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Anyone fancy a wardrobe de-clutter and capsule wardrobe for Autumn?

Posted by Chantelle on Wed 11th July 2007 at 07:00 AM, Filed in Styling Tips

Do you open your wardrobe and think to yourself – I never have anything to wear… and is your wardrobe so cluttered that you don’t even know where to start?

Sadly summer will soon be on its way out so it’s the perfect time to de-clutter your wardrobe. A few hours spent sifting through your fashion mistakes and clothes that you never wear will save you hours every morning. And, with a little help from TopStylista it needn’t be such a daunting task. So start building a capsule wardrobe in time for the Autumn season.

The capsule concept

What is a capsule wardrobe? We all have far too many clothes lurking inside our wardrobes and for some reason we only ever seem to wear a handful of them. I am a great believer in less quantity more quality, that way you will always look and feel great 100% of the time in quality pieces.

The capsule wardrobe concept is really simple but you don’t ever have to be worried about it appearing dull. A capsule wardrobe should continue to be built on year on year, starting with good quality basics like trousers, skirts, jackets, jeans, bags and shoes in your best neutral colours. These pieces are the bigger clothing items that you will own so they are all worth paying more money for because they are what people will notice. You have to think of the cost per wear - that is the cost of the article of clothing divided by the number of times you wear it. It’s easy to work out - let’s say you have a gorgeous pair of designer jeans that cost you £300. Now, in my book that’s fairly expensive, however if you wear them 300 times over a period of 3 years, then it only costs £1 each time you wear them so really in actual fact, that’s definitely good value!

The idea is that you build on these items, creating a personalised style for yourself but it’s also about being truthful about what items really flatter your natural body shape. Once you have this concept sussed, then it’s an easy ride from here on.

Can less really be more?

Don’t be alarmed but a perfect capsule wardrobe should consist of two pairs of trousers – in your best neutral colours, two skirts – in your best neutral colours, two plain blouses, a couple of simple tops and a really good fitting jacket. The essential thing with all these items is to choose perfect pieces that really suit your body shape and if you can’t find them in one day or they are less than perfect then be patient, ruthless and not buy. A capsule wardrobe does take time but if you can achieve this then it will definitely make all the difference and you will see items in your wardrobe lasting throughout more than just one or two seasons.

Another good tip is to stick to plainer items because if you decide to wear anything patterned then it could really narrow down the times you can wear something and could date a lot quicker.

Out with the old and in with the new

Ok, so you know what you have to do but how do you actually achieve it? The first chore is de-clutter your wardrobe. Be ruthless as it’s the only way forward and if you haven’t worn it for two years then chuck it out. Have a bin liner or two handy and throw all rejects straight into it. It’s an exciting feeling and you will feel liberated and you know what they say - clear wardrobe, clear mind - enabling you to take on other important challenges in your life. Once this is out the way then you can start to identify the gaps, a good idea is to make a shopping list along the way of what you really need to buy to complete your capsule wardrobe.

You know what’s coming up next, the fun bit that every girl adores – shopping, shopping and more shopping! You will do things differently this time, as you will have learned what mistakes you made previously so you need to be disciplined. Stores that offer several brands, such as Selfridges, Matches and Harvey Nichols are a great place to start. You’ll find many of the top designers under one roof so it’s far easier to start experimenting and putting looks together that work well with each other.

From shopping list to A-list

You will look and feel fabulous now that you have given some time and effort to this de-cluttering task. All you need to do is step out in confidence knowing that what you are wearing is tried and tested and really suits you. You will now always have something to wear from this day forward and when you are next out on a shopping trip then you will find it easy to keep track of what you need. Be creative and experiment by pushing the boundaries, trying on items if you’re not sure but whatever you do don’t ever buy without trying on. You may think it will save you time by not trying something on but imagine getting home and it’s not quite right … you will have to make an unscheduled trip back into town to return the offending item, taking unnecessary petrol expenses and parking time into account.

I wish you happy de-cluttering and fabulous shopping!

If you feel like you need to de-clutter your wardrobe ready for Autumn / Winter then Chantelle can definitely lend a helping hand. Please book your wardrobe styling session here or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Chantelle for further details.

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