[Module 1] Seasonal Wardrobe Assessment | 4. Pull Out all the Clothes in the Wardrobe

To start with we are going to have a big sort out of the whole of your wardrobe and it can be

quite a process but also a fun thing to do, some elements you will enjoy more than others.

At this point some of you will say yeah! But some will want cry and walk away! Just get yourself in the right head space. By no means is this the only way to do this, some people make a living just by doing this alone! But this is my take on it so you take from it what you will.

If you look back a the workflow for this Module it looks complicated but it’s broken down into Units so it can be dealt with in bite sized pieces so don’t get alarmed – I just think it is useful to see the process and not go into the whole thing blind. There are no time limits to this whole workflow just take your time, maybe just moving on a step every week to allow creativity to happen, enjoyment, set up, and retrospection before moving onto the next step.

So gather together the required documents and tools and maybe an honest and understanding friend or two and let’s get started on the war on waste.

OK I hear you ask if we need to not add back into the landfill why are we going through the wardrobe, why don’t we just leave it all in there and just wear what we have got and don’t buy anything else until we need to. Well this is true, you could do this. But I ask you in return, how much of your wardrobe do you actually use and will you in reality actually wear everything in it, is every item in a good wearable condition. If the answers are yes then I believe that you must be a very thoughtful shopper and truly understand your body shape what colours suit you and have bought or made the right size garments for a good fit, you deserve a big pat on the back and truly and you should be getting yourself out there and teach others what you know and so perhaps you don’t need a wardrobe overhaul after all.

To the rest, then read on.

Even though you should allow yourself an hour or two to work through this unit it is a good idea try to do the bagging up part of the process as quickly and efficiently as you can especially if you have a large wardrobe full of lots of clothes that have never seen the light of day. Don’t let it drag out over a few days and then it becomes a job that never gets finished, you need to roll up your sleeves and mean business.

You should aim to do this at least twice a year at the change of the main seasons or more if the place that you live changes drastically between all the seasons, or if you simply just enjoy the process of doing it. After 12 months your wardrobe should be starting to get under your active control. It really should not take long at all next time because you will have already put thought into it, you will have less clothes to deal with also because you will have raised the quality of your garments and therefore wanting to look after them better, and the clothes in your wardrobe are what you really want to wear and do wear (therefore reduced waste).

Side note – I also think that this whole process could save you money in realising what your purchases are really costing you; How many of your items still have the tags on them and are still unworn? Do you buy on impulse? How many times have you bought duplicates and don’t wear any of them? How many of your clothes have you never worn? Can you identify items that you can sell?

So put aside a few hours to cleanse your wardrobe and work through more or less in the following order. It is a good idea to challenge a friend to do the same – maybe you can help each other over a glass of wine, it’s always good to get a second opinion.

Open the wardrobe, open the draws boxes or anywhere else that you store your clothes and get everything out on the bed or sofa, except accessories (e.g. jewellery, belts, scarfs, shoes) or night ware and underwear for now (your choice of underwear may be affected by your design choices later especially if you wear a bra – although it is a good idea to make sure you have underwear that is the correct size and comfortable fit, especially if you are going to make your own clothes).

Keep in mind that a garment is still a garment even if it is not right for you, someone may be able to wear it up upcycle it give it a second life, we need to try to keep the things you don’t need from reaching the landfill. So try to re appropriate your garments and there are a few ideas in the following Unit unless the garment is past repair and there are other ideas listed that may help.

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