Hello all you little Foxes. Here we are, back for a new week and a new blog. This blog is absolutely FABULOUS.
I Ioved writing this, (yes, you read that right, I’m old school so I put pen to paper for all my first drafts of each blog). This is such an amazing time of year for us to purge our wardrobe, embrace an ‘out with the old and in with the new’ mentality and re-discover the pieces we forgot we had (which, to me, is like finding fashion gold).
This is more than just a purge, it’s about feeling great.
It’s time to shake our wardrobe up, re-craft it, declutter it and feel amazing for it. You deserve it.
I purged my wardrobe this month and realised many of you want to do the same thing. It can be a daunting and overwhelming task. So what do we do? We put it off. “That’s ok,” we think, “Future Nicole will do it for me”. Well listen up sister, ‘Future Nicole’ doesn’t want to. She’s busy. So why don’t you roll your sleeves up, get back there and make her life easier instead of harder? Hahaha.
Whenever I don’t want to do something I always remember that doing it now helps my future self, well… in the future. It gets me ahead. So instead of putting more on her already full plate, I try and always choose to lighten her load.
I can’t tell you how calm and organised I feel when I step back and look at my freshly revived, super sectioned wardrobe. I can easily see each item I own, every design is aligned with my current and future personal style AND I can wholeheartedly say that I love everything I’ve kept and sorted.
It all comes back to how we feel. I’m writing this blog today because I want you to be able to look at your wardrobe and have this feeling too. It’s bliss!
So put on your shameless comfies (you know, the outfit you demoted to sleepwear ages ago and pull out when sweaty work is involved) and come with me.
Let’s get purging!
I’m going to be your voice of reason and absolutely give you permission to discard those unwanted items. So as Elsa in Frozen says, “let it goooooo.”
Step 1 - Mind Over Matter
I strongly recommend that you are in the right mood and frame of mind to purge all those unwanted items out of your wardrobe. Do you feel calm, solution focused and un-emotive? If yes, then proceed. If not, then wait until this mood strikes.
Step 2 - The Evolution of You Once you know you’re in a logical, calm and clear mindset, remember that the purpose and function of your wardrobe is to reflect your best, future self. It needs to evolve and grow with you. Example: If you find a crop top and you’re not in your 20s/30s use it as a layering piece or get rid of it, you’re too old for this piece (and let me be clear that it’s a positive thing, not a negative thing or something to be upset about). Times change and so do we. I could walk around with butterfly clips in my hair, wearing silver metallic Lip Smackers while I listen to The Spice Girls on my walkman.
But it’s 2021 and I’ve changed since then, and I’m happy with that haha. Back to my original point, there are so many stunning designs out there that you will love one thousand times more than a silly crop top, designs that will truly reflect your fashion identity for the future. That’s a promise.
Step 3 - Purge in Piles of Three
Quality over quantity.
Don’t be embarrassed about how much you have acquired over the years.
I recommend that when you start purging all those unwanted items you create 3 piles.
Pile #1
Love it, it screams future me, I’m keep it
Pile #2
Get rid of it
Pile #3
The ‘Maybe’ pile
(you have two hours after the initial purge to think the items in this pile over)
Top Tip: What you don’t wear, get rid of it.
Don’t hold onto things because you liked it 10 years ago and it was expensive. “I promise I will wear it again”, you say.
I’m here to tell you that if you have not worn it outside in the actual world in the last six months or year, or it does not physically fit you, get rid of it.
Step 4 - Wine Not Make it fun! Invite friends over and do this together. Just add wine and make a night out of it. Show the girls each piece on the hanger OR even better try on each item and over glasses of wine and good music have your friends hold up signs that say either “Keep” or “Purge” just like in Sex and the City.
It will be so funny and good stories will come up from some of the outfits along the way. This method is perfect if you thrive off of a bit of moral support and you’re happy to go through and do this more slowly and with help and input. I recommend you take the time to try items of clothing on again as this really gives you clarity with the final decision of ‘should I keep this or let it go?’
Any pieces you’re sitting on the fence about, put it on, and ask your friends. Their opinions, the way you feel when you wear it AND your reflection in the mirror will easily help you make the final all important decision.
Step 5 - Embrace Reality
Don’t just keep outfits because you use to be a size 6 and now you’re a size 10.
If you won’t or can’t get back to your ‘before’ size it’s time to give those pieces away to a new home where they will be loved and worn.
Ask yourself, what year was it the last time I wore this? Would I be happy to step outside and wear this item right now for the whole day?
When I put it on, does it fit? Does it make me feel good?
If the answer is no, put it in the Get Rid Of pile.
Step 6 - From ‘Trash’ to Treasure
What can you do with your unwanted items?
A) Sell them (use the funds to re-invest in your future wardrobe)
B) Let your friends have them
C) My favourite option, DONATE THEM. Yay!
Domestic violence charities such as Rise Up (in Australia) will collect your unwanted clothes for you to give to women in need. I love this option because it means that you are helping other people start a fresh new life with pieces of clothing that just sat in your wardrobe. How good will this make you feel? You know the answer.
PRO TIP: Still not sure what to keep or what to remove? An easy way to determine what to keep: After you wear something, hang it back up and turn the coat hanger the opposite way. After two weeks you will easily and clearly see what you have been wearing and loving most. Use this precious intel and cull, cull, cull.
Get Rid of Duplicates
Remember that there are only so many white t-shirts one can own. We buy the same item of clothing over and over again out of habit, comfort and security. I have cleaned and purged so many of my client’s wardrobes for them and I lose my actual chow mind seeing ten of the same top in the same colour with the exact same shape. For the love of Anna Wintour, please let them go. Hahaha. Ask yourself, (and be honest), that dress I wore ten years ago and adored, will I still wear it again? Is this something I would genuinely ever get on my body again?Outdoors, in public. Am I still that size? Do I have immediate plans to go drastically up or down in size so that it will fit the way it’s designed to? Only you know the answers, so always be honest with yourself. I’m not a big meanie so I will let you keep a few outfits that you love, because they remind you of a wonderful time or event in your life. How generous am I? Haha.
The Fashion Fox Check List How to Ruthlessly Purge Your Wardrobe
Get into a clear, sharp, unemotional frame of mind
Focus on your future self: this wardrobe needs to support, reflect and enhance your personal style and lifestyle
Purge in Piles of Three (Keep, Get Rid Of and Maybe)
Add wine, good music and good friends. Purge together and have fun doing it.
Be realistic. If it doesn’t fit, and you are unable to or know that you won’t go up or down several sizes, embrace reality and get rid of it.
Re-home your unwanted items: Sell them to reinvest in future needed wardrobe staples, give them to your friends or (my favourite) wash, iron and fold them and donate them to charities such as women’s domestic violence. Another woman can start a fresh life in your beautiful, unwanted items. Now that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, how about you?
Let go of items you’ve kept for reasons which don’t serve you. These include guilt because it was expensive, items you bought purely because they were on sale or anything you’ve never worn that you were keeping for ‘one day’
Pro Tip: If you feel hesitant, start in your bra and underwear drawer. Let’s get rid of our yucky underwear that’s all stretched out of shape and needs replacing. Then move on to purging clothes.
