DO A WARDROBE DE-TOX

And get clarity and flow back into your life

Now you know what to wear to look your best you need to attack the wardrobe – not for nothing does Nicky Hambleton-Jones call it a Wardrobe Warrior session. Be ruthless and really analyse your clothes. If they don’t fit the rules and don’t make you look and feel great they either have to be altered or binned.

Do you love your clothes or just wear them?

William Morris once said that he allowed in his house only items that he either knew to be useful or believed to be beautiful.

This applies to clothes too. If it doesn’t fit, you haven’t worn it for a year or it makes your energy plummet every time you see it in your wardrobe, I’m sorry, but it has to go. The new, stylish you can’t emerge if you are still wearing that old coat or top, just because it cost a lot, your mother-in-law knitted it or it has some other way of making you feel guilty. Guilt is not attractive – give it away to someone who will truly appreciate it and move on. I have regular culls of my clothes, at least three times a year. I rarely regret throwing something out for more than a few hours!

But before you throw out everything, be creative. Would the jacket you wear with the suit look better with different trousers? Could a belt, bag or scarf transform a tired outfit and bring it back to trendy life? As Duke Ellington said,

   “It don’t mean a thing if it aint got that swing…”

So be playful when putting your clothes together in different ways, have fun. A complete wardrobe re-vamp with a professional can take about three to five hours. On your own it won’t be any quicker and is a lot less fun. Try setting aside an hour each evening to make it more manageable. Once you have decided what to throw out, go do it. Get it out of the house and out of your life before you are tempted to sneak something back. A stylist will often take the bag of discarded clothes with her to ensure the can be no backsliding! While you are doing this remember to throw out all the wire hangers – every single one.

Your clothes should reflect you – your authentic style. If you aren’t sure what that is any more then look in magazines and cut out pictures of clothes you like. Analyse what it is that you like about them. Are there any celebrities whose style you admire? Collect pictures of them and see if you can adapt what they wear to your shape. Make a seasonal style board to set your subconscious mind looking for opportunities to find similar items within your budget. As you buy a piece or change your mind, simply stick another picture over it.

Finally, once you have weeded out the unflattering items in your collection take a close look at the remaining items.

How well do you care for your clothes?

Can you go to your wardrobe every morning and pick out anything and guarantee that it is clean, ironed, in good repair and ready to wear?

How do you arrange your clothes in your wardrobe? (I can hear some asking – arrange? No I shove things in anywhere.) It is important that when you open your wardrobe you are inspired, it makes it so much easier to pick an outfit, so arrange them by colour, group them into skirts, tops etc, or any way you choose that works for you.

You may not have as many clothes now, but you know that you look great in every outfit and feel inspired every time you open your wardrobe and see the rail of neatly arranged, clean tidy clothes ready to be worn. Liberating isn’t it?

If you would like to have a proper Wardrobe Detox carried out by an expert then contact Sue Courtney at sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk for details.

Alternatively go to www.successandimagecoach.co.uk
For your FREE copy of my book "The Ultimate Guide to Personal Rebranding for Professional Females Climbing the Corporate Ladder" go to www.freepersonalrebrandingbook.co.uk - it really is FREE and is going out to 16 countries worldwide!

Copyright © 2012, Sue Courtney – Success & Image Ltd. All rights reserved.