I think for most of us going into lockdown has been a shock to the system. To just stop is something which is so foreign to our mind in this crazy-chaotic world we live in. My immediate reaction was to rush out and get EVERYTHING I thought I needed, followed by “Yay! I can clean out my closet, organize my home, and give away everything that doesn’t serve a purpose.” Reality then kicked in…
I didn’t stop working which I thought I would, so life continued at an even more frenetic pace. Full-time work, homeschooling, cleaning the house, and cooking left me with very little time to sometimes even get out of my PJs or wash my face. There were days I looked at the clock in horror as the clock struck 6 pm and I was still on my laptop. Kids unfed and glass balls (the one’s you juggle) smashing everywhere. My world felt totally ‘unstylish’.
Days rolled into weeks and the holographic handbag was still on the hook. The silver heels were still on the shelf and my wardrobe started to collect dust. I ended up rotating two pairs of jeans, a top or two, and a dress. This became my crisis closet.
Somehow the things which were really important to me paled into insignificance. The fight for survival was real. Now that I have come up for air, I will share my favorite tips for Corona-cleansing your closet. We really don’t NEED as much as we have. Often the amount of clothing ends up filling an emotional hole. We keep trying to fill it, without any satisfaction. We waste money on items we don’t need. We buy things which don’t work with our style and we don’t work with what we already have. The less we have, the more options we have. The more we have, the fewer options we have as our brains can’t cope with the overwhelming quantity we see in our closets every day. We are often paralyzed for choice. We look at the mass of fabric, like a deer in the headlights, and say ‘I have nothing to wear’. It can be overwhelming so I have made it super easy with the following steps:
“What stays & what goes?”
Divide your clothing into separate piles:
- Keep – I love it!
- Toss – I don’t love it.
- Mend or alter – If I changed it I would wear it
- Donate – It no longer brings me joy, It will bring someone else joy.
When you hold up a garment, ask yourself the following questions:
- Is it my Colour? Follow your seasonal Colour coding cards.
- Does it suit my figure type?
- Does it suit my personality? Am I more Natural? Dramatic? Or Classic?
- Does it suit my current lifestyle? Do I work in an office? Am I a home executive or do I attend zoom meetings?
- Is it sentimental? Keep and box
- Is it worn out? Pilled? Or just tired? Toss or Donate
- Have I got five other tops just like it? Duplicates? Choose the top two and keep those.
- Is the print dated? Toss or donate
- Is the style so last season? High fashion or dated items you may want to pay forward or box for a few years if you are certain they will come back into fashion.
- Do I LOVE it? Does it bring you JOY? You have to LOVE it to keep it!
Once you’ve got your pile which you’ve decided to keep, hang them on hangers all facing the right way. Try to keep them the same color as this declutters the headspace. Colour code your clothing, it will make it easier to find what you are looking for. This will save you time.
Bring others joy during this extreme time of need. This can be your way of paying it forward.
If you need a virtual styling session during this lockdown period you can email me: info@styleme.co.za or pop onto my website for more info www.styleme.co.za