As the seasons change, it can be tempting to buy new items of clothing, but a more sustainable and affordable approach is to work with what you already own. We asked stylists how to revive and refresh your look – using what is already in your wardrobe.
Audit your wardrobe
For most people, this means having a clear-out. “Too much choice is paralysing,” says Alexandra Fullerton, a stylist from Suffolk and author of How to Dress. “If you’ve got hundreds of items of clothing to choose from, where do you even start? We only wear 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time, so we’re not wearing all this stuff that we are storing.” Some things may be too formal for every day wear, Fullerton concedes: “You might not want to push a trolley around Tesco wearing a ballgown. But fewer, better-quality pieces will save you time when you are choosing what to wear.”
Donate to charity or sell clothes that are not needed any more, says Nick Hems, a Bath-based personal stylist for men and a tutor at the London College of Style. “When you trim down your wardrobe, it cuts out the decision fatigue. It is better for your mental health if you are looking at clothes that you like and wear, rather than stuff you’ve bought that doesn’t really suit you or make you feel good.”
Make an event out of the changing seasons
It is a good idea to put away seasonal items to avoid overcrowded rails, the stylists agree. When the weather is on the turn, pick an apt moment to swap collections over. “It sounds a bit mad, but welcome them back into your wardrobe,” says Fullerton. “Make it into a special occasion to shop your own wardrobe and reacquaint yourself with your archive. Sew any buttons back on. Give them a steam or iron. Out of sight is out of mind. When they are back in sight, you will realise that you don’t need more shorts because you’ve already got four pairs.”
Hang on to things – but not for too long
Hems advises keeping something for 18 months before passing it on if it hasn’t been worn. For Fullerton, a year is enough, “because then you would have gone through all the seasons”. She has an ingenious tip for keeping track of what you have worn: “When you put clothes in the wardrobe, turn the hanger around so the hook is facing towards you. When you wear an item, hang it the other way. Then, when you go through your wardrobe each season, if you notice anything still facing towards you, consider whether you are ever going to wear it. Challenge yourself to build it into an outfit over the next week. If you wear it, then it can regain its status in your wardrobe.” If not, it’s got to go.
Figure out your greatest hits
Going through your clothes, “think about the pieces that have made you most happy,” says Fullerton. “What you put on when you are most confident. The outfits that get the most compliments. We should be wearing things that make us feel incredible.”
Mix things up
“Our brains crave newness, but a new combination is as valid as a new item,” says Fullerton. She suggests “remixes” of outfits to her clients: “Why have you never worn this flowery skirt with this jacket? Or, why have you never worn that dress layered with that jumper?” This helps to “mix things up in a way that you wouldn’t have thought of, so that satiates a need, and dulls down the feeling that you are bored with all your clothes.”
Blend key pieces with personality
“You can have a capsule wardrobe but make sure you have some personality in there as well,” says Anna Cascarina, a Hertfordshire stylist and author of The Forever Wardrobe. She aims to own mainly classic items “that will transcend seasons”, such as “a tailored blazer, a pair of black wide-leg trousers, and a cashmere jumper”. She also likes to have a smaller amount of trend-led items that allow “my own personal style to come through, like a 1970s California-style fringe jacket” and lots of colour, too. Adding an unexpected item, be it something with an asymmetric hem or off-the-shoulder, “can make your look a bit more modern and a bit more you,” she says.
Put on the wrong shoes
Iso Neville is a secondhand stylist who has not bought any new clothes since 2019, except underwear. She organises car boot sales and flea markets in south London where she lives. One of her favourite approaches to styling is using the “wrong shoe” method: “I first saw this with people trying to dress like Scandinavian influencers who wore trainers with everything. The premise is that if you wear a fancier dress and put a pair of trainers on, it really dresses it down.”
You can apply this more broadly with your outfits, Neville explains. “If you are wearing tracksuit bottoms with a hoodie, that is one language of style that is quite comfy. If you put a blazer over the top, that instantly dresses it up. Adding in something that is a bit smarter or a bit more casual can really change the outfit.”
Don’t feel that you need to try a different look every day
Don’t be ashamed to wear the same thing often if it works, says Fullerton: “We should get joy out of wearing our favourite things, and that doesn’t mean you need to have a new outfit every day. We all turn to the formulas that we love, so wear those formulas over and over again.”
Watch out for trends that you can recreate
“There is a big trend for menswear and tailoring,” says Neville, “which is easy to achieve; I’m a big fan of just putting a blazer on with anything. I’m also seeing ties everywhere.”
