Wardrobe Detox

At least once a year I like to have a clear out to reorganise my wardrobe and get rid of things that I no longer wear. This January I had the biggest wardrobe detox ever and listed almost 200 items for re-sale. Initially I was motivated by raising extra funds to care for my poorly pug, Dorothy, who was diagnosed with a serious condition in October last year (protein losing enteropathy). Her vet bills escalated to £7,000 in 3 months. But the more I listed, the more I realised I wanted to let go of a lot of things in order to have a more streamlined wardrobe. So far I have raised £3,000 which will help fund Dorothy’s ongoing veterinary care. There are still lots of items left for sale, pictured and detailed below. Close-up photos of each piece are on my Instagram page @theladysmaid_preloved. Email: info@theladysmaid.com for more info or to purchase.

1. **SOLD** Kitri Studio – pink gingham dress

2. Laurence Coste – pink quartz earrings. £125.

3. Baukjen – blush pink cotton V neck jumper. £30.

4. Kezmay London. Pink tweed Alice band. £30.

5. **SOLD** Monsoon – Pink tie neck dress.

6. Mango – pink and green cotton midi dress. Size: Medium. £30.

7. Mint Velvet – pink colour block top. Size: Small. £25.

8. 2 Birds Dubai – pink Chinese blossom wrap dress. Size: S/M. £35.

9. Really Wild Clothing – sweet pea pink dress coat. Size: UK 10. £250.

10. Stuart Weitzman – Leigh 95 desert rose heels. Size: UK 6. £175.

11. Oasis – pink broderie cotton summer dress. Size: UK 10. £30.

12. HM – pink blossom print blouson sleeve midi dress. Size: Small. £25.

13. HM – pink cat eye sunglasses. £15.

14. HM – pink/purple check tie neck mini dress. Size: Medium. £30.

15. Jewelled pink Alice band. £15.

16. Zara – Pink v neck dress. Size: L. £30.

17. Vintage silk dress. Size: UK 10/12. £60.

1. Rixo – burgundy Elsie Dress. Size: UK 12. £200.

2. Hobbs – red leather loafers. Size: UK 6. £45.

3. Zara – burgundy pleated midi dress. Size: medium. £30.

4. Vintage Ciner earrings. £75.

5. Vivien Sheriff – Burgundy wool felt baker boy hat. £100.

6. HT hats Burgundy wool felt trilby style hat. £85.

7. Ethereal London – dark floral silk midi dress. Size: UK 10. £175

8. Zara – Burgundy leather high block heel boots. Size: UK 6. £40.

9. Warehouse – Burgundy silk swallow print dress. Size: UK 10.

10. Camilla King Millinery – Burgundy velvet headband. £40.

11. Greylin – burgundy velvet jumpsuit. Size: Medium. £85.

12. Top Shop – Burgundy short sleeve top. Size: small. £20.

13. Burgundy jewelled headband. £15.

14. Vaai London – Burgundy silk palazzo pants. Waist measures approx 40cm when flat – has drawstring to adjust smaller. £175.

15. New Look – Burgundy faux leather clutch. £10.

16. Oasis – red polka dot dress. Size: UK 10. £30.

17. Top Shop – small red basket bag. £20.

18. Libelula – red jessie dress. Size: UK 12. £100.

1 . Suzannah London – emerald silk tea dress . Size: UK 12. £285.

2. HM – green floral cotton summer dress with puff sleeves. Size: Small. £20.

3. Vintage earrings. £45.

4. Glossy Paris – mint green mohair mix tank top. £25.

5. **SOLD** Monsoon green gingham cotton dress.

6. Boden – emerald satin midi skirt. Size: UK 12. £75.

7. Jewelled headband. £15.

8. Jigsaw poppy print maxi dress. Size: UK 10. £60.

9 Top Shop tartan maxi dress with puff sleeves. Size: UK 10. £45.

1. The Pretty Dress Company – navy coat. Size UK 10. £75.

2. Zara – turquoise blue floral wrap dress. Size: Medium. £35.

3. Tropical animal patterned scarf. £40.

4. Zara – royal blue zip neck top. Size: small. £20.

5. William Morris & Co. x HM – blue floral printed shirt dress. Size UK 10. £35.

6. ** SOLD** Luella – Baby blue cashmere/merino mix tank top. One size (fits UK 8-14).

