A Warm Welcome…..πŸ‚πŸπŸŽƒ

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…..to “Autumn” or “Fall”, depending on which side of the Atlantic ocean you live on.Β Β Going into a new season is a great time to review what we are going to wear in the months ahead.Β  I’ll confess, I haven’t had any kind of order in my wardrobe for a while. It’s messy and chaotic so, this is the time!…..the details of which I’ll explain later.Β  At this time of year, there is that chance of the weather being unseasonably warm. Hence, I tend to steer clear of thick woollens – unless it’s a cardigan or shawl – layers are a much safer bet. Think, of sitting next to a roaring fire in the pub and the need to cool down, quickly!

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My retro dress (Zara) bought in the Boxing day sales (2021).

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In today’s post, I thought I would share with you what I have been wearing, lately, in this transitional period along with making room for items worthy of my very “limited storage space”.Β  Our son is between houses so has moved in with us until all is sorted. So, wardrobe space is at a premium.

As well as showing you my “retro” dress I have purchased some support vests in black and white (pack of two).Β  I avoid wearing bras if I possibly can, I have always found them so uncomfortable – I think these vests give good support, so they’re a great alternative.Β  I came across this quote, which I love :

Β “I’m not wearing a bra, anymore, I don’t care if my breasts reach my belly button.”Β 

Gillian Anderson (I kinda agree!)

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IMG 0958 Midlife and Beyond IMG 0964 Midlife and BeyondBut, first of all, to create order and “to see the wood from the trees”, regarding my wardrobe space, I have been having a β€œde-clutter”. I will share the process I have been following with you. Hopefully, you will find it useful.Β 

923FE796 07B0 4FBC 86C2 A8269B586CB2 Midlife and BeyondTo get started, I find it helps if I am in the right frame of mind. It’s so important because getting started can be a pain and, in truth, it is something I tend to put off. So, once the motivation is there, it makes the goal more attainable. ED5D33B7 7E0D 44DA 9488 08E0E65E5F68 Midlife and Beyond

I usually take myself a nice coffee or drink of something with me as this is not a five-minute job. I also either listen to something like a podcast or the radio, for company.
I then decide where I am going to store the sorted items to avoid piles of clothes lying around the house for everyone to trip over.

905506BA D283 4CAD A183 899F8079D454 Midlife and BeyondI have bought three plastic storage boxes for my three categories which are: Keep, Sell and Charity Shop.Β Β 

964AA510 F630 449F BD6D 595DD8360BD9 Midlife and BeyondWhen the Charity Shop box is empty, I will store my summer clothing in there instead of it taking up much needed wardrobe space – packed away until next year.

Next Step

Everyone approaches this differently. Some people tackle β€œthe sort” by gathering every article of clothing and putting it all together in one place. I can imagine this would be an eye-opening or an eye watering experience!Β 

I like to tackle it “bit by bit”. I slowly go through my shelves and wardrobe. Doing it this way, I can see my progress – which makes me feel good in a methodical way.Β 

IMG 4681 Midlife and BeyondWhich items to part with.

As you are decluttering your wardrobe, notice and pay attention to your immediate reaction to each item. Trust your gut, and if you are sure you will never want to wear that item, again, then put it in the Charity Shop box, or sell it!! Β 

Here are some questions I ask myself when deciding whether to part with an item:

* am I going to wear it, anymore?

* is it inferior quality?

* does it fit me well?

* is it damaged, stained, needing repair or lost its shape?

* do I feel good in the item?

* is it comfortable? and, finally

* do the colour and style flatter me?

Use a β€œMaybe” Box

Now, this is going against some of my β€œbeing ruthless” advice but this β€œmaybe” box is a great tool to use. It will save any mistakes of parting with things you may later regret. I have done this myself and, to this day, I still miss that delicately sequinned top from” Kookai”! It’s a safety net!

IMG 4658 Midlife and BeyondIf you want to ruthlessly de-clutter your wardrobe, get rid of any clothes that don’t work for your current lifestyle. For example, the clothes I needed for my past β€œcorporate, office” lifestyle don’t work for me, now. So, if your circumstances have changed, get rid – especially if you are certain you will never have the need to wear them, again.Β 

IMG 4671 Midlife and BeyondTry a “Capsule Wardrobe”.

This is a great way to simplify your wardrobe space. A capsule wardrobe is a selection of clothes that you can mix and match together to create a variety of outfits with a limited number of clothes, and this can work whatever your lifestyle is.Β 

Use this as an experiment for a little while, dressing with fewer clothes (mixing and matching) to see how it works for you, while considering your preferences. After using a capsule wardrobe, you may become more ruthless when de-cluttering your main wardrobe because you have experienced (and hopefully enjoyed!) how freeing a smaller wardrobe can be.Β Β 

An example of this is when I have stumbled across a few different coloured jumpers and skirts which will be great for autumn/winter. The style is current, and I am quite excited to wear them. The trick is to keep all items which make us feel good when we are wearing them.

IMG 4690 Midlife and BeyondDe-clutter your wardrobe, often.

I am trying to do a de-clutter more often as I will be more willing and able to let go of a little bit more, each time. I confess to being a β€œhoarder” so a regular de-clutter is a steady process of learning for me. I know that having a smaller, simplified wardrobe has benefits and makes life easier. Also, I am realizing I do not miss the clothes which have been taking up so much space. And, I also have my old favourites such as cashmere sweaters, leather jackets and jeans which come out at this time, every year. They are my investment pieces which I love and won’t part with as I know I would regret it.

