On average, we wear 15% of our clothes 85% of the time. Many of us have nothing to wear, despite wardrobes that are packed with clothes.
If you experience wardrobe overwhelm and decision fatigue, you are not alone. Instead, you deserve to start your day with confidence, clarity, JOY and even creativity. The start of a new year is a great time to assess your clothing and turn your wardrobe into a place of inspiration.
Steps to Evaluate Your Wardrobe
- Schedule wardrobe date(s), grab a notebook, and find full-length mirror. Make it fun with good music and tea or wine. Break your project up into smaller tasks. Try evaluating your clothes by type (tops, trousers, skirts, shoes, accessories, etc.) Note: Many of our stylists offer wardrobe cleanout services and can help you tackle all these steps and together.
- Look at COLOR. Focus on your WOW colours, especially near your face where they have the greatest impact. Remember the 36 colours of your seasonal swatches are simply a starting point.
- Then look at STYLE. If you've invested in our personal style services, you know the best cuts, hemlines, necklines, scale, texture, etc. You have keywords from your clothing personality to inform your evaluation. If not, consider an investment in this valuable service.
- Ask lots of questions and take notes. Suggestions are below. This helps you take stock, learn from your mistakes, and avoid repeat offenses!
- Decide what stays (organised by colour, type, time of year it's worn, etc.) and what goes (items to store, recycle, donate, resell, etc.)
- Start a list of what needs to be replaced or purchased. Focus first on wardrobe workhorses – those foundational pieces in neutral colours for your season. Then keep your look current with pieces that are inspired by our semi-annual Fashion Update. Note: Many of our stylists offer personal shopping as a service and are happy to help you.
- Commit to ongoing maintenance. This might include investing in quality hangers and storage, improving your lighting, adding mirrors, tracking how frequently you wear items, moving items into storage as the weather warms or cools, keeping a “wish list” of items to buy or replace, and also asking the questions below as you add new items.
Questions to Ask About Each Piece
Try on each item in your wardrobe and ask these questions:
- Does it fit?
- Is this in good condition?
- Does it honor my body architecture?
- Is it useful?
- Does it coordinate with other pieces?
- Does it reflect my personality?
- Do I actually wear it?
- Does it make me feel good?
- Do I love this?