Fullerton suggests recreating fisherman core. “Most people will have some sort of stripy top and chinos or jeans that will give a jaunty fisher feel. Adding interest to basics with a neckerchief or scarf is having a bit of a moment, too. If you don’t have a scarf, a scrap of fabric could do the same thing. The Miu Miu show this month had huge gold brooches as features on lapels. Have a look in the bottom of your jewellery box and cluster three little brooches to recreate the look.”
“Satin mini dresses with a lace trim are back in,” says Cascarina, in case you have hung on to one from the 90s or have a nightdress like this. “Wear over a pair of jeans and under a jumper, so you can just see it hanging out.”
Roll up your sleeves
There are very simple things you can do to make it look as though you have intentionally put together an outfit. “Even pushing your sleeves up takes your outfit from just being worn to being styled,” says Fullerton. “Tucking in your top, adding a belt, popping the collar of your shirt – all this will elevate your look.”
If an item of clothing doesn’t feel quite right for you, says Neville, try wearing it a different way. “Instead of buttoning up a shirt, you could tie it at the front instead. Or you could put it on backwards, like I do sometimes, and tie it up to expose a bit of your back.”
Wear bright socks
“One rule for most men is: inject a bit of colour,” says Hems. “Break free of the navy blue and grey.” If you don’t feel confident in bold tones, or don’t have any to hand, “choose a bright sock to add a pop of colour,” says Fullerton. “This season’s colour is butter yellow, so put on a pastel sock instead of a black or white one.” Cascarina adds that pinks and natural colours will also be big this season.
Seek a second opinion
“Most people have great clothes that are perfectly wearable,” says Fullerton, “but often you can’t see the wood for the trees in your own wardrobe, which is why it helps to have a stylist or a stylish friend or relative come in and suggest how to wear things.” Find someone to “look at what you’ve put together and say if it works”, says Hems.
Look after the clothes you have
“You’ve got to love and respect your clothes enough to wash them properly,” says Fullerton. “Don’t just throw them in the washing machine; follow the instructions and handwash them if necessary. Separate them into pale and bright loads, so your best white T-shirt doesn’t end up with a rogue red sock. Fold your knits, don’t hang them up, because they will lose their shape. Moth season is incoming, so make sure that everything is clean because moths are attracted to proteins in food particles and sweat particles in clothes. Get a debobbler or safety razor and some packing tape to pull bobbles off.”
Make do and mend
Fix tears or holes before they become a bigger problem, says Neville: “This can be a daunting prospect. Sewing literacy is not as great as it was with my parents’ generation, but there are lots of mending cafes that are popping up, which are a good way to learn new skills. Visible mending is also becoming a trend, so don’t feel as if everything has to be perfect and made to look as if it was never damaged. Having a visible mend is a badge of honour: it shows that you are looking after your clothes and care about longevity.”
Consider an alteration
“Recognise the clothes that don’t fit you well,” says Hems, and get them professionally adjusted. “Especially with trousers, take them to get altered, and the same goes for shirts and jackets where the sleeves are too long.”
Challenge yourself
“If I’m feeling in a bit of a rut,” says Neville, “I will try not to add things back into my wardrobe that have been in the laundry. Because people automatically go for the things that they wear every day.” Rather than reaching for her favourite items, she will “see what else I can try to wear, and incorporate those into my daily wardrobe”. Anything that still isn’t getting worn can be given away.
Don’t forget to accessorise
“Accessories can elevate a look,” says Hems. “Switching pocket squares will instantly make it look different. Or adding a belt or watch.” Accessories are also a good way to introduce colour, says Cascarina. “People are frightened of wearing colour but you can add in a colourful belt, scarf or bag.”
Figure out your three words
“Decide on three words that best describe your style,” says Fullerton. Hers are: 60s, denim, tomboy. “This will streamline your wardrobe, because it won’t be full of stuff that you don’t feel like you in. You’ll be saving money, because you’re not buying stuff that isn’t going to get worn. And you’ll be saving time because you know in the mornings what your style is, what goes together, what suits you. When you have a coherent wardrobe, then everything will go together.”
Accept that style evolves
“Everything comes back around,” says Cascarina. “The difficult thing is that people might not have the space to keep hold of things. There have been loads of times when I’ve thought, ‘If only I’d kept that!’ Age doesn’t matter: you can wear what you want. But at the same time, our bodies change and that can be difficult to navigate. It is all about finding what your style and lifestyle is like now, and trying to change your wardrobe to fit that.”
If you really need an item, consider renting or swapping
“Even with rental, you have to think about the shipping emissions, and dry-cleaning,” says Neville. “But before I would even go to the rental sites, I would consider an organised clothing swap; Loved Again London is one of my favourites. But I also really enjoy swapping among friends. It reduces the potential regret if you get rid of something that you later wish that you’d kept hold of. If you’ve just swapped it with a friend, you can probably get it back.”
