Clothing and wardrobe organisation/sorting out

[SewRuthieSews]

I made a comment on the daily café thread about this but as its something I'd like to explore in more detail I've started a new thread about it.

For those who don't know I moved twice last year, having taken unplanned redundancy and OH and I now have a lovely bungalow in Nottingham.
I did have a big clear out of long unworn clothes before the first move (from my house), then lived with a restricted wardrobe at OH's flat and the first little while here.
I've got most of my clothing unpacked bar one large bag, though its not all stored in a very helpful way tbh.

I did work in an office, an originally had a job which needed a level of smartness as I did face to face meetings etc, I then switched to a different job which although still in the office was using a computer system, being on phone calls etc so slightly more casual dressing. Then came COVID which was all working from home, I started out in my office clothes, but as the months went on gradually went more casual as we mostly didn't video conference just screen share/voice calls.
Through this time I also went through the menopause and gained some weight/changed body shape and seem to have got more sensitive to things with a minor level of discomfort. I do suffer with the hot flushes during the day and at night.

The clothing in my wardrobe reflects all of this history including two trouser suits, all sorts of shoes/bags and etc.
I live in stretch woven trousers, knit tops/casual shirts and cardigans/fleeces with slipper or trainers. Its OK but not very exciting. I do have the opportunity for meals out, trips to the theatre etc but don't always find it easy to work out what to wear for those things. And don't seem to have quite the right stuff.

[Lachica]

Tricky, isn't it. I have a similar problem although it's longer since I stopped teaching. Lockdown lard has rendered the couple of smart pairs of trousers I had kept too small. Leggings & tunics are comfy but don't stop the lard spreading. I'm making a pair of smart trousers now, ready for the end of the month when I start invigilation duties at a private school. That means jeans are out, and I have lots of them. How about having a colour/style consultation? I'm thinking of doing this.

[SewRuthieSews]

I had a colour consultation with Imogen Lamport and am in her system a 'Sophisticated'.
This is me in 2017, and other than a slightly different hairstyle and being a bit greyer I basically look the same. Though the under eye circles seem more pronounced now!

Here I am with my signature colours

And a blog post here with a bit more blurb about it
https://ruthieksews1.blogspot.com/2017/08/7-steps-to-style-step-3-your-colours.html

I don't really like the purples on me but do like the pinks and blue/greens.

[SewRuthieSews]

Body shape wise, these days I am fairly rectangular except for a distinct sway back, so the rectangle or H shape guidelines are the ones to follow.
I'm also quite overweight, but I reckon that I'd still be the same sort of shape lighter.

I still have all the material from the 7 steps to style course I did in 2017 so could try rerunning that on my own and see what is different now.

[Lachica]

Wow! Great new avatar! Your colouring is similar to mine. I had a brief consultation many years ago but as my hair has greyed (& been highlighted to help the grey blend in) I think it would be useful to have a new consultation. I'm good at chucking out worn out stuff but not at putting things together. Do you have a good friend who would help you with a fresh pair of eyes?

[SewRuthieSews]

I'm reasonably happy with the colours and don't think they need to change but I am low on inspiration in terms of putting outfits together.
I have recently got some Snag tights, so could break out my tall boots and skirts/dresses, but I have not yet done so.

At the moment I've moved some summer clothing out into the spare room wardrobe as well as the old work trousers, and put the Christmassy clothes to one side.
I think I'll put some of the folded long sleeved top on hangers to grab when getting dressed and try to have a skirt/dress day once a week!

[Lachica]

Do you have a mannequin? Could you dress her in different combinations of top/ bottom & take photos to help you find new combinations? I tried this once ages ago, but on myself, & took photos of the results. It would be much easier to get someone else to take the pics.

[b15erk]

I'm in pretty much the same position @SewRuthieSews .  I can't see me going back to work, which makes a lot of my clothes surplus to requirements although still in good nick.

I love blouses, and dresses, but around the house, leggings are far more practical - as are pullover tops...

My weight fluctuates, but not as badly as it used to - I stopped eating lunch...

