The weather has certainly turned this week, and there is much more of a chill in the air. But before you start reaching for the jumpers and jeans, think about how you can make those Summer favourite last a bit longer!
Here are a few ways to ‘winterize’ (not sure that’s a word 🤔 but you know what I mean) your dresses. It’s all about being creative and adding a layer.
Add a blazer and boots, this is a very ‘now’ look. You want quite a oversized blazer for this look and not an ‘officer’ style one.
Layer over a jumper. This works really well with a shirt dress as you can leave the colour out. Make sure that the jumper finishes at your waist or it can look shapeless.
Add a sweater vest! These are going to be in all shops this autumn, and they are perfect for making that lighter weight dress work for Autumn
Add a jumper underneath. I love a polo neck personally, but if you are quite busty go for a lower neckline.
Layer up with a long cardigan and a pair of thick tights. This is a super easy was to make your fav dress work for Autumn. Pick out colour from the print or choose a complimentary colour and try and match the accessories for a effortless look.
If you want to maximise what you already have in your wardrobe, I can help. With a wardrobe makeover, I can show you had to make the most of what you have, what pieces you are missing that could make more of your wardrobe, show you how to organise your clothes, shoes and accessories and help sort out what shapes, styles and fabrics work for you and not against you. To find out more click here or drop me a message.
As I write this blog, the rain is lashing down at the window and I am sat in my pjs with a large mug of coffee, trying to avoid the need to get dressed and go and face the outdoor elements head on. On days like this, it can be hard to feel motivated the get dressed, let alone try and come up with an outfit that looks good, but that is exactly the reason why it is so important to have a wardrobe that works for you. Imagine looking in to your closet and instantly seeing an outfit combination that you know works and makes you feel good? As the dark nights draw in and the weather takes a turn for the worse, ‘dressing happy’ is more important than ever, and with a little reorganisation and a small amount of time spent reevaluating what we have hidden in the depths of our drawers, cupboards and closets, we can create wardrobes that inspire and leave us feeling good, rather then overwhelmed and fed up.
With a forecast of wall to wall rain this weekend and through to next week; in the UK, now is a great time to attack that wardrobe and get it set up for the season ahead. So I have put together some tips on where to start, what to look for and how to reorganise.
Step 1- Pull out out all your ‘high summer’ clothes. The first step in getting your wardrobe ready for the Autumn/Winter season is getting rid of all the items that your aren’t going to wear for the next few months. Some items can be worn transitionally by layering things up, but some items such as shorts, linen trousers, beachwear and sandals and flip flop just aren’t going to be needed for a while. Where you then put these items is up to your, if you have space, you can store at the furthest end of your wardrobe, however, personally I prefer to pack it away and store it in a vac bag or box to give my current season clothes more room.
Step 2- Pull out all your winter items that you might have tucked away. If like me you tend to put away all your winter woolies, now’s the time to get it out of storage. Before you put them back in the wardrobe, reevaluate them and firstly make sure that they are clean, check that they are not in need to repair; this includes the need for new buttons etc, and that they fit. Now is the time to start you three piles, a keep pile, a repair pile and a donate pile. If you have a spare rail, I strongly advise that you hang the keep items on this so that you can see what you have. Don’t forget to do your shoes and accessories at the same time.
Step 3- Reevaluate the clothes still in the wardrobe. As in step 2, now is the time to review the condition and usefulness of the clothes that you currently have in you wardrobe, go through each item and put them in the either the keep, repair or donate pile. As before if you have a spare rail for the keep clothes, use it so that you can see exactly what you have.
Step 4- Try some outfit building. If you have time, now is a great opportunity to experiment with creating some new outfits. Play around with the clothes that you have and see how many different looks you can create. To do this, I recommend starting with an item that you love, that you know makes your feel good about yourself and is something that you know that you will wear a lot, then pair it with something that you might not have tried wearing it with before. Remember the rule of three, for example a top, a bottom and a jacket or cardigan, then add at least one accessory. Try creating a casual and smart version of the same outfit. Once you are happy with a look, take a photo of the outfit on your phone. You can then refer to these photo to remind you later.
Step 5- Put your clothes back in your wardrobe in a organised way. Now is the time to put everything back. The first thing that you need to think about how you are going to store your clothes. Do you have hanging storage, or do you need to fold your clothes on shelves or in drawers. If you are lucky enough to have a lot of hanging storage, I recommend hanging as much as you can, as this makes it easier see exactly what you have, with everything on one place. If you have limited space, try and hang the items that crease easily, but try to keep whole clothing types together, ie all dresses together in one place. I strongly advise investing in some of the velvet covered slim hangers, as this will not only save space, but stop clothes slipping off and they make your wardrobe look cleaner and tidier. Here is a link to the ones I recommend. Once you have considered where you are putting your clothes, its important to this about how you want your wardrobe organised. Do you prefer a separate work wardrobe to casual wardrobe or do you mix and match? Whatever way you chose I recommend organising items by type; for example short sleeve tops, then by colour, and within this light to dark versions of the same colour. This will make it easier to outfit build and locate particular items when in a rush in the morning. Don’t forget to do the same with your shoes, accessories, jackets and coats. If you can’t store everything together, just make sure that you know where everything is and what you have. TOP TIP: If you store your shoes/coats or jacket in a separate place to the rest of your clothes, try sticking photographs to the back of your wardrobe door to remind you what you have. Also, ensure that your jewellery is laid out or hung so that you can see what you have. I have little Command mini hooks stuck to the back of my wardrobe door and hang my necklaces on there so I can see everything I have.
Step 6- Reevaluate your donate pile Before you take everything to the charity shop, look and see if there are any items that you can sell on eBay, Depop or other selling sites. Things that sell well are high end high street brands and or designer labels.
Step 7- Organise getting your clothes repaired. If you are nifty with a needle, make sure that you make time to mend those clothes in the repair pile. If you aren’t so gifted in the seamstress department, try and find a local repairer. Try searching your local community Facebook page for reccomendations.
And that it! Now you should have a wardrobe that works for you and not against you, leaving you more time to enjoy that extra coffee in the morning.
If you can’t face decluttering your wardrobe alone, don’t forget I offer both a virtual and in personal Wardrobe Makeover service. To find out more or to book a free initial consultation, drop me a message.
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