IMG 4688 Midlife and BeyondAnd, finally….

De-cluttering clothes can be challenging work. But, with a few tips, tricks and tools, it can be made easier – which certainly helps, then, I can enjoy a simple and streamlined wardrobe.

During this last de-clutter, I love the fact that I have discovered things I had completely forgotten about. And, to be fiscally savvy, I have started selling my unwanted items on the likes of eBay, Depop and Vinted. EBay sometimes has 80% off fees. I managed to get some items on there, this weekend, but I underestimated how long it takes to photograph and upload images, and to write up the ads etc. Hence, I am still advertising items. It can be laborious but worth it to sell unwanted belongings.

In today’s post, I’m sharing with you the outfits I have been wearing, lately, as we go from one season to the next. I bought this Zara dress in the Boxing Day sales, and I’ve waited for the weather to cool before I start to wear it. I love the relaxed style and shall be wearing it, a lot! The other outfits are a black midi skirt (Zara) from my working days which I had completely forgotten about. I bought a pack of 2 secret support vests black/whiteΒ (Marks and Spencer’s). I have styled them with some of my favourite shirts.

IMG 4603 Midlife and BeyondDo you struggle to de-clutter your clothes? If you have any questions or tips for selling online let me know in the comments.

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I hope you have enjoyed my post which may contain affiliate links. If you click through to the product, there is no cost to you. The small commission I may earn helps me with the costs of running my blog.Β 

Alison xx

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19 Comments

  1. /

    Great post! I do declutter just about every month and have given away a ton to Charity. This year I have been sending items to my homeland. Happy October. . .

    • Thank you, Neti. You sound a lot more organised than I am, but I intend to revisit often as everything is so orderly now.

  2. Great tips! For me, once I’ve gone through everything so it’s organized and neat, the key is keeping on top of it so it doesn’t devolve into chaos again. Love the outfit you put together with your old work skirt! It’s so satisfying to repurpose an item like this.

    • Thank you, Sally. I agree, I fully intend to revisit every few months as the chaos can creep back in very easily.

  3. These are really great tips and questions to ask yourself during the clean out process. I think you have gotten it down to a science! Good luck with your sorting!

    • Thank you Laura. I have order at last! It’s keeping on top of it now though. Have a fab weekend.

  4. I declutter my closet quite often and as I switch part of my closet over to add some layers for autumn I decided to be a bit more ruthless than I usually am. I have counted some items and realized how much I have and how I don’t wear certain things I am hanging onto. So donate I did. I would like to spend less on clothes and I know I have lots to wear that is cute and I enjoye wearing so hoping it helps me curb that shopping craving I sometimes get. And giving myself the purpose of saving for vacation is a great goal.
    http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com

    • I need to keep this habit of decluttering going. I’ve found items that I used to wear a lot, then, since losing a bit weight they fit me again which is great. As well as donating things to the charity shops, I’ve also sold a few things on eBay, which I’m enjoying doing as well as making a little bit cash, in fact I have just sold a jacket which is great. I still love buying the odd update, but I’m definitely choosing more carefully now.

  5. I’m actually pretty good at decluttering, and often give pieces away to my friends. Although, I’m holding on to a lot more at the moment because we’re about to build our new home where I will have my very own walk in wardrobe! I can’t wait!
    I LOVE that Zara dress on you. I actually tried it on myself some time ago (I knew I recognised it) but I just didn’t feel right in it. I think the dress wore me, if you know what I mean? You look gorgeous!
    Hugs
    Suzy xx

    • Aah one day I may have my own walk in wardrobe, but alas with my son moving back into the family home it won’t happen any time soon. I loved the style of this dress so much I have another one with a different print, so easy to wear. I hope your new home build is going smoothly, sounds very exciting.xx

  6. I’ve just had a declutter of my wardrobe as we leave winter behind. I have a big chest I use for my seasonal rotations. I sort out those things I no longer wear to give to charity and those I want to keep. Staying roughly the same size for years means I can usually fit into things I’ve had for ages but often I need to say goodbye to them! Love the colours in your Zara dress and the easy style.

    • I’m trying to keep the β€œdeclutter” routine going. I’ve come across items which fit me so much better now, though like yourself some of the items are worn or tired and need to go. Hav a great weekend.

  7. I love the Zara dress, the print is fabulous! I really need to have a declutter, I have piles of clothes everywhere. I need to be ruthless with all the pencil skirts that I no longer wear because my style has evolved. I’m sure I’ll keep a few but there are lots that I could sell/donate. I agree that listing on eBay is laborious. I’ve had limited success selling on that platform, I may try Vinted instead. Thanks for linking up!

    Emma xxx
    http://www.style-splash.com

    • I need to keep the habit of sorting out my clothes going. I can see what I have so much more clearly and I agree with you regarding
      eBay. I’ve had limited success on there too, so, may try the other selling sites in the new year. Though sometimes I end up not making
      much profit at all and wonder if it’s really worth it. Merry Christmas to you Emma. x

  8. /

    I enjoyed this post!! I am a big fan of decluttering. I have decluttering my closet on my list right now! I really like your method, and I tend to break things down and do smaller portions at a time too because otherwise I can get pretty overwhelmed and not even want to go any further, haha.

    I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week! πŸ™‚

    Make Life Marvelous

    • I agree Ashley, it’s difficult to keep the process of sorting up, but I can see what I have so much more clearly. So will try my best as one season comes to
      an end and another begins. Merry Christmas!

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