It is a truth universally acknowledged that all girls of a certain age must be in want of Carrie Bradshaw’s closet! We can all picture the scene. Row upon row of slick, backlit shelving, Mr. Big down on one knee…I digress but you get the picture right? As we’re hurtling rapidly into a new season I decided now would be the perfect time to have a bash at the fantasy closet! But first, a wardrobe detox of epic proportions was required! (N.b I have to apologise for the lack of ‘before’ pictures…my pride simply wouldn’t allow you to see the complete and utter carnage that had descended ‘pre-detoxification)!
Aspirations vs Reality
So we’ve established that the dream is ‘heaven on 5th’…what’s the reality? Well, it’s not too shabby if I’m honest. I’ve mentioned before that our current home was a complete doer upper (Interiors Inspiration – Six Instagram Account You Really Need To Follow) so we did have the opportunity to at least make an attempt on the wardrobe fantasy. When we bought this house we were ‘sans child’ so very happy to make the four-bed terrace into a three bed to suit our requirements and, to be honest, I’m still 100% happy with the decision we made regardless of the fact that we are rapidly running out of space now we are three! The space we gained by knocking two bedrooms together meant that we were able to create a large master bedroom with ‘walk-in wardrobe’. The idea came from Mr.R (for which I am reminded daily) who had it custom finished to our specifications. It is a thing of beauty, all white with dark wood trim. When it came to dividing up the storage space between the two of us, I, ahem, may have come off slightly better. I have three rails and three drawers to his one and eight shelves to his four but still, as I fear may always be the case, space continues to be an issue. It seems that however large the space you acquire, somehow or other you always manage to fill it.
Wardrobe Detox In Progress
I am a woman of two halves. Half sleek and minimal, the other chaotic and a little out of control! I badly want to be one of those women who can wear head to toe white without accessorising the look with smudgy handprints, milk or bogeys! More importantly, I would like to be able to look at my wardrobe and have the ability to pull a look together with all my accessories close to hand rather than tripping over discarded boots and boxes -I’ve come to the point where I can no longer live in sartorial chaos…project Carrie Bradshaw has commenced! My first step was a wardrobe detox. So, like any good Marie Kondo student (The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying
- Divide into three piles – keep | store | discard
- Take the discard pile and divide again – friends & family | charity | sell
- Make sure you have a stash of storage tubs (these are great) and put away your seasonal items (in this case, summer dresses, sandals, and hats)
- Clean your wardrobe space – it is quite literally unbelievable how much dust and dirt builds up in the bedroom and around the wardrobe in particular – grim!
- Assess your keep pile for anything that needs to be cleaned/de bobbled/re-heeled etc and put away. (I always use the Narrow Black Flocked Coat Hangers
– non-slip and great when you’re short of space)!
– non-slip and great when you’re short of space)!Now, the whole wardrobe detox process may seem simple and straightforward but let me tell you…it’s not. For instance, the weather in this country is nothing if not changeable. What happens if I do the switcheroo and then next week there’s a heatwave (unlikely yes, unheard of, no) and some items definitely blur the lines between seasons so it’s not always as clear-cut as the Virgo in me would appreciate. I find it’s best not to put too much pressure on yourself at this stage and simply go with your gut feeling of what you will and won’t wear going forward.
You Can Never Have Enough Storage
As I’ve said my major problem is that if you give me a space, I’ll fill it. I’m not sure there’s such a thing as too much space – there’s definitely no such thing as too much storage! With that in mind, I set myself the challenge of creating a workable wardrobe space with lots of storage while keeping my ‘Carrie Brashaw’ fantasy clearly in focus! A quick trip to B&Q later and I was the proud owner of five sets of storage cubes in which I intend to display scarves, shoes, and bags – the theory being that not only will it look aesthetically pleasing but it will also keep everything within reach making it easier to see what I have and therefore make styling a breeze!
It’s no exaggeration when I say I’m in LOVE with my new look wardrobe. I literally get a little tingle of excitement every time I step in there. In fact, I think I may make it my designated space to retreat for a glass of fizz and some quality time with my latest cheesy romance – no really! Next up on the makeover schedule is my dressing table which is in serious need of a Pinterest worthy overhaul. A new mirror and makeup storage are definitely required and I promise as and when this happens, I will do my best to put my pride to one side and do some before and after photos for your entertainment! Do you have any tips and trips for detoxing your wardrobe? How do you organise your storage space?
*update* I’ve just had my first experience of getting ready in my new and improved wardrobe and I can confirm that it has been nothing short of revolutionary! 100% worth the blood, sweat, and tears! My advice would be…streamline, clean and display – there is nothing more luxurious than having the convenience of everything at hand, ready to rock & roll!
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Jessica Rhoades 