4 Ways to refresh your wardrobe without buying new clothes

Elegance for me is knowing that when I open up my closet, I get excited to choose what it has to offer. Nothing is more dreadful than having a wardrobe full of clothes but still nothing to wear. Here are 4 ways to refresh your wardrobe. The fun part? We will not buy new clothes and we will definitely make your clothes feel more elegant. 

Declutter your wardrobe and declutter again

Believe me and repeat after me: A full closet doesn’t mean immediate happiness. On the contrary: I think a huge closet can cause decision fatigue and can make deciding what you will wear each day even harder. 

I completely understand that you want to wear something new, something special or something trendy. Once upon a time I also bought a lot of clothes for exact the same reasons. However when I started to pair down my options and started to invest in more durable,  expensive clothes,  I found peace, ease and a lot more options in my wardrobe. 

I therefore challenge you to declutter your wardrobe. Let’s start with the most basic things to declutter right now:

• Clothes that either
  • is in the wrong size
  • you never felt good in
  • are in a ‘wrong’ color
  • are not matching with other clothes
  • are bought for an occasion that never comes
  • you haven’t worn in ages

Yes, it can be that easy. Don’t hold on to clothes you never wear. They are dead weight and are taking up space for clothes you will love (or even just visibility). Let go of mismatching clothes that don’t fit your vibe. Let go of purchases that don’t make you happy so you can welcome more happiness in your wardrobe.It can be that easy, but only if you believe in the same mantra: a huge closet doesn’t mean immediate happiness. On the contrary: a huge closet can cause decision fatigue and less happiness. Decluttering is a good first way to refresh your wardrobe. 

Tailor your clothes

Over the last century, plenty of research has been done on women’s body types. And guess what? There are hundreds of ways on how to define a woman’s body. No body (Do you see the pun, nobody?) is the same. Therefore mainstream fashion never fits your body perfectly. With a little knowledge on body types, you can make a start to see what fit is the best. However you cannot tell me that nearly 4 billion women in the world can be classified into xs-xl sizes. 

A size may seem to fit well, but in my opinion a clothing piece can always fit better. The ultimate look of elegance is when a piece looks made perfectly for you. How can we fake custom made clothes? My biggest secret is buying mainstream clothes, but letting a tailor adjust the sizing to my body. Some pieces barely need adjusting, sometimes I choose not to bring them to the tailor. However my pants, skirts, jackets and dresses are frequently brought to a tailor to get adjusted.

The biggest flex to do this is to notice that everything looks made just for you. The best butt in every pants, dresses that always accentuate your figure: I live by the feeling of custom made clothes. A pro-tip: never buy something that is too small, you can not make clothes bigger. Always opt for the best size, too oversized can make adjusting change the whole look of the piece. 

Call me lucky as my size hasn’t changed for the past 17 years (!!!!). My mom found my favorite pants and shirt from middle school and guess what, they still fit me. My style has changed over the years but having the same size is kind of a blessing. This means investing in tailored pants can be a smart investment. Not everyone is blessed with a stable fit of clothes however having experienced the joy of tailored fit clothes I would go with the following key rules: Better have 1-2 tailored fits, than a closet that half fits. Believe me, tailoring your clothes is one of the ways to refresh your wardrobe by adding more elegance. 

Fix your clothes

Nothing looks more cheap than a clothing piece missing buttons. Or a pair of heels that is missing the top piece. Insoles that look worn out or even small holes in your clothes. Now, I have to be completely honest with you. I have one favorite cardigan I put on ALL the time. There is one small defect however which makes it so that I will never wear it outside: it has a tiny hole in a visible part on the neckline. 

Make it a standard to never leave the house with a defect item. I understand the comfort of wearing your favorite items. If that piece is really that precious for you, why will you not fix it so you can wear it confidentially and with elegance? 

Here are some ways to refresh your wardrobe by fixing your clothes:

• Fix all your items that miss a button. Look for a spare button in the lining of your clothes or maybe you even salvaged it upon buying/ losing the button. 
• Run through all your heels and make an inventorisation of the different top pieces that need to be replaced. If you’re handy, replace them yourself or ask for (professional) help. 
• Threads hanging from your clothes or inner lining hanging outwards? Call your mom for a bit of emotional and educational support on how to fix your clothing. No item should have sticking out threads.
• Check the soles of your shoes. Do you have a pair that are worth saving? (Read: leather soles, always wearable and still good in quality) It may be worth it to bring your shoes to be professionally fixed. A new sole can make wonders to your look. Especially Louboutins, remember: they have to be red on the bottom to make them classy, darling. 

Take care of your clothes

Greatest tip from me so far: take care of your clothes. No, I’m honest! Really, take care of your clothes as you would do to yourself. If I feel dry, I’m dehydrated and need a bit of cream. If my skin is showing bumps, it might need some exfoliation. Why are we taking care of our bodies but not of the items we love? 

Fast fashion made it way easier to buy new cheap items to replace the ones we already own. And my opinion might be an unpopular one but I would rather get more expensive, durable items that I can wear for years instead of fast fashion items that only last me 1, 2 or 3 seasons. Natural fibers and leather may need some love when used frequently or over a longer time. You can therefore use these ways to refresh your wardrobe: 

 Take care of your leather bags and belts

Durable, well cured leather can last you a lifetime, if treated well. Remember those videos showing up during the corona virus of a department store in Singapore with clutches and wallets all covered in mold? Don’t forget that leather is and stays a natural material and is therefore to be treated well in order to maintain the quality. 

Don’t wash your leather items with chemicals as they might damage the chemical treatment. It will only encourage the decay. Instead, invest in a good leather care set. This can include a transparent balm, wax or even lotion depending on the type of leather and the usage. If you feel fancy you can even opt for a colored care set, however for beginners I always suggest starting with a neutral color so you can start right away. 

Remove the pilling from your clothes

Nothing screams more el cheapo than pillings on your clothes. Pilling can happen to everyone and every item. Even expensive items can have pilling. When shirts are starting to pill, the density of the items are frequently too thin to really take care of it. However if you have nice vests, jackets or cardigans with a more wool structure, it is possible to take away the usage signs. 

My small fabric shaver is an unmissable item in my laundry room: if I see pilling happening, I start shaving the fabric until it is smooth again. You ought to be careful. Don’t put a lot of pressure on the shaver to avoid holes being made. Barely scratch the surface and focus only on the parts that contain the pilling. 

Clean your shoes

I am sometimes guilty of this. But don’t let my little sister see this. She moved to Uganda last year after marrying her local husband. One of the rituals she had to get used to is the fact that Ugandians wash their shoes e-v-e-r-y-d-a-y. The biggest reason for this is the fact that the soil is reddish, making the shoes pretty red as well. But as you can imagine: a lot of people don’t have an extensive wardrobe but still take care of her shoes. Her husband even tells us all the time, if your shoes are dirty we think you don’t take care of yourself. 

So I wash my shoes as well. I don’t put them in the washing machine (somehow I still think it will damage them). But I do wash the soles of sneakers, take care of the leather or wash the suede with micellair water. I kinda like the idea that nice shoes bring you everywhere. It’s a small change that can make a huge impact. 

I shared with you several ways to refresh your wardrobe without buying new clothes. I hope by decluttering your wardrobe you can find more peace. Your clothes will look better in a closet with enough space, especially when they are tailored to match your figure. I hope fixing and taking care of your beloved items make you feel like you have plenty of elegant, ready to wear options available to make good impressions. Where will you start to refresh your wardrobe?