So many things have changed in the last year and a half, to the point where we’re not sure if we’re coming or going.
When will we be going back to the office or be able to start travelling again?
Do we still need all the clothes that are currently in our closets? How do we assess what might be needed in the future and determine what clothes we can get rid of?
As life slowly returns to normal, doing a wardrobe refresh will be one of the tasks calling for your attention.
Take it slow and easy with your wardrobe refresh
Some of us are a little worse for wear after more than a year of pandemic life. A lack of natural light and fresh air has us craving outdoor activities. However, our lack of physical movement may hinder some of those ambitions.
Make sure to take it slow and easy with your wardrobe fresh and other activities. If gardening or exercising, do so in short spurts. Give your body a chance to recover so you don’t end up back on the couch with back spasms.
As a result of the enforced cocooning and new-fangled cooking aspirations while on lockdown, certain items in your wardrobe may not fit quite like they did pre-pandemic.
We’ve been living under a false sense of reality, where elastic waistbands, stretchy fabrics, and kick-off slippers became the uniform of the day.
We won’t even go down the road of unattended hair growth. It’s likely that the sales of soaps and shampoos were down from 2019. As for razor blades, chances are that they are going to benefit from a summertime buying spree.
Reconsider the Marie Kondo wardrobe refresh approach
Marie Kondo suggests that we discard everything in the house that does not spark joy.
There’s no doubt that she’s a master organizer and Organized Interiors can get behind her philosophy of designating a space for each item. If you can see what you have, you can appreciate all that you have.
At this time, we’re going through a transitional phase and don’t quite know what the future holds yet. That makes it difficult to make final decisions on whether some wardrobe items should stay or go.
Until the fog of uncertainty with the future lifts a little more and your needs become clearer, take a more conservative approach to curating your wardrobe.
There is still uncertainty about what a post-pandemic world will look like. Taking a conservative approach to curating your wardrobe right now is a good idea.
Throw out the “one-year rule”
When organizing your closet, many professional organizers recommend using the “one-year rule”. That means getting rid of a piece of clothing if you haven’t worn it in the last year.
But hold on – we haven’t even had the opportunity to wear most of what we own for well over a year. Our business attire has sat untouched and we haven’t dressed up to go to a party or worn select pieces that we’ve saved for special occasions.
What we have to do now is a “test-of-time assessment” and ask ourselves the following questions about what is in our closet:
- Does it still fit?
- Is it still in style?
- Do I still like it?
- Have my tastes changed?
- Are there any moth holes in the clothing after sitting in the closet for so long?
- Do I have a friend who would be better served by this garment, purse, or shoes?
- Has my job changed?
- Will I ever be going back to an office? If so, has the dress code changed?
- What is practical and will I need this item moving forward?
- Do I have space to hang on to things that I’m not sure about?
This litmus test will help you to prioritize and reassess, rather than doing a full purge of what you haven’t worn in ages.
As a result, you may have to re-organize your possessions in a new way, so that you can reconsider their importance. Also, it will give you a renewed sense of appreciation for items that you haven’t paid attention to in a very long time.
Some of the usual methods of deciding what clothes to keep or get rid of aren’t ideal in this unusual time. Ask yourself a few new questions when assessing your wardrobe needs.
Refresh to impress
We’re heading into uncharted territory with our closets and “excavating” for the best possible outcome.
Even though we haven’t worn a large percentage of our wardrobe in many months, certain things may require cleaning since they were last hung up.
Better yet, go through your closet and determine what should be sent to the dry cleaners so that the items that need it receive a refreshing boost.
You’ll feel better when you put them back on and leave a much better impression with others when socializing returns to normal.
Back to front, front to back
Did you even switch up your winter and summer clothes last year? Or are the pale shades of summer still hiding in the back?
It is time to rearrange what you have. Pull out forgotten pieces and coordinate them with unsuspecting pairings.
When you have distance from something (and we’ve had lots of distance from some things) we tend to see them in a new and positive light.
Clothes shopping as part of a wardrobe refresh
As part of your wardrobe refresh plans, you might be planning on enjoying a shopping spree at some of your favourite clothing retailers that have been closed for much of the last year and a half.
You’re not alone. 65% of Canadians plan to buy new clothing as pandemic restrictions become more relaxed, according to a recent NPD Group survey.
28% of the Canadian adults surveyed between the ages of 28 and 34 said they planned to buy and wear only new clothing.
This enthusiastic attitude from consumers is welcome news to the retail and clothing industries, who have experienced their most challenging period ever.
There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to a few new wardrobe items after such a difficult year and a half. Hold off on that spending spree until you’ve taken the time to properly assess your wardrobe needs, however.
Reorganizing your closets first can lead to discoveries of misplaced or lost items that have barely been worn. Once you have a better idea of what items have passed the “keep or toss?” test, then you can make a more informed decision when buying new clothes.
Organize your closets and get rid of things you no longer need before buying any new clothes. (Photo by Artem Beliaikin from Pexels)
Get your wardrobe refresh started
In many ways, the pandemic was a wake-up call to re-examine our lives. Our priorities were measured against life and death scenarios, in some instances.
Our mindset was required to regroup and to rearrange into a new way of thinking – and a new way of doing. With a renewed gratitude for the belongings that you’ve decided to hang on to, it will also help you to re-evaluate what’s important in life when moving forward.
At this point, you may require pros like Organized Interiors to give you help with a wardrobe refresh by transforming your closet system.
From concept to completion, we can reconfigure your wardrobe storage spaces for maximum efficiency. Schedule a free design consultation with us to get your wardrobe refresh started.
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