The ultimate guide to closet summer revamp

After spending the longest winter in the history of our generation scrolling through the social media home, it's time to go out and shine in our favorite outfits again. But what if when we reopen our wardrobes the expectations do not correspond to our "saved" on Instagram or to our Farfetch wishlist? If our style had changed during the quarantine, between a yoga session and a banana bread, and our wardrobe no longer mirrored us? The classic "full closet but nothing to wear" situation is frustrating and guilty of increasing style confusions and physical insecurities, creating a vicious circle that affects how we relate to the outside world. The solution is there and it is one step away from the usual tidying of the wardrobe. It is not necessary to buy kilos of new clothes and accessories to have a summer wardrobe that represents us, just take an afternoon break and do a "revamp" of the wardrobe.

The closet revamp is a process of reorganizing the wardrobe through which we can rediscover and enhance the items in our collection, freeing ourselves of what no longer represents us, with the aim of having a wardrobe full of items that make us feel confident. The tradition of the change of season takes a fun twist with this method, which not only cleans but restores the balance between basics and essentials, two categories of clothes that we often confuse with each other. On the other hand, shopping as a fashion victim who chases trends is an impulsive and polluting practice, given the environmental costs of fast fashion that we commonly buy. To stock up on sundresses and accessories and then discover that you already have a thousand boxes full of them, is useless and expensive. Giving value to what we already own is a pampering both for the portfolio and for the environment. Let's discover how.

Basics and essentials

What is the difference? The basics are those neutral clothes and accessories, of a single color or at the most two-tone, without fantasies or too obvious details. A pair of jeans, a white t-shirt or a flesh-colored crop top are perfect basics. As well as a black shoulder bag or white sneakers. This type of garments stands out because it acts as the backbone of any self-respecting wardrobe: an outfit made of basics is effective and coherent without the need for any extras. But to add a touch of panache and personality to our daily look, extras are all right. Here come the essentials, those bold, colorful and detailed garments that implement and enrich each ensemble that we compose. Essentials make it possible to communicate any mood. With a simple detail it is possible to go out and feel hype like Billie Eilish or sexy like Dua Lipa, just put imagination and inventiveness in it. Street of giant glasses and mini-bags, chunky sneakers, bandanas, jewels, and whoever has more put them on. In each wardrobe these two types of garments and accessories should coexist in a balanced way, to always obtain satisfactory and effective looks.

Come fare un closet revamp estivo

Step 0: Put all winter clothes in transparent boxes and put them away. Leave room for the summer category.

Step 1: According to the legend Marie Kondo, our garments should be taken out of the closet all together and positioned on a large support surface.

Step 2: Divide the clothes and accessories (including bikinis) into groups, ordering them by stacks of basics and essentials to keep, to throw and to sell / donate. It is essential to have a clear understanding of the direction of our wardrobe, the style or mix of styles we want to have. It is very useful in this case to have reference pictures, like those of a vision board, for example.

Step 3: Try everything on, try to imagine the outfits to create with each single piece, evaluate how it falls on you and if it respects your style. Take some photos and ask for advice if you can't make up your mind, and if you get nice selfies, why not post them on the gram with the hashtag #nssgclubclosetrevamp?

Step 4: Like every rebirth event, the summer revamp also involves the "cutting off dry branches". Eliminate clothing that you no longer like or do not represent your style, but also old and ruined ones. Keep in mind this rule: if I haven't worn it in more than six months, this can go to the trash-bin. Don't use a trick like "I keep my size 36 jeans so this will make me lose weight." You don't need negative stimuli to get out of the chrysalis.

Step 5: Select the items you could sell on second-hand and vintage platforms, such as Depop or Vestiaire Collective and put them in an envelope / box. All those accessories bought impulsively and put on the day of purchase are perfect, then left to gather dust in the closet. If you love them, let them go. And you also earn something.

Step 6: Once the selection is done, hang or store the items by category (T-shirts with T-shirts, jeans with jeans, so to speak) so that they are clearly visible and recognizable. Do not cram the drawers too much and arrange the items folded horizontally. Remember that you should look at your wardrobe as the arrangement of the garments in your favorite shop: with love and desire to wear them.

Step 7: At this point, you will know what you own and what is missing from your collection to reflect your style. Buy items designed to fill the gaps in your wardrobe, like seasonal must-haves of good quality or timeless elements to maintain the balance between basics, essentials and your personal style.

Fashion is not only fun, but also a way to express yourself. It is easy to lose your bearings among the thousand stimuli that we absorb every day and having a wardrobe that acts as a fixed point is a great starting point in order not to lose sight of each other