fashion

Sort That Wardrobe Clutter!

An article I read in Grazia this week said that women (in particular) have done a lot of online shopping during the Covid 19 crisis. I can totally relate to this. I have brought a fair few new items during this Strange Spring, some of them to cheer me up when I’ve felt myself starting to slide with the pressure of home work and home schooling, some of them a necessity – clothes I can relax in, new school uniform for Joe, birthday presents for my niece, nephew and the hubby.

If truth be told, I always find myself buying new things during a new season, and this Spring was sunny enough to invest in a few new sundresses and new sandals etc. But this is also the time of the year to do a reclutter, to get rid of the things that you no longer wear, and to either sell them to make a little extra cash, or, as I do, to donate them to a local charity.

When you reclutter, you need to be brutal, but that doesn’t mean that you should throw the baby out with the bath water. If you genuinely never wear something (and maybe never have), then it should go, no question. Clothes that no longer fit, or have seen better days should also go, donated to charity shops. The clothes that have seen better days will be sold on as rag by the charity shops as these are sold by the kilo, so are still worth donating rather than sending to landfill. Many charity shops will be opening week beginning 15th June, but they do expect a deluge, so, if you can, it may be worth holding onto them for a few weeks, putting them into storage as things start to get back to normal.

There may also be clothes that you no don’t wear, but don’t want to part with. These are the clothes that should be packaged and stored. If you are short of home storage space, you could opt for a self storage option like Magenta Storage who offer safe, clean storage options for rent. This would work well for storing things like your wedding dress or clothes you’ve worn for a special occasion but may never wear again. It could also work for storing seasonal items like your winter coats, in Spring and Summer, these are big items that take up space and would be better stored safely.

Even though I’m saying be brutal, there are some things that you shouldn’t throw away. Classic items like cashmere, simple knits, polo necks jumpers, black trousers and striped Breton tops are items you will wear over and over again, so shouldn’t be thrown away on a whim. Old jeans can be cut down into shorts and always look stylish, and you can look at dresses and consider changing the length, or transforming them into a top if you are creative, or handy with a sewing machine. I would also look carefully before discarding vintage clothing – these are often one off pieces (even if they were originally mass produced) so you may not be able to replace them or find another if you get rid of them on a whim.

Jeans can be cut off like this ancient pair I’m wearing.
Vintage dress cost £3 but would be hard to replace.

Clearing your clutter will give you something to do if you are currently at home, and a tidy space may well also be good for your mental health.

 

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