Above and Beblonde
  • Blog
  • About
  • Fashion Tools
  • Press

Wardrobe Turnover

3/29/2019

6 Comments

 
In the never-ending struggle of wardrobe maintenance, ensuring a perfect outfit for every occasion from walking the dog in monsoon rains, attending a fashion show on a balmy spring evening and battling the furnace that is Arizona in the middle of an August day… let’s just say I have my work cut out.
​
Not only can this be a costly endeavor but an overcrowded one, and with neither a pile of money or a spacious closet, strategic measures must be taken.
Picture
Thanks to Marie Kondo, letting go of the things we don’t ‘love’ has become an appealing option! However, I don’t love my no-show socks, but I need them so I would be mindful about getting rid of everything you don’t love. The key is to hold onto the essential basics (no-show socks included), timeless classics, the pieces that never date and lots of accessories – all of which can create oodles of outfits (except for no-show socks) whilst taking up very little space.
​
The biggest downfall is when we buy something that we already own!  The new one is deemed better in some way, whether it be fit, style, color or whatever it was that drove us to make the purchase. The chances are you’re not going to wear the old one anymore making it redundant, so before your closet becomes closet chaos, pull out the displaced pieces and decide whether to sell or donate. 
Picture
Eeny meeny miny moe...

to sell or to donate? that is the question!

​The reason I suggest selling is because it brings in a few extra pennies from heaven, cha-ching! This supports your fashionista habit, it brings down the average cost per wear of the clothes you buy and extends their life to someone who will continue to love them. It’s a win-win situation.

Here's my criterion in deciding whether to sell or donate:
  • If it’s in PERFECT condition AND a popular brand OR a designer label OR a unique / niche / vintage piece, then sell it!  In other words, if it falls within any of the ‘OR’s it doesn’t have to be perfect or a popular brand.
  • If it doesn’t meet the above equation, then I give it to a charity.
Altogether a win-win situation… I just love all this winning!

donation options

  • ​I keep a Vietnam Veterans of America sack going in the spare bedroom adding pieces to it as I find them and once full, put it out on the specific day they pick-up in our neighborhood.
  • Good Will is another great organization to donate your unwanted clothes or household goods, as most of the money stays in your local community. There are drop off locations everywhere, click HERE to find one near you.
  • Sometimes my friends organize a charity rummage sale for their local church, so I give them pieces to sell. Remember, giving locally generally has the largest impact.
  • Avoid the clothing drop-off bins you see in local shopping centers. Most of these are scams and little or nothing goes to charity.
  • Whenever I’m in the vicinity of an H&M store I’ll drop off a bag with a few pieces of clothing for donation. You simply take it to the counter and tell them it’s for donation and they give you a 15% discount coupon which you can use against any purchase in their stores in the future.
  • Madewell takes in old pairs of jeans, (any brand or style) which go to create housing insulation for communities in need. For this they will give you $20 toward a new pair of Madewell jeans.
  • And, although this isn’t clothes related, if you’re a tennis player like me, you can donate used tennis balls to local doggy shelters… it’s all about spreading the love! 
Picture

selling options

There are many on-line auction sites, but E-Bay remains one of the best. I’ve been using E-bay for several years, it’s relatively easy using their free phone app. Snap some good pictures of the item for sale, upload to the app, write a detailed description and include any faults with the item, weigh it (including packaging) to establish the buyers shipping cost and list it! I have a lot more recommendations on listing items on E-bay, but that’s another blog post! Let me know in comments if you want me to cover that topic.

It’s not just designer labels that sell on E-bay. It’s anything popular, trending, well known brands (including inexpensive brands like H&M). Zara sells well on the used market place, another great reason why I love to shop at Zara! Lululemon has continuously been a fast and easy sell on E-bay for several years.
​
You can also sell via consignment stores, but you make a fraction of the money as they take a very large cut of the sale, however they also do all the work and have the cost of overheads, so it’s fair! Click HERE to learn everything you need to know about consignment. 
Picture

make what you buy work hard

​Choose what you buy carefully keeping versatility in mind. Can it be worn a myriad of ways, for different occasions or events? Dressed up, dressed down, and anywhere in between… all goes to ensure you have different outfits from one new purchase when mixed and matched with your existing wardrobe. First thing I do with a new purchase is have a try-on session creating different looks with pieces from my closet. If it doesn’t measure up in the versatility department, it goes back. 

wardrobe modifications

​Sometimes our favorite clothes just get tired as trends move on, in need of a face lift to feel fresh again (I know the feeling)! No worries, fresh can be just a few nips and tucks away! Check out this blog post  (DIY - High Low Hem Jeans) on updating old jeans to a trendy new hem line. 

Consider modifications to bring back that loving feeling, like replacing buttons to something new. Perhaps narrow a kick flare leg to a tapered leg, or shorten a maxi dress to a midi, mini or even tunic length. Adding darts to a billowing shirt or dress to create a more streamlined silhouette. If you can’t do this yourself, find a good tailor. Here’s a link to my blog post (​A Tailor Made Fit) that tells you exactly how to do that!
Picture
An updated hem line makes a tired pair of jeans feel new again!
​May your closet be the perfect playground for your self-expression and a bottomless pit of appropriate outfits for every occasion all the while staying contained within the confines of it’s walls and your bank balance! 
​
As always, thank you for stopping by
6 Comments
Lisa link
3/29/2019 05:09:29 pm

Love these ideas, Karen! I used to sell on ebay, but it's been a while. I'll have to try that again.
Lisa :)

Reply
Karen
3/29/2019 05:21:52 pm

I love Ebay, it can be quite time consuming, but it has been financially worth it for me! Thank you for your feedback Lisa, glad you enjoyed the article, and hope you get back into Ebaying again!

Karen x

Reply
Diana Leotta
3/30/2019 11:11:34 am

Yes Karen I’d love to get more information regarding eBay.
Thank you!

Reply
Karen
3/30/2019 11:18:52 am

Thank you Diana, will do!

If you haven't already signed up for my newsletter, you can do so and I will notify you each time a new blog post is published and what it's about. Alternatively, if you just want to know when the Ebay blog is published, send me your email address via the Write To Me page and then only I will see it, and I can let you know when it's out!

Karen x

Reply
Tessa Lovejoy link
4/2/2019 09:29:11 pm

This was a great read - full of good, solid ideas and funny!

Reply
Karen
4/3/2019 11:57:00 am

Thank you Tessa for reading and your lovely comment. So happy you enjoyed it!

Karen x

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    Karen Serino is a life and style blogger, sharing fashion, fitness and fun for youthful women in their forties, fifties and beyond.

      ​

    Subscribe to Newsletter
    Enter your Email above and receive blog updates directly to your inbox!
    Follow me on Instagram @aboveandbeblonde and see daily outfits and other fun stuff:

    ​Use the search field to enter keywords to look up a specific blog:

    Archives

    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016

    Categories

    All
    Beauty
    Fashion
    Fitness
    Food
    Fun Stuff
    Lifestyle
    Miniseries-downsize
    Mini Series Downsizing
    Mini-Series - Downsizing
    On The Court With Karen
    Places To See
    Sleeping Around With Above And Beblonde
    Stories

    Click the picture below to see my interview with the lovely Jonet Wooten from Fabulously Chic Over 50
    Picture

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Blog
  • About
  • Fashion Tools
  • Press