Weeeeellll that’s not entirely true, but if you follow me over on Instagram or Facebook you’ll know I’ve had several HUGE clearouts of my wardrobe so far this year. And I think it would be pretty close to at least 1/3 of my wardrobe gone so far (and probably more to go, to be honest!)

But why? What has sparked this mass clear-out you ask?

The answer is pretty simple really. I was getting overwhelmed with choices.

I started to get overwhelmed by the state of my wardrobe – too much of a good thing can be real!

See? I’m not unlike you. Sometimes I look at my wardrobe and don’t know where to start. My problem is though I pretty much LOVE everything I own – which makes it hard to say goodbye to things!

Part of my job as a personal stylist is to help people understand their unique style, through what I call your Style Foundations. So basically what that means is, you know what colours you like, what shapes work best on your body, and what actual styles of clothes you like wearing (ie. classic, structured, bold, feminine, etc). We then USE these foundations as filters when we do a wardrobe audit. So if items of clothing in my client’s wardrobe don’t meet those standards, they are gone!

Over the years, I’ve worked really hard to work on my style foundations, so what that means is that I’m usually pretty good at buying things that I really love, that suit my shape, and that really match my unique style. But what that also means is that it’s harder to use those guidelines to move things on too, because most of my clothes MEET those three criteria haha! Hence FULLLLLL wardrobe.

So back to the start of this year, and too many clothes – I know it sounds like a “terrible” problem to have, too many awesome clothes, but any sort of overwhelm can start to create anxiety and I was starting to feel stressed about having to get dressed every day (sound familiar?). I wanted to be able to really enjoy the clothes I already had, and to some extent, break the cycle of always wanting to add more new and shiny.

I got ruthless, I mean RUTHLESS! This is what I did, my guidelines for really clearing out what wasn’t serving me 100% anymore, hopefully, some of these can help you too:

1. I set a REALLY specific timeframe

Now I usually get my clients to do this, pick a time frame that they haven’t worn their everyday clothes for – it might be one year, it might be 5 – it’s up to the individual.

I used COVID lockdowns as my timeframe. I got pregnant and had a baby during lockdowns, but that was 3 years ago now. We’ve had plenty of winters (and the occasional summer) since then, so anything that hasn’t been worn in the timeframe SINCE COVID automatically went onto the “to be sold” pile. Simple as that.

2. I tried clothes on.

Now I usually just do a quick flick through my racks when I’m doing a bit of a wardrobe cull, ‘yes, yes, no, maybe’ but this time, I pulled out things that I paused on and put them in a pile to TRY. Holy cow it made such a difference!

I had a beautiful dress that had embroidered flamingoes on it. It was so pretty to look at in my wardrobe, a real wow piece. One that I always thought I’d keep forever because it was so beautiful to look at… but when I tried it on, it didn’t fit right anymore. Well, didn’t that make the decision easier? I was never going to wear it again because it simply didn’t fit. Byyyyyyye!

On the flip side, I had a few things in my “possibly to go” pile that when I tried back on, I realised how much I did enjoy wearing them, and made a promise to them (and to myself) to bring them back into circulation (what, you don’t talk to your clothes? I thought everyone did… just me then. Ok)

3. Did the item match my Style Personality anymore?

Everyone’s style evolves. It’s one of the biggest places my personal styling clients get stuck. They haven’t taken the time to re-assess their own sense of style, and all of a sudden, they don’t even know what it is anymore. So I had a long hard think about my own sense of style, and what I wanted it to look like.

What that meant was that some of the pieces that I loved and that had served me loyally for years had to go. They just didn’t match who I wanted to be anymore. For example, even though one of my Style Personality words is feminine, I don’t really love floral prints – they feel a little too girly for my style. I had a few gorgeous pieces that just didn’t fit with my evolving idea of what feminine is to me. So they went.

actual footage of me deciding if I’m still in love with my glitter trainers… the answer, of course, is yes!

So what am I doing differently this year to stop the overwhelm from coming back? Great question! There are a few little things I’m doing differently, and here they are.

1. I’m buying less, but better quality.

I love supporting local NZ brands, and I can appreciate the time and effort that goes into designing a range (especially after designed my collab collection with Harrie and Sam last year). I want to not only support local businesses more, but also invest in pieces that I REALLY love, and that will stand the test of time. So I’m trying to buy less but buy better.

2. I’m making an effort to dress up and wear something different every day.

I know that sounds like a no-brainer, but I tend to become a repeat offender. If I love an outfit, I’ll wear it on repeat until I get sick of it! This might work if your Mark Zuckerberg (who famously wears the same thing to work every day) but if you’re a personal stylist that loves print and colour, that doesn’t make the most of what I’ve got.

So I’m making a concerted effort to put on something I love every morning, regardless of what I’m doing. In fact, as I sit here working from home writing this blog, I’m wearing a cute matching top and skirt from Flo & Frankie, that I recently bought, not saving it for an occasion, just wearing it because it’s pretty.

They are just two changes I’m making to MY wardrobe this year, with the hope to really BUY less and WEAR more.

Are you with me? Are you staring at a wardrobe full of clothes and feeling constantly overwhelmed with what to wear? Let me know in the comments below

P.S. Are you ready to step into your style with confidence?….here are 3 ways I can help you to get started :

1. book a FREE 30 minute style consultation to chat about how I can help you elevate your everyday style – BOOK HERE

2. Join The Style Circle – my monthly styling membership and get an all access pass to me – JOIN HERE

3. Ready to work with me? This is your official invitation to work with me this year. To step into your style with confidence CLICK HERE