It’s officially spring and you can’t wait to start wearing your warmer weather outfits, trust us—we know the feeling!
We also know how tempting it is to shop for new spring items right now. However, before you pull the trigger on that dress you’ve been eyeing, you need to make some room in your closet by following Visual Therapy’s five steps to editing your wardrobe. These guidelines will keep you focused and your closet organized. If you didn’t read our previous post about outfit decision fatigue, do so now, and then follow the 5 steps below!
Read More: This Shoe Style is a Must-Have for Spring
1. Edit
Editing your wardrobe is not about throwing things away needlessly, it’s more so about “clarifying.” Go through every piece in your closet and ask these three essential questions—Do I love it? Is it flattering? Does it represent me and the image I want to portray? If you say no to any of these questions, it has to go. Holding on to mediocre items will lead to clutter and unnecessary stress. For items that are still in great condition but no longer inspire you, let them go, they will make their way to another loving home.
However, for those few items you just can’t let go of…
2. Revisit
Always listen to your intuition when it comes to fashion. That piece you love may just need a small update such as a hem or some slight tailoring. Maybe you love the wash of that pair of jeans, but they’re out of date. That’s an easy fix, give them a raw edge but cutting the hem with scissors or have them tailored so the fit feels more modern.
3. Rotate
Put away your bulky winter gear—coats, scarves, gloves etc. (Keep a few pieces readily available for travel purposes.) Off season clothing is distracting and can lead to outfit indecision fatigue. As you rotate your closet, make sure all hangers are the same—we recommend skinny black velvet hangers—so that the closet looks uniform and it’s easy to see everything. Finally, categorize by item type and color, from light to dark.
4. Repair + Prep
Separate items that need to repairs—pants that need a hem, shoes that need a trip to the cobbler, etc. Also create a pile for things that need to be prepped—pieces that need a good dry cleaning, wrinkled items that need to be steamed, and sweaters that need de-pilling. Once you’ve taken care of these items, your wardrobe will feel brand new.
5. Make a Wish List
Make a list of what you think is missing—think key pieces such as outerwear, handbags, and shoes. Shop for these things first and add them to your newly edited wardrobe. When you shop this way, you’ll realize how well rounded your closet has become and you won’t be tempted to buy too many trendy spring items.
Following these steps will lead to what we at Visual Therapy call wardrobe clarity. Stay tuned for our next post on what every fashionable woman should have in her spring wardrobe—capsule edition. The motto should be, have less, love more.