up space.
2. Wear Your Star Pieces More Regularly
Special pieces often find themselves sitting in the back of the closet, waiting to come out. Usually, more special clothing is not worn as much because of the fear of over usage and eventual demise. The common tearing, staining and generally spoiled scenarios want to be avoided, therefore these clothes are rarely used. Wearing them more often is a great place to start. Clothes are bound to get damaged, but better to wear it to the extent and enjoy wearing it, than to let it rot alone. These star pieces can be dressed up or dressed down, it’s all about the accessories and the way you style them.
3. Purge Your Closet
Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your closet is to give it a ruthless purge. Start from the beginning, empty out your closet entirely and then get started. Purging is different from your end-of-the-season cleaning; rather than removing all the seasonal clothing that are damaged or out of style, you go through it ALL. There are countless garments that you have “just in case” that you really just forgot about, or will never wear. Tidying expert, Marie Kondo, refers to this tactic and goes in depth in her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. To effectively purge your closet, follow these four steps:
Step 1: Empty Out Your Closet
Take out all your clothes, everything from the attic, storage, and laundry. Start with the full lot to get the biggest picture of what you have and to purge most effectively.
Step 2: Sort Each Item Into 4 Piles
Love It- Something you can’t see yourself living without, and fitting for the current season can be put right back into your closet.
Maybe- If it doesn’t feel just right, whether it be the color or the fit; put it into a box and if over the course of the season you find yourself wanting it, go get it. If you feel no urge to bring it out, then it’s time to donate it.
Hate It- Straight to donation.
Seasonal- If it is not in season but you wear it frequently and love it, then store it in a box until the season comes around, and bring it out when the time is appropriate.
Step 3: Assess What’s Left In Your Closet
Live with you clothes for a while before deciding whether you need to go and shop for more. This is when you begin to consider shopping less frequently, and more sustainably.
Step 4: Shop
Make a list of what you need, and shop smart. Ask yourself whether you will wear it often, whether it can be paired with different outfits, if it is good quality and sustainable. Think before you buy.
“When you feel like you have a closet full of clothes, and nothing to wear, start by purging your closet.”
Check out How To Purge Your Closet and Love Your Wardrobe for more information on the process.
4. Rearrange and Organize Your Closet
Overtime, our closets get organized in such a way that the most used clothing stays in the front, while the ones that are used less get pushed further back. Reorganize in such a way that all the clothes are visible to you, so you can create different combinations and make your old clothes feel new. Make your closet easy to navigate, so you see your variety of options rather than sticking to the overused ones. Don’t shy off from trying new combinations until you find one that works.
5. Keep Clothes Away During The Off-Season
Having a capsule wardrobe can involve small tricks, such as removing off season clothing, and then adding them back to your closet when the season starts up again. During summer, put your sweaters and cardigans away and keep your shorts and tank tops. Once cooler weather starts rolling around again, bring it all back out and you’ll find yourself feeling more excited to wear them all again. It can also bring a freshness and creativity to one’s wardrobe and outfit planning (Fall In Love With Your Closet Again).
Follow these steps and regularly perform some of these recommendations, and your closet will never feel dull again. Fall back in love with your own fashion.
Let Clothes Live Long 