How to make the most of the clothing you already own

There is nothing more efficient at killing your style game than spending countless days in trackies with nowhere to go. Naturally, a lot of us will turn to buying new things when we are feeling uninspired, but this is not always practical!

"In the past year, 24% of Australians have thrown away an item of clothing after wearing it just once"

- YouGov, 2017

"Nearly three-fifths or 60% of all clothing produced ends up in incinerators or landfills within a year of being made."

- McKinsey, 2016

Whether you just aren't in the position to be spending money on new things at the moment, or you are trying to be more conscious about your habits as a consumer, there is a way to feel like you have a refreshed wardrobe, without actually buying new things & adding to the stats above!

And that is to make the most of all of the lovely things you already own! 

The first step is to work out what DO you already have ? Spend an afternoon going through absolutely all of the clothing you own, cue some Konmari action.

Bri wears the Gia bralette (left) and the Quinn crop paired with Taylor brief (right)
Photography by Kristina Yenko (@kristinayenko), styled by Gem Brookes (@gembrookes_), MUA Veronika Moreira (@veronikamoreiramakeupartist)
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 Here's a suggestion for how to sort your clothes into categories

1. Definite keepers

This is for things that you are constantly reaching for, things that make up the core of your wardrobe.

2. Clothing that has potential

This pile is for the clothing you have that fits well, and that you really like, but maybe you don’t wear as much as you would like, maybe you find it difficult to style? or maybe the colour is a bit bold? anyway, put all of these kinds of clothes together into pile number two.

3. Needs some work

The third pile should be a bunch of clothes that you like, but need to have work done to them. Think, faded black jeans, t-shirts with holes in them, pants that are too big, shirts of an unflattering length, or items that are just a bit boring and could use a bit of a revamp.

4. Does not spark joy

Items that you just don’t wear, don’t fit you quite right, or just aren’t really your style anymore. Put those to one side also. 

Liv wears the Gia bralette in Noir (above) 
Photography by Kristina Yenko (@kristinayenko), styled by Gem Brookes (@gembrookes_), MUA Veronika Moreira (@veronikamoreiramakeupartist)
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Okay, great, so you have your four categories, what now?

Cut it up

For this step, we are going to take clothes from pile number 3. Do you have a t-shirt that is way too long and unflattering? Take a pair of scissors to it. The beauty of T-shirt fabric is that it doesn’t fray, so no need to have any sewing skills (yay). It’s super easy and can ensure you get a heap more wear out of an item than you would otherwise. Try not to waste the excess fabric either, it can always be used as a rag for cleaning or you could make a cute matching scrunchie!

Another thing you can do with a pair of scissors is cut up your denim, maybe you have a pair of jeans that are too long, or that would work better as a pair of shorts.

Re-dye items

When you have had an item for a long time or have subjected it to overwashing, the dye can often fade, especially from black garments! If you have a pair of jeans or something else of the sort that has a great fit and is just a little faded, you can always grab some fabric dye & re-dye them yourself to extend their life! 

You can also get creative with it, maybe spice up some lighter coloured garments with a bit of tie dye action, totally up to you! 

Fix it

Small holes, stains, straps that have come off. Fix all of those little things that you've been putting off, most of these fixes will take only 5 minutes and will allow you to wear your item a whole lot more!

Embroidery

Yet another one for pile number 3 (can you feel it getting smaller and smaller???). Any plain (or not plain!) tee can be spiced up with a little bit of needle & thread. I'm sure you will have some neglected sewing supplies laying around somewhere, and if you do, this is the perfect way to use them!

Think flowers, fruits, phrases.. you can create anything with embroidery to add new life to your t-shirts, jeans (& even your LÉ BUNS)

Tailoring

This one is pretty self explanatory, but if It doesn’t fit you, MAKE IT FIT YOU. Especially if it's something as simple as hemming, or even taking in the waist of a garment. If you have a sewing machine & access to youtube this step will be a no brainer. But if you do not have access to these things, maybe they can be put aside to visit the Tailor when possible & safe to do so!

Search for Inspo

This is one for pile number 2! Do a quick search on Pinterest for an item, and an abundance of styling possibilities will come up! You can even make a whole entire mood board with colour combos & silhouettes that look nice together to help you visualise ways to wear an item. You'll be surprised that once you feel more confident in how to style a piece, that you will reach for it much more often!

Swap & Sell

Such a good way to rotate your wardrobe! Apps such as Depop are almost even better than donating a heap of things, because it ensures a new home for your items! Selling items that you don’t wear, and using the money to buy things you will wear, maybe even off another Depop seller is the perfect way to keep your wardrobe feeling fresh, without over consuming or accumulating too much stuff or creating an excess of waste. Just ensure you're practising good hygiene & staying safe when sending & receiving items, and you are good to go.

Hope this post has helped to spark some wardrobe revamp inspiration to help you get back into wearing non-loungewear clothing when the time comes to step out again!

With love,

LÉ BUNS xx