How To Successfully Weed Your Wardrobe

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At this time of year you’ll be hearing a lot of talk about wardrobe weeding and detoxing; it is certainly one of my most popular services and something I recommend everyone does at least twice a year (once at the start of the Spring/Summer season and then again before Autumn/Winter

What Is Wardrobe Weeding?

Simply put, wardrobe weeding is the process of going through your clothes with a fine tooth comb and getting rid of anything that you’re not wearing or has seen better days. You’re literally weeding out anything unwanted, for whatever reason, which in theory leaves you with only the items that look and feel great. However, many people don’t find it quite as simple as that, which is why I’ve put together my top tips to help you successfully clear the clutter and make the right decisions on what should stay and what should go.

Where To Begin

Starting the process of organising and weeding your wardrobe can be a daunting prospect and like anything, preparation is key in order to make things run as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

Here’s how I would recommend you approach things…

Define your signature ‘look’ for the season ahead - get on Pinterest or create a mood board using tear sheets from magazines. Once you’ve done this you’ll be able to identify the common themes, colours and footwear/accessories that appeal to you and you can use this to sense check what you already own and ensure it fits with the aesthetic you’re trying to create.
Get prepared - I love velvet skinny hangers for space saving and often use drawer dividers to keep things neat. If you can, get some storage bags so you can pack away any out-of-season clothes and just concentrate on the season ahead.
Create three piles to sort items into:
Get it ALL out - and I mean everything! Put it in a big pile in the middle of the room (if you have space), give the wardrobe a good old hoover and clean and then start the process of putting things back in. Only keep things that:

IF YOU DO NOT FEEL FABULOUS IN SOMETHING DO NOT KEEP IT! LIFE IS TOO SHORT!

Remember; the aim here isn’t to get rid of everything, it’s to ensure you’re left with clothes that make you look and feel your best, that you’re going to feel comfortable and confident in and therefore get plenty of wear out of.

By the end of this process you should be left with a vastly slimmed down wardrobe and feeling like a huge weight has been lifted!

Once you have done the weeding part you can then look back at your signature style mood board and identify any items that are missing from your wardrobe. This then allows you to create your shopping list for the season ahead. This means that rather than shopping because you think you ‘need’ new items for Spring, you’re actually making careful and conscious shopping decisions allowing you to buy less and choose well.

My genuine feeling is that going through the process of thoroughly weeding and auditing your wardrobe at least twice a year will save you money in the long run - you’ll know exactly what you have and shop only for what you really need.

Give it a go and let me know how you get on; and don’t forget, if you have any questions about wardrobe weeding or anything style related, drop us a DM over at @officialcapsule and I’ll answer them in our monthly #askanna IGTV video.

Happy Weeding!
Anna x

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