After you Marie Kondo decluttering your wardrobe you likely need to refresh it a bit. These tips will help you refresh your wardrobe without adding new clutter.
Over the last several years I’ve wanted to put more into my appearance. I’m a housewife that works from home so it can be easy to end up in yoga pants and a t-shirt all day. And there is nothing wrong with that but studies have shown you feel better about yourself and are more productive if you put on real clothes, even when staying home.
One of my most popular blog posts is about ditching the leggings and trying out house dresses. It seems a lot of other people are also interested in looking more put together, even at home.
Now we are starting to getting close to a new season, it’s the perfect time to refreshing your wardrobe. Especially if you have been stuck in the yoga pants rut.
Refreshing Your Wardrobe After Marie Kondo Decluttering
Step 1- Declutter Your Wardrobe
Take all of your clothing and set it on your floor or bed. Use the KonMari method and look at every piece. Think about how it makes you feel. Try it on if you aren’t sure if you like it or it fits. In the words for Marie Kondo, “does it spark joy?”
If you don’t like how you feel in it, donate it. You want to feel good in your clothes. If you like a piece but aren’t sure if you will wear it, put it in your closet hanging backward. If at the end of the season you have any clothes left hanging backward, donate them.
Step 2- Make a List of What You Need
Make a list of things that are missing from your wardrobe for the upcoming season. Search Pinterest for a bit of inspiration. Don’t just buy pieces because they are trendy but if you really like the trend put it on your list.
Step 3- Create Your Budget
Decide on a budget. Figure out how much you want to spend on your refresh. If you have nicer pieces you are getting rid of consider trying to sell them and you can add that to your budget for new things.
Step 4- Buy Your New Wardrobe
This is the part I always dread, buying the clothes. I don’t like going clothes shopping. It stresses me out because I feel rushed and I often end up not fully thinking through if I like something.
I also tried the services where they send you clothes but I didn’t love that you have the styling fee because it made me feel like I really needed to keep something even if I didn’t like anything. I also felt like I didn’t have much time to think about it before I needed to send things back
What I have been doing instead is renting clothes. The idea sounded crazy to me at first. I had heard of renting formal clothing but not regular clothing.
I’ve done this off and on for years now and it makes all of these steps easier. You need to have less clothing so less to go through each season, you are picking new things all the time so other than maybe some basics you don’t need to make a list or buy anything.
It’s a great way to have more clothes without just creating more clutter. I think Marie Kondo would be happy with this solution!
How Does Clothing Rental Work?
There are a lot of different clothing rental services and you can check out my full clothing rental guide for a list of options and discounts. My personal favorites are Gwynnie Bee and Armoire.
While each service is a bit different the general idea is the same. You answer questions about your style and sizing and then fill a virtual closet with clothes you like. Each month (sometimes more often depending on the plan) you get a box filled with clothing to wear as long as you want.
You can keep pieces if you love them and send back what you don’t. The items are generally discounted a lot because they are usually gently used.
You don’t even have to wash the clothes, just put them in the pre-paid package and send back. I love doing this when going on a trip because I can skip a lot of the post-trip laundry. You can even take your pre-paid bag with you and mail them back while on your trip so you have more room in your bags to bring other things back.
If clothing rental sounds interesting to you, why not try one of my two favorite services? You can try Gwynnie Bee for great everyday clothing, including vintage-inspired dresses and get 50% off your first box plus a $10. Or try Armoire for great business casual, everyday, and date night clothing for $69 for your first month of 4 items at a time with unlimited swaps.
Want to talk with others about clothing rental? Join the Clothing Rental Services Reviews Facebook group.
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