A GUIDE TO CLEANSING YOUR CLOSET

This weekend I took on the dreaded task of cleansing my closet. It is something I have a love/hate relationship with but it always feels like a good time to do it when you're in between seasons changing. In Australia at the moment we are in late Autumn but in Queensland it hasn't really even reached jacket weather. 

I thought to give myself a little more structure to not only keep a method to the madness but also keep myself accountable I would publish a guide on how to tackle a closet crisis. 

Before beginning, get it all in front of you. I am talking bags, shoes, clothes it all and write off the next 3 hours. 

List why you like these items. How to they make you feel, how often can you where them? What shape/colour/fabric are they? This will help you define your personal style and what you should be demanding from the rest of your wardrobe. 

Mine currently are my Acne Leather Jacket, White Tee, Striped Midi Skirt, Polka dot dress, my pink mohair coat. I noticed that all these pieces I feel have a focus on cut and fit to my shape which in return means I find them extremely comfortable. This list also shows that my style is feminine with a slight edge, while being quite relaxed. 

Now that you know why you like your favourite pieces, define some questions that will help you put the rest of your items to the test. Do your pieces need to have a focus on trend or cut or comfort? Does the colour match in with other tones you wear? Can you wear it with at least 3 different outfits?

My closet questions are: Are you comfortable in it? Is the cut/fit flattering to you (if not, can it be altered)? Does it go with at least 3 different looks? If it's a top - Can it be worn with high waisted skirt or pants? Because let's be honest that is mainly what I wear. Does it make you feel either pretty, bad ass, festive or chill? (I normally dress for one of those 4 vibes). 

Take a step back after you have culled everything that didn't meet at least 75% of your requirements in Step Two. What are you left with? Look at how many tops, dresses, pants, skirts & outerwear you're left with. I am sure you're not sitting equal across the board. Write it down if you need to, this will help with the last two steps. 

My analysis is.. Tops: 10%, most of those are t-shirts. 50% Skirts, a lot of printed skirts. 2.5% Pants. 15% Dresses, mostly coloured dresses, 10% Knits and 12.5% Outerwear. 

If you never wear dresses, having a low dress percentage isn't going to be a worry. So look at your numbers for each and see if that is representative of what you wear. 

For me a 2.5% pants doesn't really bother me too much because let's be honest I don't like to wear pants that much. The area that is alarming me is my tops percentage. I have known this for a while but that's definitely something I need to work on. 

We all have our weaknesses when it comes to purchasing things we don't need. Define what those weaknesses are and what you certainly don't need any more of in your wardrobe. 

List of Things Jasmine Can't Buy: Printed or Bright Skirts, Blazers, Short Jackets, Bright Coloured Dresses or Heavy Chunky Knits.

Start with the area of your closet that you have identified as abnormally low. Also ask yourself in what situations you find it hard to choose something to wear. The combination of those two questions will help you fill the gaps in your closet. But don't forget to go back to Step Two and ask yourself those same questions when deciding on a new purchase. 

List of Things Jasmine Can Buy: 
Tops. I need to find styles of tops that are slightly dressier than T-Shirts that also go well with high waisted/fuller skirts or pants.

Lightweight Knits. Lightweight knits that can be tucked in or worn over high waisted bottoms, also good for layering.  

Lightweight trench. Because I feel like it is a staple that I am missing. Call me out in the comments if I am wrong. 

Single neutral toned skirt or dresses. Stick to white/black or nude tones to match back with the rest of my closet.

Shoes. Fun Fact - I hate shoes. I hate shoe shopping therefore I have hardly any shoes. I need to get over this. Please leave your favourite shoe suggestions in the comments. I need help. 

I would love to know what's on your no-buy list and what your closet has been missing below in the comments.
If you follow me on stories and you see me unboxing one of my no-buys you have to call me out haha. 

jasmine x