5 Tips For Building A Working Wardrobe

I recently spent a good amount of time cleaning out my closet (which is honestly something that needs to be done regularly), but after years of being incredibly conscious of the clothes that I own, buy, and actually end up wearing… I’m at a place where I don’t feel overwhelmed and I’m comfortable with the amount of pieces that I own. Today I wanted to share a few tips that have helped me get to that point in case you too, have found yourself with a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear.

1. Give Everything A Home. This is really important. Everything I own has a place to live – and enough room to breathe. I don’t have clothes jammed into drawers or shoved into my closet. Every dress has a hanger, every tank has a spot in a drawer, and every shoe, sandal, and purse has a place to sit. Not overloading my closet or dresser has been key. That way, if I buy new items, I always have room for them.

2. Purge Regularly. I hate a love/hate relationship with closet cleaning. It can be overwhelming, but it’s really not that bad once you get your space to a good point (and everything has a home)! 😉 I do this multiple times a year – at least twice with the change of the seasons. I take inventory, toss damaged items and donate unworn, tired, or dated pieces. This leaves room for new pieces and keeps me from having a closet full of things I don’t care to wear.

3. Challenge Yourself. I began my What I Wore This Week series years ago to help me spice up my style and get creative. In turn, it forced me to wear more of my forgotten clothes and fall in love with some old pieces all over again. I like to blog my weekly looks, but you can snap a daily OOTD picture just for yourself or share it on IG for accountability. It helps a TON when getting dressed in the morning, it makes you feel like you’re actually wearing your clothes, and when it comes time to purge… you’ll know what needs to go.

4. Be Smart With Storage. I try to avoid storing anything to be honest, the idea of having a ton of boxes sitting in your home that you may or may not ever go through stresses me out. However, we don’t all have a lot of space. We have a pretty small home and when it comes to closet space – my husband and I each have enough room, but not a ton. I have no choice but to pack up my winter sweaters, dresses, and boots in the Spring and I’m OK with that. I have one large storage box that I use when I swap my closet over for the season…and it’s perfect. I’m able to fit both Winter items and Summer items in the box and only have to make the trip to the basement twice a year. It’s a system that works for me!

5. Don’t Assign Too Much Sentiment. This may be challenging for some (it can be challenging for me), but I try not to give too much sentimental meaning to my clothes. Of course there will always be special items that you could never imagine parting with, but for others…don’t be afraid to let go. For example, I saved the dress that I wore on my first date with my husband and I wore it last year on our one year anniversary! Unfortunately, it doesn’t fit the best anymore and I think it’s shrunk a little, so it’s almost time to part with it. I have the memories (and a few photos) so keeping a dress that doesn’t fit me doesn’t make much sense. Be realistic about what you’re saving and why… know that it’s OK to part with things.

Those are just 5 of my tips for maintaining a working wardrobe; a wardrobe full of clothes that you want to (and do) wear! A wardrobe that’s not overwhelming. A wardrobe that’s versatile. A wardrobe that works for you. I definitely have some more to share on the subject, let me know if you’d be interested in a part two. And if you have any suggestions of your own, I encourage you to share them in the comments!

XOXO