DIY Wardrobe Cleanse

It's time for your Wardrobe Cleanse... 

Step 1: Set Your Space
 
Bring your Magic Mood Board with you to your bedroom and position it somewhere visible. Find a “sorting area” – this can be on top of your bed, on the floor, using a rail etc. In my 1:1 appointments, I use my branded pop cards to help my client’s get clear on the appropriate action for each item but you can quite easily create your own. Just grab some A4 paper and write one of the below titles on each them. These will serve as your action cards to help you structure your Creative Wardrobe Cleanse.
 
LOVE:
You don’t even have to think. You just LOVE. Brings joy. Brings energy.
 
THINK:
You can’t make up your mind about this one. You need some more time to think.
 
RE-STYLE:
You like this piece but you’re not wearing it. You need to see it in a new light.
 
SELL:
This piece could make a bit of money back on Ebay, Depop or Vestiaire Collective.
 
CHUCK:
No, no, no! This piece must go!
 
DONATE:
You’d love to give this piece away to your favourite charity.
 
FIX:
You’ve left this piece to be dry cleaned, altered or repaired for WAY too long!
 
STORE:
You’re not wearing it now but you will next season.
 
SWAP:
You want to give this beauty to a friend… in exchange for something of hers of course!
 
RENT:
You’ve recently bought this zeitgeist piece but already you’re not wearing it much. You want to recoup some money by renting it.

Put your favourite music on Spotify and for goodness’ sakes, turn off the news! Light a candle. Get zen. Deep breath in.

Step 2: Let’s begin!

Take a look at your room, whatever it looks like. Your wardrobe… your drawers... your storage boxes. You are looking at your current creation. Every piece here, has made it’s way into your wardrobe because of YOU! Today, you can make a completely new creation if you choose. The power is with you.

Decide an area to start with. Perhaps it’s your wardrobe? Always begin with the LOVE card. Start identifying the pieces you truly love that you are certain you want to keep. Lift these pieces out of your wardrobe one at a time and move them in the LOVE area; consciously connecting with those pieces and giving them your good thoughts. 

Move on to CHUCK. You probably already know which pieces just need to go. Here's a clue: if you feel a nagging, ichy feeling when you look at a piece or your energy is depleted by it, it’s time for it to go! Start to build this pile up. If you have resistance to letting something go, then move it to THINK.

Work through your entire wardrobe in this way, using the action cards as your guide and building up the areas accordingly. Don’t be overwhelmed! You can do this slowly over a whole weekend. Just focus on one action card at a time.
 
Step 3: Review

Time to review your action piles. There will be things you are absolutely certain about and other decisions where you just can’t make up your mind.
 
In my appointments, I already have a good idea of what my client needs by this time. However, as you're doing this on your own, why not message a friend if you’re unsure about whether to keep a piece or not? Always remember you are here to Make Space so your new creative vision can shine through. 

Ask yourself this question when you're stuck: Will I really miss this item once it’s gone? 

You'll have to employ some tough love as I’m not there to do this for you!

Step 4: Re-style

This bit is so fun! Go to your re-style pile and have a look at the items. Ask yourself; how could I wear these pieces differently? What could I style them with so this piece feels new and fresh again?

It’s great to draw on your Magic Mood Board at this point and have a look at the images you found so inspiring during this process. Is there a way to channel those vibes with these pieces? Layering is a great way to change up individual pieces and create new vibes from the overall look. Try an old leather jacket with a roomy overcoat on top and enjoy the new shape with layers. Take one of your unused vintage blouses and try it under a pair of dungarees. This part is all about creative experimentation! I get my clients to take a mirror-pic of their newly created looks so they have it on file days where they lack inspiration.

Step 5: Conscious Curation
 
Well done! You’ve made it to the final step! Now we can put all of your chosen pieces back into your wardrobe and drawers with the Creative Wardrobe method of Conscious Curation.
 
To make your dressing spaces look beautiful, I love to encourage my clients to invest in pretty hangers. Have a look online for vintage bamboo hangers or some 70s crochet beauties. I collect mine at car-boot sales and charity shops and I’m more than a little obsessed with them. However, you can purchase whichever matching hangers you choose online. Just get rid of all the tiresome wire ones and put them in a bag for recycling.

Just as you did with your Magic Mood Board, it’s time to curate your wardrobe in a way that works for you. I love to organise by outfits within colour stories and then leave a “workwear” corner for my clients who have a smarter office environment.
 
Take the items you love most of all and display them in clever ways like little works of art. Perhaps your favourite dress can hang on the front of your wardrobe on a pretty hanger so you can enjoy it every day? With every piece you put back in, send it in with love and good feeling. You have chosen for this piece to be here after all.

Good luck for your Creative Wardrobe Cleanse. Take pics of your Mood Boards and Cleanses and please do share it with me on Instagram @ccccreativewardrobe . I can’t wait to see how you get on!
 
Tune in tomorrow to learn about how to send your unwanted items onto their next adventures.
 
With love and light,
Charlie x