I would love some nicer tops to wear, but when I make them I think they are too nice to wear around the house! 

I think I need to change the mindset.

Look forward to seeing how this goes, as it may give me the kick up the backside I need to sort out my wardrobe.

Jessie

eta I have a lot of nightwear as I have run out of wardrobe space 

[Acorn]

I would love some nicer tops to wear, but when I make them I think they are too nice to wear around the house! 

This is exactly the problem that I have.  I know I will feel better if I wear nicer clothes when I'm at home - and given where we live, I don't go out amongst other people very often, so I am mostly dressing for being at home - but all my instincts tell me not to waste good clothes by wearing them around the house.

I have plenty of clothes.  I should probably just get rid of anything that doesn't make me feel good.   :thinking:

[Helen M]

Well I've stopped wearing things that I don't think are 'nice' these days unless I'm doing cleaning or something that is going to get messy. With the times we are living in and the amount of clothes I (and probably many of us) have for 'going out' they aren't all going to get worn anytime soon. What we think of as 'nice' now in a year or so we probably will feel just the opposite about! So get out the good things and wear them at home and anywhere! It's amazing how it can cheer you up as well.

As for putting stuff together I started following companies or designers on Instagram whose clothes I'd maybe seen in papers or magazines + sewists as well. I discovered (it took me a while.....) you can 'save' just 1 photo from their grid (without following them) to 'your saved' folder that is totally private to you. I then re visit my 'saved' page and see what I have that could maybe match the look on the picture. It's like having your personal fashion folder and I remove what I don't like after a while.

Have you a spare rail @SewRuthieSews that you could set up and put a few bottoms, tops, scarves and even belts and jewellery and see what outfits can come up with that you like, in a similar way to how you perhaps sort your clothes for going away? Maybe wear an outfit for a day and see how it works, if it doesn't don't put back what you didn't like on to the rail and try another top or whatever another day. At the end of the experiment put what you like in your wardrobe.

[SewRuthieSews]

I use pinterest quite a lot but that's more for details/inspiration for sewing than overall outfits.
But yes I definitely could ring the changes a bit more and having stuff accessible is a good chunk of that. lets see what I can organise for myself.

[Ohsewsimple]

I’m the same, live in stretch woven trousers and knit tops as they’re comfy.  I do have woven tops and blouses too.  For some reason they seem to get worn more in the summer.   :thinking:
I find if we go to the caravan I might wear a new top etc.  Why?  It’s not like I’m going on holiday but I guess it’s as close as we'll get!      And it’s not as though we see anyone.  But it makes me feel a bit better.  And I think @Helen M is right.  Wear something nice.  Although I can’t see me wearing my silk tops and silk trousers to clean the bathrooms! 

[Missie]

Well nice clothes should always be worn.  They make you feel good and if you feel good,  the world is a better place.  If you don't feel good in something (and there are degrees to feeling good, I admit) then bin it.  If it passable or below, out it goes or gets relegated for cleaning/decorating clothes!

Fab new avatar @SewRuthieSews and that pink is great on you.  Have a look at this website, I've been following this for a while and I think it is great.  There is a style quiz as well, which might help and some great articles on clothing and clothing styles.

[SewRuthieSews]

Thanks @Missie I'll give it a go

[SunnyWave]

I had a colour consultation with Imogen Lamport and am in her system a 'Sophisticated'.
This is me in 2017, and other than a slightly different hairstyle and being a bit greyer I basically look the same. Though the under eye circles seem more pronounced now!

Here I am with my signature colours

And a blog post here with a bit more blurb about it
https://ruthieksews1.blogspot.com/2017/08/7-steps-to-style-step-3-your-colours.html

I don't really like the purples on me but do like the pinks and blue/greens.

Colors they offered look good on you! For the outing, if you like it a bit more casual I'd pick just jeans/trousers and white shirt (or any of your favorite color), and accessorize it with earrings, bracelets, necklaces.  Usually, it adds a lot of glam to the outfit.