A working wardrobe

"The only real elegance is in the mind; if you’ve got that, the rest really comes from it" Diana Vreeland

In honour of Her Majesty's Jubilee, I am taking today's tip from her maj herself and recycling my outfits and making my wardrobe work for me.

Frugal tip number four - make a classic wardrobe work for you.

I am an impulse shopper - I must have what is new and fabulous and in fashion. My wardrobe is full of lovely bit's and pieces - yet hardly any of them match, some cannot be worn because they need to be altered and some are horrible examples of fashion fads. I also have a penchant to buy my clothes a size or more smaller than I am. Reasoning for this?

1. I am going to lose weight (and have been 'going' to lose weight for over 20 years) and

2. I would have to admit to he size that I really am (I'd rather pretend that I am not!)

My wardrobe is therefore full of lovely bit's and pieces that neither match, nor do they fit. This needs to change. As I have given up dieting for now (future frugal tip alert), I need to accept my current weight and shop accordingly for it. 

As a frugal fashionista my re-newed wardrobe must work for me:

- All items must fit

- All pieces must be interchangeable with other wardrobe items

- All pieces must be ready to wear now (clean, ironed, repaired and taken up!) 

I began by emptying my wardrobe, my drawers and hidey spots (under the bed for odd shoes!) and dividing my clothes and accessories into 4 piles:

1. Clothes to keep (those that fit the categories above)

2. Clothes to clean or repair  

3. Clothes to sell, exchange or give away

4. Clothes to throw out.

It's very cathartic cleaning out the closets and seeing the wonderful empty spaces, I hardly wanted to put anything back in. I am going to sell some of the newer clothes, working with frugal tip number 3 - sell, sell, sell. After sorting and shifting the clothes that work, I then take to arranging and find with a very basic wardrobe I can come up with 10 different outfits not including underwear, 2 winter coats, 3 pairs of pj's and an old 'trackie' to wear around the house. Not exactly a Queen's choice but pretty grand for me! And everything fits and works together. I feel like I have scored - big time. Never again will I say I have nothing to wear. I also realise I don't need to buy any more clothes for this year - I have plenty.

Unless I lose 15kg.

Or win the lotto.

(Both have the same odds of occurring...buckleys and none)