I have a confession to make. For someone who is constantly reminding people to edit their wardrobes, I’ve been doing a pretty terrible job of editing my own lately. This dawn on me a few weeks ago while I was trying to make room for two new pairs of shoes, how on earth had I managed to accumulate so many pairs I wasn’t even wearing?
Anyway, the spirit of Marie Kondo took over me, and I ended up getting rid of more than 15 pairs and as you can see from the photo below, there are still PLENTY left.
My excuse has always been, But I’m a stylist! It’s market research! I might need them for a photoshoot! Which is all well and good, but even I have to admit there’s a limit.
The thing is, I have a lot more wardrobe space now than I ever did in my tiny one-bedroom flat in London. And with all that extra space, I’ve become far too comfortable keeping things just because I can. Funny, considering this is exactly what I tell my clients not to do.
As I started trying on shoes I still liked but never actually wore, I realised I’m probably never going to wear 9 cm heels again. And although I’m not particularly sentimental about clothes, I do find clutter stressful. Even when it’s hidden away, I know it’s there. (I’m currently trying not to think about the two suitcases of clothes I still need to go through.)
I’m not particularly sentimental about clothes, especially when I know they’ll go to someone who’ll actually wear them. This time, a friend and I are sending a box of clothes and shoes to people in Venezuela who we know really need them.
It’s also reminded me that getting rid of clothes is one thing, but making sure they end up somewhere useful is another. Sometimes it’s worth asking around a little, whether that’s women’s shelters, local community groups or people we know, rather than just dropping everything off at the nearest charity shop and hoping for the best.
So, with 15 fewer pairs of shoes and a bit more breathing room, I’ve FINALLY managed to tackled my wardrobe for the new season.
My Current Wardrobe Setup
Autumn and winter in Gran Canaria are pretty mild, although last year was unusually cold. I’d say the weather is quite similar to parts of California: you can be wearing flip-flops and heading to the beach one day, then boots and a leather jacket the next.
So my wardrobe needs to accommodate all of that! Fun right?
This year, I’ve kept out the dresses and skirts that are still fairly lightweight but not overly summery. These are pieces I can continue wearing with jumpers, boots and layers. The really summery things have gone into storage, although I’ve made sure they are still easy to get to.
My main wardrobe is for the clothes I wear day to day, while the smaller one is for going-out pieces and things I don’t reach for quite as often but still want to keep an eye on. My jackets and coats live in a common wardrobe in the hallway.
At the top, I’ve got three storage bags from IKEA (these are great, really lightweight and surprisingly spacious). I’ve divided them into:
Chunky jumpers: Still far too warm to wear here, but I might need them when I next go to London.
Summer clothes: The pieces I know I won’t be wearing for a while.
Bags and accessories: Things like my travel backpack and bags I love but only use occasionally.
Trousers, shorts and swimwear live in the white drawers, and I keep my bags at the bottom of the wardrobe where I can easily reach them.
I’ve also bought a little shelf unit from Zara Home for my accessories.
It’s not my dream wardrobe setup, and it’s taken me a while to get used to not having proper shelves and all the useful storage I had before. But we are renting, so I’ve had to work with what we’ve got.
The biggest thing I’ve learnt is that I need to be able to see my clothes properly. When there’s too much stuff in my wardrobe that I don’t usually wear, I find it annoying and confusing. This is why I regularly do the chair method, where I put something I haven’t worn in ages on a chair in my room and challenge myself to style it as soon as possible. If I get bored of looking at it without ever feeling like wearing it, that’s usually a sign it’s time to let it go.
And that’s exactly what happened with this vintage skirt. Except I did end up wearing it, so I think it’s safe… for now.
Now that you’ve had a good nose around my wardrobe, let’s get to the fun part! I’m showing you how I’ve been styling my new shoes with clothes I already own (including a vintage skirt I almost got rid of!), plus some rather fabulous secondhand finds I’ve come across while shopping for clients.
The rest of this little wardrobe catch-up is for my paid subscribers. If you fancy joining us, I’d love to have you here! x
