Following a year spent almost entirely at home, wearing activewear on repeat, we are starting to explore the long-forgotten parameters of our wardrobes. As such, it’s perfect time to take stock of what we want to keep, and what we’re ready to give away…
This time of year is inextricably linked to detoxing: whether it’s a juice cleanse for your diet, or a spring clean of your home – and that includes your wardrobe. The last year has given us all pause for thought – particularly the fashion industry – with sustainability at the forefront of our sartorial considerations more than ever before. Thankfully there’s a roster of brands to help with your wardrobe spring clean: from resale sites, a new wave of fashion rental services to monetise your wardrobe, or even virtual personal styling appointments to aid the process.
We turned to the experts behind these female-led brands to garner their tips for detoxing your wardrobe this spring.
HEWI
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HEWI (Hardly Ever Worn It) is a luxury resale website, exclusively for new or barely worn pre-owned designer goods – think Dior, Dolce & Gabbana and co. Sellers can list items themselves without fees, or alternatively opt for the fuss-free VIP service, whereby HEWI handles everything on your behalf: from helping you edit your collection, to handling all buyer enquiries for ultimate anonymity.
Tatiana Wolter-Ferguson – CEO of HEWI
What are your expert tips for detoxing your wardrobe for spring?
First things first, what haven’t I worn? Anything I haven’t worn more than once has to be sold, recycled, or passed on. Then I pack up my winter items, and put them all in a suitcase for next year.
What one item are you keeping?
My Saint Laurent light-blue jeans; finding the perfect fit in jeans is no mean feat!
What one item are you getting rid of?
I like to recycle my heavy knitwear at the beginning of spring, re-selling the pieces I know I won’t wear again. I love finding a pre-loved piece for next winter; I just found an incredible knit by Gucci which I have packed up ready for AW21.
What one item are you putting into storage until next season?
My Loro Piana cashmere coat. It’s a forever item.
ROTARO
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Fashion rental platforms have never been more popular, particularly for those wanting to wear something special and unique for an event, but know full well once it has been worn (and eternalised on Instagram) it will remain at the back of the wardrobe. Rotaro has a vast range of hype brands from Attico, Area, and De La Vali, ripe for the return of party wear, whilst the likes of Bernadette Antwerp, Rixo, and The Vampire’s Wife, make for the best-dressed wedding guests. Prices for rental start at just £15, with next-day delivery available. Fell in love with a particular piece? Rotaro also offers a selected edit of pre-loved pieces to buy at very reasonable price points.
Georgie Hyatt, Co-Founder and CEO of Rotaro
What are your expert tips for detoxing your wardrobe for spring?
Since launching Rotaro, the way I get dressed has changed significantly. I have a smaller collection of quality pieces, that are well made or second-hand, which I wear to death. I then rent whenever I feel like I need something new: be it a cool knitted vest, or a dress for a dinner. Renting has shown me that I need to own and buy less, and my wardrobe is (hopefully) soon going to be Marie-Kondo approved. I am mid-way through my spring-wardrobe detox, and my best friend is Depop. I am hooked! For more expensive pieces, list them on Vestiaire Collective.
What one item are you keeping?
My vintage Burberry pleated midi-skirt. I got it for a pinch at just £50, and I’m certain I’ll cherish it forever.
What one item are you getting rid of?
I am rehoming a Reformation summer dress. It’s still gorgeous, but I feel it could be loved better by someone else.
What one item are you putting into storage until next season?
My Saks Potts dream coat purchased via Vestiaire Collective. I scoured the internet for more than a year to find it, and will never let it go.
WHERING
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Clueless is an iconic 90s film for many reasons, but namely the fashion. Now you can live out your Cher Horowitz virtual wardrobe fantasy with a new nifty app called Whering. If the thought of dressing for the array of social occasions punctuating your diary is breaking you out in a cold sweat, press pause before you splurge on a new wardrobe to satisfy your urgent need for newness. This app allows you to upload images of existing items in your wardrobe, to effortlessly curate fashion editorial worthy moodboards to breathe new life into old looks. Even better, the app’s algorithms can pull together outfits for you, which you may not have ever considered. Great for your bank balance and the environment.
Bianca Rangecroft, Founder of Whering
What are your expert tips for detoxing your wardrobe for spring?
Digitising of course! Being able to access a visual inventory of the clothes you own will make you realise how much (or how little) you actually wear. I felt the need to maximise my wardrobe because I was drowning in clothes, but I felt like I had nothing to wear, which sparked the idea for my app. Detoxing your wardrobe for spring is the perfect moment to digitise, but it can be a bit overwhelming. I recommend doing it in batches over a few days. I’ve found doing it straight from the clean laundry basket is easiest, because I’m putting my clothes away anyway!
What one item are you keeping?
A yellow leather Iro bomber jacket that I bought years ago in Paris. It’s a wild piece, but brightens my mood every time I throw it on. Sometimes you just need that ‘pick me up’ piece.
What one item are you getting rid of?
An old Zara maxi dress that was meant to look good in every season, but actually doesn’t work in any.
What one item are you putting into storage until next season?
A vintage Escada black velvet dress: a hand-me-down from my mum. This piece is very close to my heart, and never ceases to amaze me. I update the accessories I pair it with, to be slightly more on-trend, but the look never gets old.
P.S. ONLINE STYLING
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P.S. Online Styling was founded by celebrity stylist Ella-Louise Gaskell during lockdown. With prices starting at £30 for one curated look, personal styling is finally accessible to all. After signing up, clients complete an online questionnaire to pair them with their perfect stylist. Each package is bespoke and tailored to the client’s needs and budget, complete with a personal moodboard and ‘Style Formula’ to follow. With a WhatsApp platform, expert stylist advice is only a click away. After a surge in demand, they have expanded into bridal too, so the hunt for the perfect wedding dress has never been easier.
Ella-Louise Gaskell – Founder of P.S. Online Styling
What are your expert tips for detoxing your wardrobe for spring?
My number one tip would be to follow the three Rs: re-wear, re-style, or re-sell. If you categorise each item into these sections, it’s a handy strategy for identifying which items to keep, and which to move on from. If you aren’t interested in re-wearing it anymore, or can’t find ways to re-style it in a different way, don’t just throw it away – take to one of the great re-sell platforms or rental platforms to give it a new lease of life. At P.S. we are always helping people style their existing pieces in new ways, and showing that there are a number of ways to wear each item.
HURR COLLECTIVE
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Started in 2017, HURR Collective was at the forefront of fashion rental, acknowledging there must be a more sustainable way to quench the thirst for trends than purchasing fast fashion. Renters sign up to the platform and after receiving the tick of approval can send items peer-to-peer. Offering shoes and accessories as well as ready-to-wear, there’s an impressive array of options. Rentals start from seven days, so there’s of time to flaunt your new acquisition.
Victoria Prew- CEO and Co-Founder of HURR Collective
- Start slow, you don’t have to clear out all of your clothes at once.
- Ensure every piece you keep is something you love or has an all-year-round purpose. Can you wear it in spring and style it in the winter months too? If your answer to all the questions is no, then it’s time to resell or donate to charity.
- Be ruthless. If you haven’t worn something for over a year then let it go.
Any Questions or Tips to add?