I Hate Everything In My Wardrobe

...so let's do something about it (and make 19 really great outfits)

You know those moments when you look at everything hanging up in your wardrobe and hate it all? Yeah, that. Since I got back from my New York trips, I’ve just had no idea what to wear. I’ve felt that itch to scrap it all and start again, which is MADNESS because I bloody love all that stuff!!! I’ve spent years meticulously collecting and curating a closet that I feel proud of. It’s down to a combination of seasonal change, overwhelm and just not really knowing where to start that’s left me feeling a little all over the shop style-wise. So I set some time aside to try out four different experiments to help me fall in love again, and well, SPOILER - it worked like a dream…

STEP ONE: TIDY-UP

All my ‘feeling stuck style-wise’ posts start like this, but that’s because a wardrobe that’s untidy or disorganised can sometimes be the main source of overwhelm. Maybe you just need to refold your knitwear? Sometimes, it can be as simple as that!! I know when I have a load of ironing backing up and stacks of washing to put away, it can all feel a bit grim, but I always feel better for having a tidy-up in there.

When I got back from being away, I felt like there was just too much going on, so I tried to separate my wardrobe into three sections: a mini capsule to work from, in-season clothing that was on the sub’s bench and then out of season clothing (which I generally keep on the rails on the right-hand side). When I couldn’t find a coat the other day and panicked that I’d lost it, I realised it wasn’t working. Right now, I want to have everything useable on one rack and easy to spot, even if it does show that I have a bit of a problem with crew-neck cashmere…

The before…

& the after. It’s subtle, but everything is grouped together in a more organised way.

STEP TWO: CHANGE ONE THING

I’ve seen both Allison and Reva talk about this, but the idea is that you begin with an outfit that you like - perhaps one you’ve worn recently, or a uniform that you go back to time and time again? Just something that you feel great in. You start there. Then for the next outfit you switch one thing - I just swapped the bag. Then you do the same thing again - this time round I changed the trench for an oversized leather jacket. The whole idea builds and you end up in something completely different to what you started in, but have created multiple outfits along the way. In just seven moves I’d created eight outfits and the mental load of creating each one was small. All I had to do was think about changing one thing! A great low effort, big reward styling exercise, especially if you’re not really feeling in the mood. If you do one thing that I suggest in this post - make it this!!!

Where I started & where I ended up - follow the arrows!

STEP THREE: GO BACK IN *YOUR* TIME MACHINE

Sometimes the best place for outfit inspiration is your own personal camera roll. All those pictures you took last October, November time? Take a scroll through!! Is there anything that stands out to you as a must-repeat? Or are there outfits that you like the look of where there is something you’d like to tweak? Screengrab them and recreate them IMMEDIATELY. The best bit is that it’s most likely still all hanging in your wardrobe…

The trench was sadly a loan from a previous job, so I wore the same base layer and paired it with my Toteme Trench* instead.

I’ve since sold the suede shirt on the left as it was too tight under the armpits, so I remixed the outfit with my Reformation Cardigan*. I took out the belt as it felt too much and I preferred a less matchy matchy bag moment this year - instead I’m wearing my Madewell Tote*.

I switched up the denim, shoes and added a bag. I've had my AGOLDE jeans* altered to be without the turn-up (for now - the fabric is still there if I ever want to put it back in). Just a good casual outfit formula for me.

Every single thing about this outfit is the same. No notes! I loved it then and I love it now!

STEP FOUR: DIG INTO YOUR INSPIRATION POOL

This is usually my first port of call when it comes to feeling a bit out of sorts in my wardrobe. I’ll go on a Pinterest-spree in search of some recipes, then see what I can cobble together using the ingredients from my own wardrobe. It’s never exactly the same and that’s not really the point anyway. The idea is to be inspired by formulas, shapes or colours - sometimes even just the vibe of an outfit. It’s however you interpret it, a springboard for your own ideas - there’s no wrong answers here! I actually liked doing this exercise last because it felt like I’d warmed up properly. This is the styling tool that for me takes the most effort and brain power, so it was a nice idea to work up to it. Here are a few looks that I put together thanks to the helping hand of my screenshots folder…

I LOVE Mahshid’s YouTube channel and she has such a knack for layering. I’d never think to do a suede jacket over a denim one, but it was surprisingly comfortable thanks to my roomy vintage number.

The next few I found on Pinterest so don’t have the source for sadly (if you know who anyone is please do tag them and I can add in their @’s!). This simple base outfit is a great pairing for my Toteme car coat* that I picked up in the sale.

From that outfit I made two more. The first by adding back on my trench, swapping my jeans and pairing them with my leopard print shoes. Then for the second one I went back to my car coat and tried them on with my SUPER comfy DONNI trousers*.

I really liked the colour combination here, and actually it worked well with my burgundy wool coat*.

Inspired by Looks by Loosh - I added in a my brown suede tote*, but then wanted to try it with my leopard print flats* too.

THE END RESULT

18 looks (plus one that didn’t fit into my collage!)

Well, would you look at that? Even if I just cycled through each of these outfits three-ish times I’d be sorted for the season. I found this a really enjoyable process, too. It’s almost like each stage built on the previous one, so you were never jumping in at the deep end. A steady pace wins the race and all that. Step number two - just swapping one thing - felt like such a GAME-CHANGER. Perfect for lazy, can’t be bothered days. It’s a method that I will 100% be doing again. And you know what? It worked. I’m back in love with my wardrobe.

Like what you see here? Please do restack, share and subscribe if you haven’t already. I talk all things personal style here ALL THE DARN TIME! I post a Weekly Wishlist every Friday that’s a style smorgasboard full of my top shopping picks, tips, tricks and screenshots of the week. Then every Sunday I drop a Wardrobe Diary that’s packed with outfit formulas for you to try. Come join - I’d love to have you!

Anna x