Last Updated on November 29, 2023 by Kimberly Crawford
Upgrading your family wardrobe is a great way to reduce clutter and have more closet space. It can also help you build a wardrobe that reflects the changes and transitions you and your family have gone through the past year. Below are 5 major reasons to refresh your family wardrobe this year.
1. Make Space For Changes
As your family moves through different stages of life, your wardrobe needs will also continue to change. For instance, you might’ve recently become a mother, and there’s a greater need for comfy, bulky clothing and breast-feeding approved shirts.
Or if you or your partner have undergone a career change or have started working from home, your work wardrobe might now be full of jeans instead of dress pants. On that note, if you’re looking for the right denim clothing piece, brands like Levis, or something more specialist Agolde are perfect – you can check out the brand here.
Similarly, clothes that would’ve served you well while you were nursing are no longer necessary once your children have weaned, or you might have gone through a lifestyle change and now invest more in fitness gear than you did before.
Remember, your wardrobe has to honor the present stage you and your family are at, which can involve embracing significant and sometimes emotional changes. If your family’s wardrobe no longer reflects the space you are currently in, you should take inventory and refresh your closet, keeping only the pieces fit for the people you have become today.
2. Embrace Personal Changes
Refreshing your wardrobe in line with family, lifestyle, or career changes is all important, but you should also embrace any personal changes that your body or clothing taste has undergone.
For instance, you might have gained or lost weight recently, or your body might have changed in other different ways. A closet that suits your current body type will significantly impact your everyday style, body confidence, and image.
Also, as you age, your choice of clothing is likely to evolve. Not only do fashion trends change, but you might start preferring certain colors or cuts as you grow older. For instance, you may start preferring dresses and pantsuits over jeans and casual wear. Changes in your lifestyle can also influence your wardrobe choices. Transitioning to a more eco-friendly lifestyle, for instance, might opting for sustainable and ethically produced clothing. Essentials like 100% cotton socks for women or bamboo underwear in your wardrobe not only align with your values but also contribute to a more sustainable fashion industry.Â
As you mature, your dressing sense and how you present yourself to the world undergo many changes, and a yearly wardrobe refresh helps you embrace and adapt to these changes. It is part of the process of creating a wardrobe that is highly attuned to who you are and a celebration of the changes you have undergone over the years.
3. Seasonal Rehaul
Any time the weather undergoes drastic changes, so does your wardrobe. Unless you have a massive closet that can accommodate clothing for all seasons, you will probably have to perform a seasonal wardrobe rehaul several times a year.
Refreshing your closet is a great way to prepare for upcoming seasonal changes and tuck away any items that your family won’t be needing for the next 5 to 6 months.
Although you don’t necessarily have to bury away your summer/winter clothes into suitcases, you should still refresh or reorganize your closet in a way that the out-of-season clothes aren’t disrupting your family’s dressing routine. You don’t want to open your cupboard in July and be bombarded with thick mittens, wooly sweaters, and oversized coats!
Ideally, you should schedule your closet refresh during the transitional months so that your family is all set to go once the season changes. Make sure not to pack away every single item of clothing. For instance, you might still need a light jacket during the summer for a late-night drive in case it gets chilly, or wear a tank top under a warm turtleneck in the winter.
4. Prioritize Your Shopping
If you re-organize and take inventory of your wardrobe every year, you will be able to identify clear patterns in the type of clothing you buy. For example, your kids may have too many similar jackets but have outgrown most of their pants, or you have more pairs of heels than you need but not enough comfortable flat shoes.
Refreshing your closet helps you identify what you have too much or too little of and what to prioritize on your next shopping trip. Instead of adding to the problem, you will have a clear idea of what items you need to purchase and what to currently avoid buying.
5. Rediscover Forgotten Items
When sorting out your wardrobe, you should make a separate box for clothes your family has not worn in the past six months. And no, you don’t have to immediately get rid of them!
Separating the ‘forgotten’ piles of clothes from the ones you wear regularly will help you identify certain items that your family repeatedly wears. A closet refresh can also help you rediscover the ‘forgotten’ pieces — an old warm scarf, a vintage jacket, or some chic heels that still fit.
You can then discover new ways to wear these pieces and mix’n’match with your family’s regular-wear items. A comfy old cardigan might pair well with a new dress you just bought, or certain clothes of yours might fit your children as they’re growing up. This is a great way to repurpose what you have and breathe new life into things you once loved and paid for.
This will also help you come up with ‘new’ outfits that you already own, instead of circling through the same few clothes at the front of your closet.
Remember, a wardrobe refresh can make your family feel like you have a closet full of fresh items when you haven’t spent any money buying new clothes. By refreshing and sorting through all your clothing, you can visualize older things differently, making them feel new again!