Okay, we know that Marie Kondo might not be everyone’s cup of tea when it comes to decluttering your life, and in turn, your closet. Why? Because sometimes, ALL your clothes give you joy, and that’s fine. You want to live with 20 pairs of denims because each one speaks to you and tells a different story. We’re not here to judge, it’s your choice. But, you can still give your closet a good GROOMING. Try on all the jeans, closely examine all the white shirts, and maybe you can come up with better ways to accessorize your prized possessions.
Here are some quick tips to help you get started on revamping your closet space/wardrobe/dressing room, without having to ask yourself all the hard questions:
Consult your tribe. And while this goes against staying at home, we’ll tell you how to do this digitally. FaceTime your friends, use Houseparty, Zoom, or any mode of video chat you prefer. Your besties won’t lie to you. They’ll help you make the hard choices to part with the items that are really becoming a waste of space and could go to goodwill. Plus, a support system is always great to have when saying goodbye to pieces that are way past their prime. They can also keep you company while you undertake the tedious task of color-coding your t-shirt collection. Bonus: Prep some snacks ahead of time and you’ll find that several hours have passed as both you and your friends graze on popcorn and talk outfit inspo.
Donate what you can. You’ve said your goodbyes, made your peace with some dearly departed wardrobe pieces and jumped on the capsule-collection bandwagon. Congratulations! What do you do with the overwhelming amount of sweaters that you’ll never wear again? Put them to good use! Donate them!
Wardrobe Swap Party- but make it digital. Another reason to digitally gather with your nearest and dearest! Remember those classic wardrobe swap parties where one person’s discarded Halston Heritage gown is another girl’s dream must have? Okay, okay, couture aside, we all get bored of our clothes really quickly, so why not consider this a sustainable way of revamping your closet? Here’s how you digitally adapt the swap party: Prep the closet pieces you’re not into anymore ahead of time, once online, take turns and agree on all the swap terms. Once you’ve all decided who is keeping what, you’ll each emerge with new wardrobe options after this quarantine is over! Background music and snacks aren’t optional for this, they are a must.
Create outfit combinations. Ever wondered what that summery, lemon-print strappy dress would look like with your favorite Pink Floyd t-shirt? Well, now is the time to experiment! Don’t be afraid to try out different outfit combinations to see which pieces work best for your closet. It’s a fantastic exercise in personal style, plus, you end up better evaluating your future buys. More outfit combinations mean that your purchases were more successful, whereas specific trend related pieces that don’t quite work with anything else (enter annoying trend of choice here) can finally be retired to the donations pile. Tip: Take pictures of your outfit combos using a full-length mirror, you sometimes make better outfit decisions when looking at a photo rather than in real-time and you have the added benefit of having an outfit inspiration album saved on your phone for later.
Consider your investment pieces. Comb through your collection of black trousers and really think about which ones you’ve been wearing the most and ask yourself why. Is it the comfort factor? Does the cut work with more tops? Repeat this process with other recurring items, and then rearrange them in that preferred order of wearing. You’ll notice that the clothes you wear the most, at the forefront, are your key investment wardrobe pieces. The same can be said of your more valuable items. You’ve spent two month’s rent on that dream Celine bag, only to notice that you barely wear it. Perhaps reselling would be a wiser choice and the money would be better spent elsewhere. Always consider spending your money on well-made, quality garments, shoes and accessories. You will notice that you get the most repeat wear out of them as they withstand whimsical trends and will flawlessly carry your wardrobe from one season to the next.
Check out DIY revamp hacks. A closet revamp doesn’t need to be expensive, and you also do not require a walk-in closet. If you’re tight on space, I advise you to consult the wonderful world of Pinterest for some amazing hacks. There are some really clever people in this world who are doing amazing closet revamps on $100 budgets. I especially love this guide by One Does Simply, and Chasing a Better Life takes the closet revamp conversation to the entire bedroom. Genius! The space under your bed also counts as storage space if you’re looking for ways to let your closet breathe a little. Don’t forget about wall shelves. Wall storage ftw.
Buy organizational tools. I always smile at the thought of drawer organizers and storage boxes. It makes my inner Monica super happy. In my book, if you have space, and your favorite items can live prettily and well preserved in a box, then so be it. This protects your stuff for longer, and a good closet doesn’t mean that everything needs to be on display via a hanger. If you really did that, many cashmere sweaters would be on the verge of ruin, so invest in hanging drawer organizers and boxes of all shapes and sizes. They make all the difference. I apply this to more valuable bags and shoes, as well as special gifts, hats, and keepsakes. I might have taken over my husband’s closet to achieve this goal, but that’s beside the point. If you’re looking for different storage solutions, I highly recommend that you check out websites like Lawazm and IKEA for clever storage solutions!
An organized, pretty closet matters. Truly, it does. Every time I dream of a pretty closet, my mind instantly takes me to a white, airy space, where all of my favorite designer pieces are on display in one corner (I mostly collect vintage pieces), and the rest of the clothes would be gleaming under the strategically placed lighting I especially installed. Realistically though, I share my closet with my 6-month old baby girl, so let’s get down to it, I need both function and beauty. In order to keep my sanity, I invested in vacuum pack bags for the seasonal wardrobe switch, and use this change of the season as a chance to go through my clothes. The result? A pretty, curated closet for both myself and my little one. Her part of the closet is a lot prettier than mine, given all the cute tulle and bows, and that’s okay too.
We’re pretty sure that your closet revamp will keep you busy for days! For more ideas, check out Pinterest and share with us your favorite closet revamp tricks on Instagram. Featured image by Latrach Med Jamil on Unsplash.
