Spring clean your wardrobe!

A cohesive, flexible and functional wardrobe that fills you with joy every time you get dressed. It’s the dream, isn’t it, but so few of us are living it, and getting there can feel like a Herculean task. Which pieces do you need, and what should you get rid of?

And with the start of a new season coming very soon, it’s the perfect time to assess your wardrobe, clearing out the old and making space for a few carefully thought through additions.

And the best bit? We’re here to help you, with our tried and tested technique for creating a wardrobe you love - because having a wardrobe that fills you with joy is the core of true style confidence.

Simply follow the steps below, and get ready to enjoy the wardrobe of your dreams! Although we recommend following the full process through eventually, feel free to break the process down and do only one step at a time, taking as long as you need to feel comfortable and confident in your decisions before you move on.

Know your colours

It might seem strange not to start with the usual ‘declutter your wardrobe’, but we believe in knowing what’s right before you start discarding or adding anything to your wardrobe. And since the right colour palette can boost your confidence and make your wardrobe infinitely more versatile, it’s a vital first step in creating the wardrobe of your dreams.

The quickest way to discover your best colours is our clever Colour Quiz, which will help you uncover your perfect palette and give you the tools you need to wear colour with confidence. You might choose to go on to a full analysis with a personal stylist, but our quiz will give you all the information to get you started on your colour adventure!

Claudia discovering her Autumn colours

Know your personal style

This is every bit as important as knowing your colours. Women are so often advised to go for ‘wardrobe essentials’ or ‘new season styles’ that might look amazing on the magazine model/your best friend/the Duchess of Cambridge, but have nothing to do with you or your unique personal style. The key is to tap into the styles that make you feel confident, empowered and true to yourself, and use those as the backbone of your wardrobe.

So how do you discover those styles? You could start with our Style Quiz, opt for a session with a stylist or simply have a little trial and error exploration in your own wardrobe. Whatever you do, it’s worth spending a little time exploring the shapes, textures and cuts that make you feel your absolute best.

Body shape plays a role in personal style, but try not to let it dictate every aspect of your wardrobe - it is all too easy to get hung up on disguising yourself, rather than expressing yourself, through style.

Dressing up or dressing down?

Pillarbox Red Annie Wrap Dress  

Carmine Red Aurelia Long Cardigan | White Camisole | Silver Classic Metallic Belt

Know your lifestyle

This is an oft-neglected but essential part of the unique style jigsaw that is you. There is no point knowing that you feel amazing in four inch heels and pencil skirts if you have three young children and live on a farm in rural Devon.

And how many of us have a wardrobe with far too many party clothes and not enough everyday tees, or endless leggings and sweatshirts and no workwear? Whatever it is that you find ‘easiest’ to buy (for your colouring, body shape and style), that will almost certainly be the thing you have too much of in your wardrobe, and the trickiest areas will be where you have gaps. Really try to keep this in mind as you work through the next steps!

Colour Club member Laurie begins her wardrobe spring clean....

Declutter

Right, we’re on to the ‘doing’ bit. This step can feel a little scary, but done well it makes organising your wardrobe, identifying your favourites and creating your best outfits so much easier.

Start by getting all your clothes out. And I mean all of them. Boxes in the loft, clothes hanging in the wardrobe in the spare room, the coats under the stairs, the lot. And then follow these steps (do this in categories if you have a lot of clothes - for example, everyday clothes, sportswear, special occasions, outerwear etc, and don’t forget accessories!):

1. Do a first, instinctive sort through, creating three piles - discard (charity shop, sell or fabric recycling), maybe keep, and definitely keep. Try to loosely hold on to the colour, style, and lifestyle guidelines you’ve set yourself, but don’t get too hung up on them if it leaves you with nothing to wear!

2. If you have a lot of clothes, do a second pass on the ‘definitely keep’, and really remember those colour, style and lifestyle guidelines. Be ruthless and only keep the things you know you feel amazing in them.

3. Don’t return everything to your wardrobe yet! Remove the ‘getting rid of’ piles (if it feels intimidating to make that decision just now, you can always box things up for six months. If you haven’t opened the box in that timeframe, simply get rid, without ever opening the box. You don’t need to debate those clothes again).

4. Move on to….

Create the core of your dream wardrobe

This is where the fun really begins. From the clothes you have left, try to create (and place back into your wardrobe) a complete capsule wardrobe. Your precise capsule wardrobe numbers will vary depending on whether you have a formal work environment, how dressy you like to be, and how many times you need to change clothes for chores, dog walking etc, but as a minimum I recommend being able to get through a ‘normal’ week without doing a laundry (if you live somewhere with temperature extremes you will need to either repeat this for each season or store off-season clothes and repeat this exercise when the temperature changes), not forgetting sports/dog walking clothes or other additional outfits needed.

Remember that some pieces like trousers and jeans might be worn more than once, while layering next-to-skin pieces might only get a single wear. As far as possible, continue to keep those colour, style, and lifestyle guidelines in mind.

And then, see if you can repeat it! A second complete week. Where do the wardrobe gaps start to appear? See which items you run out of first when trying to complete these weekly wardrobes, and that will give a clear indication of your wardrobe gaps and excesses. You can continue to repeat this ‘complete week’ wardrobe as many times as you want, depending on your wardrobe size preference. You’ll know when you’ve reached the limit of the clothes you currently have available, because you’ll be scrabbling to create outfits, and feeling less thrilled at the prospect of wearing the outfits you are creating. When that happens, it’s time to stop, and add the clothes that are left to the discard piles, unless they are particular sentimental favourites.

Laurie's walk-in closet after spring cleaning...

Don’t forget to also consider less frequently used clothes, like those for parties and celebrations or, conversely, for funerals and more serious occasions. Make sure you have one or two options for these sorts of events available.

Remember, there is no ‘right’ number of pieces for your wardrobe; the answer is as unique as you are! Whether it’s a tightly curated collection of thirty or forty items, or a walk wardrobe of dreams with whole walls of shoes and bags, the key is that your wardrobe should feel joyful and expansive, not overwhelming and negative.

Create your shopping list - gaps and seasonal extras

Look back at those wardrobe gaps that emerged when you were creating your weekly capsule wardrobes. This is your ‘right now’ shopping list; the pieces that you want to be actively looking to add to your wardrobe.

And then finally, it’s time to add those cherries on the top! Keep an eye out for those extras that will inject vibrancy and excitement into your wardrobe each season, breathing new life into old favourites and giving you new ways to express your colours and style. Hopefully you’ll find plenty of them in each new seasonal Kettlewell collection!

And that’s it! You’re well on your way to a flexible, joyful wardrobe that makes you feel confident and happy every time you get dressed.

Love your wardrobe!