Why You Should Clear Your Wardrobe
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
The only time that I force myself to spring clean is during Chinese New Year and thats only because I dun want my parents to threaten to throw me out of the house. When I got married, it got worse. Now not only do I need to spring clean my OWN stuff.. I need to spring clean his! (If there's one person who hates spring cleaning more than me.. its my hubby.)
How I wish that my closet looks like.
How my closet really looks like.
But hey! Mother of all mysteries!
YES!! A WARDROBE FULL OF CLOTHES BUT I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!
I really dun remember when I had that epiphany but in the recent years, I have been regularly spring cleaning (think : one major spring clean and many mini spring cleans) and clearing my wardrobes/closets and cupboards so that its now really much easier to find stuff and everything seems so much neater.
And then suddenly I realize the biggest irony of them all..
When I GOT RID of all that clutter and rubbish .. it became so much easier for me to pick my outfits out and find my stuff that would have been buried under all those things that I didnt really need after all. And *surprise, surprise* I buy less now (I'm using the word "less" loosely here, coz I dun think my husband really agrees with that term) , going for quality over quantity. So now, I hope to share some tips with you and perhaps you can start clearing .. AND START LIVING!
5 Steps to Spring Clean your Wardrobe
First off.. dun be too stressed over it!
Get a few huge bags, put some music on, relax with a nice candle and perhaps even have a glass of wine. (But er.. not too much wine or else u end up drunk and throwing .. or worse, keeping everything.)
Step 1 : Take EVERYTHING out of your wardrobe
Yes, this is the horrible part. But trust me, it'll only get better from here on. Take every single item out from your wardrobe and give your cupboard a good wipe with a cloth.
Step 2 : Prioritize
Do you hold on to stuff due to monetary or sentimental reasons? If its expensive but you never use it, then you have to learn to let it go. Sell/consign or close both eyes and give it to someone who will use it better. If its sentimental, its usually harder to get rid of it but understand that there are options like keeping it elsewhere (eg. a box or a top cupboard) instead of hoarding precious space in your daily closet.
Step 3 : Keep, Donate or Throw
Ok now for the rest of your clothes, you have to decide carefully and think thoroughly. What do you wear most often? What is out of fashion and not suitable for you anymore? What is torn/tattered or beyond repair? You have to make a decision quickly and you have to be ruthless here, or else what is the point of spring cleaning?
Throw
- Damaged or torn clothes that cannot be repaired. Bin it immediately.
- Do not donate thinking that people will wear a dress with a hole in it.
Donate
- Clothes that usually fall beyond the One-Year-Rule is good for donating. If you haven worn it in a year (or more), you will not wear it already so why not send it to another nice home instead?
- Clothes with tags on them. Either you didnt really like it as much, or you were too lazy to return/sell them. You could try to wear them soon, but if you are really determined to spring clean, perhaps you can pass it on to someone else.
- If it doesnt fit you anymore. Stop thinking that you will lose enough weight to fit into that XXS sexy top you used to wear for clubbing 10 years ago. (Throw if it has really been 10 years already ~ alamak!)
Keep
- Your signature style pieces. Clothes that you wear most frequently and still love to wear.
- Key pieces. Cut and fit are very important. Look out for your tailored pants and jackets, (for work or a formal work meeting), a few fun dresses (for shopping/dinner and drinks), T-shirts or tops made of good fabric so they last through all the washes and is easy to match, denim jeans and shorts (black/blue), leggings made of good material, long skirts or maxi dresses, and a drop dead gorgeous LBD (Little black dress...)
- Accessories. They can dress up your outfit or change the style of your clothes with almost zero effort. Throw those that are broken or has a missing side.
Step 4 : Keep clothes that you wear most in view
This is a great tip that I have learnt and it saves me the most time especially when Im in a hurry to get an outfit just not to go out naked. I love putting my 'brainless' clothing choices (an A-line dress, a good blouse/summer top to match jeans) right infront of me so that I can quickly glance through my closet and pick something that I know I will look and feel great in. Even if I barely threw on the clothes 5 mins before rushing out out the door.
Step 5 : Invest in organization
Head to Ikea, get some good hangers and nice clothes boxes to put items that you use less frequently, yet keeping it within reachable distance easily. Its so much more compact and neat when you use storage cases and best of all, you hide untidiness and contain it all in one box instead of messing up your wardrobe just to find a single item.
So now you're all done! Let's pop some champagne *yay!* And can you guess what's the best part of a spring clean? Yes. You get to go shopping, again! Now your wardrobe has more space, you got rid of the old and what comes next? The NEW, of course!
Because ......
6 comments
Haa I spring clean quite often and buy stuff quite often and still think I have nth to wear too.. haha... #ironymax
ReplyDeleteHaha #Ialsosay!!! Thats why I say women #forever nothing to wear! LOLOLOL
ReplyDeleteHi Elaine! Can you please share how you catch lizards?? Lol.. I'm so so afraid of them. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHelloo Tynnie! U r so cute la! Haha! Its just a metaphor although i usually try to catch lizards (or cockroaches or anything bug) using my Hello Kitty bedroom slipper :p
ReplyDeleteLol! I'm don't dare to do that coz I feel that it will dirty my slippers XD
ReplyDeleteHaha!! Ya my hubby also say so dirty LOLLL!!! :p p/s he more scare of insects than me :/
ReplyDeleteHello there, Pixie! Feel free to leave a comment, thanks! xo