Wardrobe SOS - YouLookFab Forum

I Am finally coming to the conclusion I need to make some major changes in my wardrobe and style. I LOVE fashion and takepride in dressing well. I also live shopping and have done some major eBay purchasing AND my weight flucuates by a couple sizes. As a result I have a wardrobe that could be defined as a hoard (3 closets (one in a spare room turned closet), many totes and additional items tucked here and there. And I can often find nothing to wear and when I decide what to wear I often spend a good deal of time looking for the pieces, the jewelry, the right undergarment, etc. I have also come to realize that I have no defined style, just a multitude of unrelated looks. I just got a big promotion, so this is a great time to change. I need to get control.
So what do I do? Bag stuff up for Goodwill? I have a lot of nice pieces, things I may not be wearing, but I really like. Do I sell it on eBay? The $$ would be great, but it feels overwhelming.
And how do I start to define my new wardrobe??
Any advice from those who may have been there, done that????

9 years ago

nancywalters

Active Member

I recently cleaned out my closet(s) and yes, I am a size 14 but also have some size 12 and even size 10 clothing. I decided to be realistic. If I ever get down to a size 10 - then I'll be thrilled to buy new clothes but for now, they serve no purpose.

I started four piles of clothes:
1. Consignment store
2. Goodwill
3. Trash
4. mending or dry cleaning

I then tried on most of my clothes. I didn't get through all of them but I put together a list of what I still needed to try on. And then I started putting together a few outfits. I also put together a list of items that I needed. I had a shortage of blouses and tops so I did some shopping. I also bought some shoes which gave me more outfit possibilities.

I had posted about going to a Nordstrom Stylist and that was a big help, I've been reading fashion blogs and Pinterest to get ideas.

Having gone through this process, I now have a few outfits to choose from and I no longer stare at my closet like a deer in the headlights!

I still have more work to do, but I am moving forward.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Have you seen Angie's wardrobe planning posts?

http://youlookfab.com/category.....-planning/

My wardrobe started to come together when I decided how I wanted to look - until I nailed my preferred look I was all over the place Sorting out my look also made it a lot easier to let go of any clothes that didn't work with my concept.

Gaylene

One of the best tips that I got from the YLF site was to put together 4-6 outfits (top to bottom) that held the highest happiness factor for me when I wore them. Seeing only those outfits hanging in my closet made it easier to analyze what was working for me and to figure where I wanted to go with my style. Anything that didn't make me feel good when I wore it was a candidate for purging, even if it had been a pricey purchase. A mistake is a mistake, and the sooner I admitted it, I figured the more progress I was making towards having a truly wearable closet.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Angie's probably written a post along these lines (or several!) but I would start with anything that's stained, worn, or you really don't like anymore. Get those out of the way, plus anything that needs to be altered to be wearable. Then either start with the items and make outfits and see what resonates, or start with the style you want to emulate and figure out where you might start to get there.

I too have ranged in size in the last couple years and different people like to approach it different ways. Some say get rid of anything that doesn't fit now or is likely to fit in the very near future (say less than 3 months). I find that too extreme myself, and prefer to keep one size up/down, but I do make it a point to get the currently-not-fitting sizes out of my regular wardrobe space. Don't hang them with everything else or leave them in your drawers. Fold them up and put them in a bin or separate them out at the back of the closet, whatever works for your space, but don't stress yourself out when you're trying to figure out what to wear in the morning with stuff that doesn't fit right now.

Re reselling, I've had good luck with Twice (thread on it here ) for mid-range brands: Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, that sort of thing. For true designer stuff, you might want to see if there's a high-end consignment store in your area, or else give eBay a try if you want the maximum amount back.

rachylou

Well, if it takes awhile, don't feel bad. I'm in my fourth year of such a clear out. Haha.

What am made of time? Lol. I give up on the idea of selling... It was definitely too overwhelming.

rute

Yes, purge!
I had the same problem, you need to discover your style, start by analyzing your wardrobe and think which items do you wear the most, which items you never wore.

lari

I second caro in oz opinion - start with the image/style you want to project and go from there. you might take a look at these great tips first: http://youlookfab.com/2014/06/.....tyle-tips/ then pick up the items you love and build the capsule wardrobe around them: http://youlookfab.com/2011/03/.....-for-less/
if your closets overwhelm you, buy a cheap ikea clothing rack and put your capsule selection there. live with it for a while. make daily pics. evaluate how you look and feel.
re: closets - work in sections, try stuff on, make pics and have a holding zone for items you not sure about. I donate everything (including expensive mistakes) but you might want to try consignment/ebay route.

halfpass

Thanks for all the tips!! I have been mulling this over for the last week or two and today I started. I have a MASSIVE pile if things to go to Goodwill. It was tempting to back down and make piles for eBay or consignment, but I decided I need a clean and quick break from these items. I am trying to look at each piece and decide "does this project the me that I want to be?". I just got a promotion,so the time is right to really tackle this. Not only is it a good time to upgrade my image, but I have some extra $$ to devote to this makeover. I really appreciate the support and will be seeking more guidance as I plan my fall/winter purchases.

congrats on your progress and good luck!!!

Gigi

Halfpass, congratulations on the promotion!

With regard to the donate pile, if you have midrange or higher-end stuff that is relatively new (past few years) and in excellent condition, you could try to sell it on consignment. It's not much work for you. You just make sure everything is cleaned and pressed and on hangers and take it to the consignment store, where they decide what they think they can sell. The consignment store usually splits the profit 50/50 or 40/60 with you. You just drop the clothes off, and you're done. No shipping, no dealing with customers, etc.

I like Gaylene's idea of putting together a small amount of outfits that make you feel really good. That way you will have stuff to wear and won't feel so much under the gun when you are shopping.

Congrats on the cull of items that don't work for you anymore. Regarding reselling, one option that's less time-consuming than listing items on ebay yourself is Twice - they send you a bag and you send them everything you want to sell. They only take certain brands but you can get a bit of cash back. Several of us here have had good luck with it.
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....ried-twice

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