More decluttering

After the initial clear out of my wardrobe and listing more or less every item I own, I've realised that there is still more scope for further rationalisation and editing to really get to grips with what fits, suits and works for me now. I am still hanging onto some things that don't fit with my life as it is now - and all they are doing is dragging me down.

After the initial clear out, where decisions were usually quite easy and made on the basis of a gut reaction, further clearing has needed to be a little more analytical to get to what really works for me, what I genuinely love, plus identifying those key basics and making sure they are as good as can be.

I found a series of 5 questions really useful.

1) Does it fit? Will it ever fit me?
Things that were on the small side even pre-pregnancy are never going to fit again. And if miraculously I do ever shrink back to that size again, I shall take great pleasure in going out and shopping for new size 10s!

2) Do I love it?
This was the catalyst for a lot of throwing out. Things that are blah, or that don't make me look forward to wearing them are gone. That was particularly therapeutic.

3) Have I worn it recently?
This was a bit of an odd question to answer as I haven't really worn any of my summer clothes for 2 years, and some of my winter clothes too (it really hasn't been that cold here this year). But the question did help me weed out some things that I just haven't had occasion to wear for several years. They had to go - no hanging on to a life I no longer have!

4) does it suit me?
Maybe a second pair of eyes is needed here, but I decided that the majority of my clothes do genuinely suit me.

5) Does it represent me?
This was a great, but difficult question. I have some lovely pieces, such as a pale blue cashmere cardigan, which on reflection just aren't 'me'. They are either too conservative,the wrong colour to go with the rest of my clothes, too fussy, too boho. I found I had to be really honest with myself on this question as I really love some of the things that fall into this category, and also some of the sound, on paper, like I should have them. I'm thinking of the black trouser suit here. Never worn, but hung onto anyway because it's supposedly a basic. Wrong answer! The cardigan and the suit both went.

I found for the last question it was very useful that I'd already tried to define my style. I'll share my definitions in a separate blog another day, but in the meantime I'd love to hear how you'd define your style.

New Year’s resolution number 1 – Fashion

More correctly anti-fashion.  Or at least, no new clothes for the time being.

Over the last few months of decluttering and organising my wardrobe, I’ve been logging my clothes in a spreadsheet, so I can put together suggested outfits and try and be more creative with my clothes and make the most of my (extensive) wardrobe.   In the clothes log I’ve been putting values against each item (useful for insurance purposes dontcha know).

This lunchtime, I was playing around with the spreadsheet, thinking of some new outfits, and for some reason, I decided to add up the values of everything I have.  And the total scared me.  I knew it would be a lot, but I didn’t think it would be quite so high.  I’m embarrassed to even mention it here.

I know the total includes shoes and handbags, it has all been accumulated over a few years (and most importantly I have NEVER been in debt because of it), but still.  It’s a lot.

Add to this the fact that relatively easily I’ve come up with more than 100 outfits from the things I already own and it has reinforced (IN CONCRETE!) one of my New Year’s resolutions. 

STOP SHOPPING

At least for January.  And probably February.  And ideally for the rest of the year, but let’s be realistic!  The big test will definitely come when the new SS 2012 collections really hit the shops.

In the meantime, I’ll keep you updated with how the outfits are going.  I shall be ‘shopping in my own wardrobe’ from now on.

I'm wearing this dress today.  One of my favourite things at the moment.  And dare I say it, it looks better on my curvy body than it does on the skinny model on the website.  Yay!

http://www.monsoon.co.uk/amanette-dress/invt/95325403/#

Wardrobe management

I've done a lot of clearing out over the last few months, getting rid of things that are very much no longer 'me'.  Things that I loved, but that really, a 40 year old mother probably shouldn't (can't?) wear.  The very short See by Chloe sequined mini springs to mind (happily shipped via Ebay to an excited new owner).
Conversely I've got rid of things that make me feel old.  The navy blue knee length sweater dress is one of them.

And this week I've been trying to document what remains.  Two things are obvious.
1) I have a lot of clothes
2) There are some amazing clothes that I never wear

So I've spent time coming up with outfits from my documented list.  At the moment, most of the outfits on there are tried and tested combinations and things I wear anyway.  But I'm marking each item as it gets used in an outfit, and trying to find ways of wearing each item.  That way I'm hoping that I can identify items (or even groups of items) that I don't really ever wear.
Maybe its because it doesn't fit with my lifestyle, maybe I don't have the right things to go with it.  Or maybe its because I love it, but it just isn't me or my style.
The first and third categories I will be being brutally honest and getting rid of those things that don't work.
And I've already identified a couple of wardrobe gaps that will enable me to make outfits out of some of those poor neglected pieces.

Maybe wardrobe planning is the way to go after all?

The power of tidy

I’ve always been a relatively neat and tidy soul – I find mess distracting and disorientating, but its only recently that I’ve fully discovered the delights of decluttering.  Whether it’s an attempt to impose order on a world where I feel I’ve lost a little control, I don’t know, but I wish I could bottle the satisfaction to be gained from a really good sort out.  Taking a drawer, a cupboard, or a shelf, emptying it, getting rid of the broken, the unused, the unwanted, the unflattering and putting it back in order gives me a deep level of contentment.

A beautifully colour coded wardrobe, where everything is clearly visible, fits me, is clean and works for me – well I’m still working towards that.  One of the big challenges I’m facing at the moment is that since having a baby, I’m not only slightly bigger than I was, but I also feel as if my clothes need to grow up.  And that’s difficult to come to terms with. 

But shelf by shelf, drawer by drawer, I’m working through the clothes – each sweep is more ruthless than the last.  And soon I hope I’ll have a wardrobe I’m happy to photograph and show in public.

But its an addition that could become a problem.  When I’ve done my own, maybe I’ll have to start on other people’s?

Emerging blinking into the light

I'll get round to telling you more about me in the following posts.  But just for starters, I wanted to post the reason for writing.

I never thought I'd start a 'Mummy blog'.  I never thought I'd be a mummy - that was never really the plan.  But now I am, and there are a lot of things I suddenly seem to need to say.  Even if no-one is reading them.

With my little biscuit now 14 months, and having returned to work in the City, I'm becoming increasingly aware that who I was a couple of years ago, isn't who I am now, or who I'm likely to be again.  I was a cocktail drinking, designer clothes wearing, new restaurant visiting, marathon running city girl.  I didn't live in an episode of Sex and the City, but at times it seemed like it.
Then I found myself pregnant by surprise (I was a bit old to be surprised in such a manner, but these things happen).
And what I had always seen as my life plan was thrown in the air.  My body isn't the same as it was, my social life definitely isn't, and I'm definitely not the superfit superwoman I used to be.
But I have discovered a new love for my home and my family, an interest in embroidery that surprised me, and a skill for organisation outside work that has given me pleasure.  I'm still trying on the new me for size, so I'm hoping that this blogging experiment will help me through the maze to find a new way of living that suits me, and my family.

Watch this space for items about fashion, style, keeping house, cooking, London finds, motherhood, exercise, work, relationships, happiness and many other musings on life, 

Happy reading,

Ali