It’s the 11th October 2021, there were long lines aplenty outside of barber shops, boutiques and other non-essential stores, but no lines were longer than outside of KMart! As confirmed by the nightly news, people were queuing from midnight on Sunday to buy new clothes and replace or stock up on everything and nothing. I’ve spoken to a few desparate parents keen to replace clothing their kids have outgrown during lockdown.
I know myself that the urge to hit the shops was strong after 100+ days in lockdown, but frenzied shopping like this can often mean one thing – the purchase of things that we don’t really need or love. Particularly when we are purchasing clothing, the bargain mentality can be very hit-and-miss in terms of quality, fabric and sizing. Nine times out of ten, we are left short term satisfied but long term disappointed.
Before you race out and purchase a quick-fix item to satisfy that urge, let’s discuss an useful concept that I use with my clients.
COST PER WEAR
Simply put, Cost Per Wear is a way of determining the value for money of each item in your wardrobe. It helps me explain to my clients the importance of spending the right amount of money on the right items that will serve us well, long term. It also helps us clarify what items are important to keep as we undertake the sometimes mammoth task of culling a wardrobe.
Here’s the Math!
Item Cost ➗ The Number of Wears = Cost Per Wear (Value For Money)
5 WAYS TO GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR WARDROBE!
Rather than simply, throwing out clothes that you no longer love, why not read on and discover five interesting ways for you to recycle your clothes. You never know, you just may find a hidden gem or two that will compliment your wardrobe and style perfectly!
1. Donate your no longer needed corporate wardrobe to Dress For Success. Their declared mission is to empower women to achieve economic independence and provide a network of support, professional attire and development tools for women to thrive in the workplace.
2. One of my personal favourites – The Remote Opshop. Remote indigenous communities run their own Op shops which ensures a supply of clothing in districts, often vast distances from shops. These small businesses then invest back into their local community.
3. Do a Google search on Pop Up “Clothes Swap Events” in your area. You’ll be amazed at what you can swap to rejuvenate your wardrobe. Not only do you extend the life of a piece of clothing that helps keep textiles out of landfill, you will replace them with useful pieces that you absolutely love!
4. Check out websites like Poshmark or Depop for new digital ways of selling and acquiring pre-loved clothing, shoes and handbags. You can sell items that you no longer need to create a piggy bank for items that you will love!
5. Google “sell my clothes on consignment”. There are Facebook pages and physical shops which will do the hard work of promoting your items for a percentage of the sale price. They have strict rules about what they accept and condition but again, you sell something and gain, not spend.
END UP WITH A WARDROBE THAT WORKS FOR YOU!
Racing out to buy something quickly and without a lot of thought, is not the best idea. Take time to think about what items you need to curate your perfect wardrobe and fill it with key pieces that really feel like you.
Tapping into the circular economy to source new items from unusual places will not only help the environment, it will also keep a few coins in reserve for those bigger ticket items that will make your heart sing every time you wear them.
With a little guidance, you will end up with a wardrobe filled with functional pieces that play together nicely as well as reflecting the interesting, eclectic and unique style that is individually yours.
Happy Curating!