The Art of Letting Go (of Old Clothes)
I’VE BEEN DOWNSIZING my wardrobe for a while now: with the intention of being more portable in the future as my husband and I travel more and move house more frequently (we’re renting, and don’t have anywhere permanent to settle yet)… our children are growing up and flying the nest, and that means uncertainty but also opportunity.
A holiday wardrobe edit
We’ve downsized twice already in the last three years, and I thought I’d done a great job of halving my wardrobe. Until, that is, I moved to this current semi-detached three bed rental, and started to become a lot less convinced I needed to hang onto a number of things I’ve had since before having children when I lived in London, worked in fashion and design, and spent quite a bit of money on clothes. They include a Miu Miu patterned jacket, a Roland Mouret skirt, and bits and pieces from Maxmara, Ralph Lauren and Ghost (Tanya Sarne era). Plus there’s shoes I’ve not worn in years, and a hunk of peach woven silk fabric I’ve been meaning to turn into a jacket for a good decade or more. Plus little clutch bags - incredibly cute - from European travels I’ve not touched for a very long time.
Don’t get me wrong, my wardrobe is fairly tight for a stylist: I’ve only got two larger bags, and one small cross-body. Plus a couple of small coloured totes. I love a random cheap or free cotton tote for shopping, and that’s pretty much it. I’m down to three dresses, one winter coat, three winter jumpers, four shirts, for example. But there’s still a LOT of tops, a bursting drawer of trousers, and I’m adding skirts and summer items to flesh out missing areas.
Frankly, I’d like more to go. But then to be truly streamlined in your wardrobe, every piece you have has to fit more occasions and be truly multi-used and multi-functional. PLUS, it has to be comfortable. Because, truly, if a piece isn’t comfortable, it’s never going to be worn. If it’s too tight or the fabric doesn’t feel nice, or it rubs under the arms, or the heel is just a smidge too high, whatever it is, I’ve found there’s a really good reason if I’m not wearing something, and it’s not just whether it’s flattering or not.
There’s a perfect storm for getting rid of old pieces in your wardrobe. After having colour analysis and styling advice, several of my clients want to start anew, and some are gradual updaters. I sometimes marvel at how cut-throat some clients are willing to be: they’ll ditch ANYTHING not in their colour season, and ditch anything not in great condition: I helped a recent client cull her wardrobe by at least 60% without any regrets. Colour analysis can be freeing and suddenly it’s like they have permission to get rid of anything not serving them and not bringing them joy. It’s great to be a part of that.
Because when a new life beckons, the promise of it feels lighter than the past. I find this too - whenever I move closer towards that new life, the old has less of a hold on me, and I become more and more emotionally detached from it.
Bring all your seasonal coloured clothes together
So, with that in mind, here’s a guide to How to More Easily Cleanse Your Wardrobe and let go of the past.
1. Redo your physical space: A renovation, a new wardrobe, a new house: You may feel conflicted packing up clothes to move / store, but it becomes a lot easier when you’re on the other end, and unpacking. Often once you’ve already moved on in your mind, it’s simple to let things go. So, do your cleansing again after that first initial ‘let go’.
2. Think how you feel when you’re on holiday. Do you feel lighter without a heavy wardrobe of possessions? If yes, think about what you love about that holiday feeling. Are all the clothes you’ve brought with you intentional and working together? This is often the case when travelling, as we’ve thoughtfully put outfits together and chosen pieces we know can multi-task. These are then keepers. Perhaps what you’ve left at home is not so useful or important, and you can imagine life without them. This sense of lightness is something to explore.
3. Be very intentional about your new style. Once you’ve had body shape analysis and colour analysis, and maybe even your style personality pegged and identified, it’s easy to go through your wardrobe and see what fits the new ‘rules’ of dressing: you may want to get rid of baggy tops, because you’ve learnt they just don’t flatter you. Or you may decide to get rid of all the too-long jackets, and the starchy work pieces that you no longer wear or feel represent you. It’s easier to let go of a certain item of clothing that you can no longer visualise in your ideal wardrobe.
4. Once you know your colour season, it’s a good idea to put all those clothes that fit into your new season together in a certain part of your wardrobe, maybe hanging together or on one or two shelves. Then you can start to dress with those in mind first and foremost. This can help you look more discriminately at the pieces that don’t work for you so well in terms of colour and feel less attached to them, as they’re serving you less.
5. Thank the pieces you let go of. This is a Marie Kondo piece of advice, and makes it far easier to cleanse clothing items and objects that aren’t serving you anymore. Say, out loud if you like, something like: ’thank you for your service. You served me for a good period of time, and that time was special, but that time is over. You can serve someone else now.’ Psychologically it makes it much easier to move on.
6. Be super-intentional with new purchases. You’re letting things go because they’re not comfortable, or the fabric isn’t right or the fit isn’t great, or the item doesn’t represent who you are now. Go shopping with a check-list in mind: natural fabric if you don’t like any plastic in your clothing (like me); are the sleeves too tight under the arm (another one of my pet hates); is the colour flattering? Can I move in this top? Can I walk a long way in these shoes without nipping? Can I sit properly in these trousers or are they too tight around the bum or waist? Does this item represent my natural / romantic style personality (or whatever yours is)? Does it flatter my Inverted Triangle shape (in my case)? Do the legs work for me as a petite, or can I get them altered EASILY. Can I wear this with my favourite trainers and still feel good?
Yes, it’s a lot of questions. But none of us need any more clothes that don’t fit our lifestyles and personalities. And with clothing being so polluting for the environment, neither does the planet. So, it’s good to be incredibly detailed and intentional with new purchases, so you end up with a wardrobe of clothes you truly love, that truly serve you, make your life easier, and which let you let go of what feels ‘off’ or feels like the ‘old you’.
Colourfully,
Jenny