I need to start wearing my clothes - anyone else? How best to plan what the wear

[RitaPanda]

I have a wardrobe of lovely clothes. I love shopping probably love it a bit too much but I never wear my clothes! I might as well give them all to the charity shop.

Obviously I don't walk around naked - I just always wear the same few things. I work from home a bit and always throw on old joggers and a hoody. Ok fair enough if I'm not leaving the house all day, apart from maybe a quick walk to get fresh air at lunch time.

To work (when I'm in the office) I have a couple of dresses that I alternate - the ones that are top of the pile. I have to leave the house super early, and get back super late so don't have the energy to really think about what to wear. Also my office is insanely hot so that rules out all my nice jumpers, boots etc as I tend to just wear a thin dress (with a massive coat for outside in winter).

Weekends I am often out doing sports (although not at the moment as pregnant and sick) so I would wear my sports kit then when I get home I shower then stick the joggers and hoody on or a onesie

Occasionally I'll go out such as for a meal with DH and I'll wear 'proper' clothes then. But that's not often.

I had a clear out last year, and got rid of anything not flattering, scruffy, etc so I don't have piles and piles of clothes - just one wardrobe of dresses skirts and tops and one drawer of knitwear, so it it not as though I have loads of clothes.

I need to get more organised. I used to plan my outfits with matching jewellery and everything and felt so much smarter back then. Lost my mojo!

How about picking out a couple of outfits for the coming week? Stick on some music, and enjoy choosing some jewellery etc to go with each outfit. Hang them in outfits at the end of your wardrobe? Dianeindenmark has a YouTube video about this which is pretty good. And you must have heard of the idea of turning your hangers round, so you can track which clothes have yet to be worn. There are also some good apps to track your clothes if you be bothered.

I try to take things from the left hand side of the wardrobe and return them to the right. It doesn't always work, but it at least means everything gets considered at some point.

Any other ideas?

I'm on board with trying this with you. I've got some lovely clothes but end up wearing the same old jeans, boots and jumper combo. The Stylebook app can give you some good (nerdy) stats on how often you wear stuff.

I'm going to try your idea too, thenightsky. That sounds easy enough to implement.

I expanded use of my wardrobe by picking out my clothes in the opposite order to the way I usually did. I was wearing the same bottoms (jeans or skirts) constantly and reaching for the same old tops. I swapped it around and picked out different tops first and then bottoms to co-ordinate and found I was wearing more of my wardrobe.

Sounds bonkers (and is not very eloquently put above) but it worked for me

I have the same issue. A friend of mine (who is a strategy consultant so travels M-Th every week and has to pack light) says the following method has worked well for her: spend an afternoon trying as many possible outfits as you can, use pinterest for inspiration if necessary, and whichever outfit you really liked, take a photo. You will end up with a bunch of outfit ideas, and can quickly wear or pack one without thinking. I am planning to give that a try myself.

I frequently save things for best: and then they go out of fashion completely. It's a pity as I take ages to choose clothes I like. I'll try the idea of trying things on over one afternoon and see what works.

AnaViaSalamanca love that idea

I think that is part of the problem - although I know what items I have, I am not sure what outfits I can make. Definitely need to spend a day figuring it out.

Every now and then I have a good trying-on session, which gets me out of a rut.

Also, I try and pick one item each week that I haven't worn for a while, and force myself to make an outfit using it. It's a great way to mix up your wardrobe. And If I can't create an outfit that I want to actually wear it tells me to get rid of that item.

I do this, I spent ages clearing out and arranging my wardrobe, everything fits/flatters. Wardrobe looks so good it is Pinterest worthy yet I reach for my tracky pants and big jumper most of the time.

I also seem to hang new stuff on the wardrobe door and admire it forever before I wear it.

I've made myself a list of outfits I really like, in different categories - smart, smart/casual, going out, casual. I've stuck it to the inside of my wardrobe door. I then just need to think about what type of outfit I need that day/evening, then choose from about 6-8 outfits of that type.

I tweak the list every now and then as I go off things or buy new things.

Absolutely forbid yourself buying anything new (for the next six months, or the next year). Forces you to rediscover things you already own. And try combining things you haven’t combined before.

Inspired by this, I've just gone through my wardrobe and decided on a couple of things I need to buy in order to wear more of what I have. An oversize soft sweater and a pair of leather look leggigs are on the list.

Pull out and store away all the summer stuff during the winter and vice-versa. It'll free up space so you can actually see what you have in there. Just don't be tempted to fill it buying more things. They'll be some things that'll stay in the wardrobe all year round but you won't need strappy cotton dresses and shorts for a while so it makes sense not to have to look at them now. When you come to change things over you'll find things that you forgot you had.

I didn't even know about the outfit hanging, which is ridiculous as it's how I hang my children's school uniforms at night, ready for the morning!

I was thinking about this exact thing today. I tend to exercise straight from the school run, so wear gym kit/trainers. I am officially a carer as my son has ASD so I don't have an office to go to. As the rest of the day is usually running round and chores, I stay like it until I have a shower after school pick up. Then it's straight into joggers/sweats and that's it. I am a single parent and go out very very rarely. YET...I have a wardrobe of lovely clothes that just don't get worn. I am actually excited about wearing something nice on Christmas Day/Boxing Day. This week I bought a beautiful pair of wide leg trousers at a bargain price on e-bay (Hush label) which look stunning on. When the hell am I going to wear those? I need to do the exercise, shower and put an outfit on every day, but it just seems a "waste". Attitude change and outfit planning I think. It will do me and my self esteem the world of good!

AmeliaFlashTart...I do exactly the same. Buy something, think "ooh I'll save that", save it for ages, barely wear it. What is the point of that?? I'm annoying myself now thinking about it!

I remember reading a post on MN about saving things for best...

Someone's elderly relative had died and they were going through possessions of the deceased clearing out her house. They came across lots of beautiful items carefully wrapped and stored away 'to be kept for best' - they were never used

Martin when my mum died relatively young, we eventually got round to clearing her mountains and mountains of clothes and SO many still had labels on and had never been worn. Fortunately, we were able to rehome many of them but honestly, it really was an enormous waste.

Great ideas on here

I am in your boat too. I end up wearing the same thing when i have quite a variety in the closet. I always take out my favs or the ones I look good in!! lol!!
I'm going to give some of the clothes to charity before this christmas! atleast some one would use it.
Next time I buy something, I'm surely going to try it on and buy it only if it suits me right.

I have some beautiful work dresses that I've never worn. My issue is shoes. I've spent a fortune on heels that I think will be comfortable enough to wear all day. Never wear them cos all heels are painful for me - ankle injury and really wide feet. I feel really guilty about these dresses, a couple were gifts and the others were pricey.

My New Year resolution is to start wearing all my clothes rather than the same few combinations.
And to stop keeping things for 'best' as I never seem to have a 'best'
And to start wearing makeup (I stopped after leaving work) in the hope I will look less haggard!