Wardrobe Basics: Clean Out

Have you ever found yourself rummaging through your closet full of clothes just to come to the sad conclusion that you have nothing to wear? I’ll be the first to admit that I have been guilty of this on more than one occasion. I especially found myself in this situation after having my baby. With my wardrobe being cheap and ill-fitting before I was pregnant, it only got worse after. My closet was full of clothes and yet there was nothing that made me feel great or even good. In fact if you asked my husband about it he’d tell you my closet was full of clothes I never wore…which is partially true. It was a wardrobe full of random pieces, none of which went together very well. I’m not saying you have to buy expensive clothes to have a great wardrobe, but I have learned that quality, fit and versatility are key when in come to getting the most bang for your buck.

After having my baby, I began to have a new lease on life. Having a daughter of my own made me rethink the way I viewed myself as a women, my body, and my confidence. I want my daughter to grow up a strong confident woman who knows her worth and her beauty regardless of what the world will tell her. To raise such a women, I knew I’d have to be one myself. While many people would argue that dress has, or should have, nothing to do with one’s confidence or self-esteem, I would argue otherwise. Being well groomed and wearing clothes that both fit and are modest shows that you respect yourself and your body. I’d also argue that it displays and even inhibits a level of outward and inner confidence in who you are and what you stand for.

While I am not by any means a fashion expert, I hope you’ll be able to take away some of the tips and lessons  I’ve learned through my own wardrobe building experience. So, over the next month I will be posting a 5 step series that will help you build a wardrobe you feel confident in and one where you’ll always have “something” to wear. Today lets talk about Step 1.

Step 1: Clean Out
Step 2: Make a List {Part 1, Part 2}
Step 3: Shop
Step 4: Mix and Match
Step 5: Accessorize

If you’re like me, the first step will be one of the hardest. You’d think I’d be more than happy and willing to throw away all those ill-fitted clothes, but there is always that little thought in my head saying, “once I lose a couple more pounds it will fit” or “I might wear it someday”. Trust me, you’ll never lose those couple of pounds and that someday will never come especially if you don’t have a good basic foundation to start with. It is crazy that we settle for wearing clothes that don’t fit, whether too small or too big, just because we don’t yet have the body we want.  Why not look and feel great in the body you have right now?

A good rule of thumb is that if you haven’t worn an article of clothing for over six months get rid of it. If it is worn or tattered with holes and stains, throw it away. In general, if something in your wardrobe don’t make you feel confident, comfortable, and beautiful every time you put it on then it too should go. Like I mentioned earlier, I often have a hard time purging my wardrobe so I tend to go through the clean out phase every couple of months. Sometimes when I repeat this step a month or two later I am able to come to the realization that I will never where a particular piece of clothing that I have been debating over.

Once you’ve gone through cleaning out your wardrobe, take a deep breath and don’t look back. You’re now on your way to a more workable, versatile, and polished wardrobe! Next week we move to Step 2 where I’ll discuss how to fill the gaps in your wardrobe.

Linked to:
http://www.simplyclarke.com/2013/08/wildcard-wednesday-23.html
http://www.adventuresofadiymom.com/2013/08/terrific-tuesday-78.html
http://www.muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com/2013/08/tell-us-tuesday-4.html
http://www.livelaughrowe.com/fabulous-furniture-makeovers-live-laugh-linky-76/
http://www.reasonstoskipthehousework.com/the-weekly-creative-thursday-link-party-4/
http://www.serenitynowblog.com/2013/08/weekend-bloggy-reading-link-up_30.html

8 thoughts on “Wardrobe Basics: Clean Out

  • Commented 11 years ago

    Ooo…I can’t wait! I have a problem with this right now. And then the other problem is setting aside money for myself to buy clothes with. I need to start incorporating that into my budget. I have no problems buying clothes for the kids and occasionally setting aside money for Lee for his dress clothes. But when it comes to myself, I buy very simple, plain things that are under basically $5. My recent purchases have been $4 t-shirts and a $10 fleece jacket. Or running shoes. Not much else! Oh, I did buy a pair of jeans a couple weeks ago. It’s been about 2 1/2, 3 years since I’ve bought jeans! I’d love to hear about how you budget clothes or decided how much you’ll spend on something. I think my problem is that I just want to have $300 at one time to just buy a ton of clothes. I should set aside maybe $40 a month and shop around more to find those great deals and just do it. I would love your thoughts on this.

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