‘Lucky seven’ wardrobe re-use tips
A guest blog from second hand fashion expert Emma Allen.
As the weather starts to warm up our thoughts are turning towards a lovely new spring wardrobe. It is great to have the excuse to go on a shopping spree of course but it is also great to be able to re-utilise the pieces we have in our wardrobes already.
With this in mind I wanted to share my own ‘lucky seven’ wardrobe re-use tips with you. These are steps that I follow every season to ensure I make the most of what I have, that I can afford to add my new must haves and that these new purchases are the right ones.
Follow these steps at least twice a year and you will end up with a smarter, leaner, cleaner closet.
1. Start by pulling everything out of your wardrobe/drawers/storage places and get it all laid out in front of you in clothing categories – jackets, dresses, bags, shoes etc. This will make it much easier for you to see what you have.
2. Next, begin with the more urgent categories and work forwards. For example as the weather gets warmer you will want to have lots of lighter outerwear – jackets, cardigans, capes etc. These are more important to consider first off than heavy overcoats which you are unlikely to need for a while.
3. Carefully assess what you have in each pile and decide what pieces you want to keep and what you want to let go. Of course you will want to re-use some of your pieces from last spring, but the chances are you’ll also want to update some for spring 2013. Put anything you don’t want any more to one side and move onto step 4.
4. Turn those unwanted items into cash. As long as your items are good quality and are in excellent condition you will certainly be able to make something from them. Sell them yourself if you have time or find an expert to help you and move onto step 5 with a lighter heart and the promise of a fuller purse.
5. Make a list of all the pieces you need to replace and start looking around now. You don’t have to replace everything at once and the longer you give yourself to browse the more chance you have of finding items that you really love.
6. With the items you are keeping take this opportunity to dry clean/wash/repair everything that needs it. If you do it all in one go you’ll end up with what feels like a whole new wardrobe without any shopping at all. And you’ll save time overall, compared to doing each individually as and when (many dry cleaners will collect if you have a lot of pieces).
7. Wage war on moths. Prevention is always better than cure so even if you have never had moths make sure you always have moth repelling strips/patches in all of your wardrobes and drawers. If you have been unlucky enough to succumb then make sure you dry clean/wash all your natural fibre items. Moths don’t just damage wool; they will eat furs, feathers, cotton and silk. Sweep out all cupboards and drawers and install moth killing strips and patches – these act as a repellent but most importantly will also kill any hangers on.
Emma Allen is founder and CEO of Style Sequel, a luxury designer clothing resale website and consignment service. Style Sequel sells hand selected high fashion pieces, sourced from some of the most covetable wardrobes in the world.