How To Build Your Perfect Wardrobe - Mar 29
In a world where fast fashion is a popular thing, you might find that you keep shopping non-stop but you never have anything to wear. Your wardrobe is probably full of so many items from previous attempts at being a different person and jumping on new fashion trends, I know mine was. Whether you're rebuilding your wardrobe from scratch, or revamping what already exists, this is the post for you. I'll warn you that its not a one day process but you'll get there eventually and I'm here to help you. Firstly, let's start with a few no-brainers for this new journey you're going on.
GET THE JUNK OUT
Take a deep breath and let go. You need to declutter and stop holding on to things that bring no use. If you havent worn it within the last year, you're most likely not going to wear it again. Me saying a year is pushing it but i'm trying to be generous. You will have one or two items that you wear once every 3 years that are useful for particular occasions, thats fine. Remember i said one or two, not thirty! Don't use this as an excuse. When i say junk, i don't mean garbage, so don't throw them in the bin. You can give it out to friends, family, charities, orphanages e.t.c as long as they're in good condition.
PREVENT JUNK FROM GOING IN
1. Do not impulse buy. Most of the time, you don't need something, you just want it at that point in time. Impulse buying is one of the quickest ways to fill your wardrobe with junk. You don't need to buy everything you see on social media.
2. Avoid shopping solely because there is a sale. This is something that had me by the jugular. In fact, I would shop solely because i believed i was saving money by buying at a discounted price. You end up just buying a bunch of things you don't really need.
3. If you're not 100% sure you're going to wear it within the next 1-4 months. Do not buy it. This is one thing that has definitely helped me. In the past, I would buy items i possibly saw myself wearing. It's safe to say many of them were never worn and i ended up giving them away.
LET'S BUILD
Theres no one size fits all wardrobe to suit everyone. We all have different lifestyles so what's in my wardrobe won't necessarily satisfy someone with a different lifestyle from mine. I start by coming up with a list of all the places I'm likely to visit and events i'm likely to attend. I live in Lagos, Nigeria with hot weather all year. If you live in a country with mixed climates, you'll need to take this into consideration. Feel free to add or remove from this list as it applies to you.
Home
Work/Office
Dinner
Brunch/Lunch
Drinks/Night out
Corporate events
Weddings
Funerals
Gym
If you're buying an item that doesn't fit well into any of the places on your list, what are you using it for? Now that you know all the places you can possibly go, It's time to shop for each. You need to consider how much time you spend at your listed places and this will help you determine how much you need to buy for each category. Before you get carried away, you're aiming to have an absolute maximum of 150 pieces in your cupboard and this should include every single item. Maybe not shoes and bags. I'm sorry but i havent reached that level of maturity yet, i can never have too many shoes and bags. Remember my tips in "prevent junk from going in" above. They'll help when deciding what to buy.
Lastly, please don't be hesitant to repeat your outfits, they're not meant to be worn once. Make sure you get value out of your clothes based on how much you spent on them.