7. GP & J Baker x HM. Floral midi dress. Size: UK 10. £35.

8. Guinea London – navy merino wool cardigan with velvet trim. Size: small. £50.

9. Dune – large navy mock croc envelope clutch. £20.

10. Mango floral mini dress – Size UK 10. £20.

11. Zara – Navy Peter Pan collar dress. Size: Small. £25.

12. Karen Millen – Navy/white striped mini skirt. Size: UK 10. £30.

13. Mango – royal blue dress with flared sleeves and notch V neck. Size: small. £20.

1. Top Shop – I saw a unicorn T-shirt (SOLD).

2. Warehouse – Little black dress with lace back panel, Size: UK 10. £25.

3. Zara – tweed midi skirt. Size: Medium. £25.

4. Nine West – black leather flats. Size: UK 6. £15.

5. Vintage 1920s sequin shrug. £50.

6. Black & white bandeau dress. Size: UK 10. £60.

7. Warehouse – Little black dress with lace panels. Size: UK 10. £25.

8. Karen Milen – short grey coat with black leatherette panel. Size: UK 8. £35.

9. M&S – Black & white knitted midi dress. Size: UK 10. £30.

10. Zara – Black and ivory patterned midi dress. Size: small. £20.

11. Yosuru – black suede low heel shoes with detachable camellia leather shoe clips. Size: UK 6. £75.

12. Zara – black blazer. Size: small. £25.

13. Mango – black and white V neck mini dress. Size: small. £20.

14. Top Shop – black / ditsy floral shirred bodice Bardot mini dress. Size: small. £25.

15. Mango – polka dot dress. Size: UK 10. £20.

16. Pure Collection – houndstooth blazer. Size UK 12. £65.

17. Top Shop – vintage style black velvet top handle bag. £25.

1. Miagiacca – ivory tweed jacket. Size UK 10. £250.

2. HM – V neck tank top. Size: Medium. £20.

3. Zara – faux patent leather shoes with large pearls. Size: UK 6. £15.

4. Zara – faux leather slingback flats with pearls. Size: UK 6. £20.

5. Zara – polka dot shirt dress. Size: Medium. £30.

6. Faber Novella – rose gold heels. Size: UK 6. £65.

7. Ethereal London – merino long line loungewear cardigan. Size: S/M. £60.

8. Dune – camel leather flats. Size: UK 6. £25.

9. Top Shop – ruffle high neck blouse. Size: UK 12. £20.

10. Zara – pearl bucket bag. £28.

11. Hobbs – ivory cotton jumper. Size: small. £20.

12. L.K. Bennett – gold glitter heels. Size: UK 6. £65.

13. Zara – peach/white short sleeve top. Size: small. £15.

14. Yosuru – gold leather flats with detachable Swarovski crystal buckles. Size: UK 6. £80.

15. Karen Millen – nude patent leather heels. Size: UK 6. £35.

16. Carvela comfort. White leather sandals with gold studs. Size: UK 6.

17. Jigsaw – gold V neck jumper with sequins. Size: small. £40.

18. Mango – nude leather slingbacks with block perspex heel. Size UK 6. £35.

19. Top Shop – Silver diamanté Alice band. £20.

20. Whistles – tiered silver sequin dress. Labelled size UK 12 but has been altered slightly smaller so would fit a 10/12. £100.

1. Vintage 1960s wool coat. Size: UK 10/12. £85.

2. **SOLD** Zara pearl slides.

3. Zara – polka dot wide leg trousers. Size medium. £35.

4. Jigsaw – A line mini skirt. Size UK: 12.

5. **SOLD** Zara – sleeveless jumper.

6. Pure Collection – coral v neck dress. Size: UK 12.

7. Zara – brown leather handbag. £50.

8. Accessorize – pink frame sunglasses with brown tinted lenses. £15.

9. Noa Noa – Brown mohair blend tank top. Size: small. £40.

10. **SOLD** HM – floral maxi skirt.

11. HM – sparkle knit jumper. Size: small. £20.

12. M&S – floral midi dress. Size: UK 10. £30.

13. J. Crew – pink leather belt. Size: small. £20.

Jewellery – lost and found

January 24, 2021January 24, 2021 ~ Alicia ~ 1 Comment

This weekend I wanted a distraction from being cooped up in lockdown alone, so I asked followers of my Instagram page to send me their stories of lost jewellery (everyone has one). I was surprised by how many lost jewels actually turned up, and in the most random places – sometimes 10 years or more later. So often it’s the sentimental attachment that makes losing jewellery difficult, above the monetary value. A ring inherited from Grandma, a 21st Birthday watch – jewellery inherited or given as a gift can be the only tangible attachment we have with loved ones no longer with us, or symbolic of family bonds and milestones, so it is often irreplaceable. My favourite story was a lady whose husband lost his wedding band whilst preparing a cannon to fire during a military ceremony!

Another favourite was a lady retrieving a ring, lost for 15 years, on her gardening fork while digging up veg! It reminded me of this news story where a lady dug up a carrot and miraculously her diamond ring, lost for 10 years, was stuck around it. I think sometimes the jewellery wants to be found and eventually you’re drawn to it.

There were also lots of stories of children “playing postman” with Mama’s precious jewels and dropping them down floorboard cracks. I like hearing the random places where jewels turn up – biscuit tins, candle sticks, flower pots – and so many years later. Diamonds really are forever, even if they’re not with you!

I rarely travel with anything too valuable or sentimental these days after I lost a St. Christopher pendant I bought on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence to bring me luck when I travel. The pendant wasn’t so lucky, sadly, as I lost it in Paris along with my watch. The watch turned up randomly in the bottom of a garment bag (it must have fallen off whilst I was packing), but I never found the necklace. Maybe one day it will re-surface like in your stories 🙂

I’ve also been entrusted with extremely valuable jewellery with my work, so my focus is often on my employer’s jewellery rather than mine. I once worked for a lady who lost a yellow diamond earring when we were travelling in Japan (very rare and scarily expensive). We were travelling with a photographer, so I got his camera and looked through all the photos until I found one where she was wearing only one earring. The photo was taken in a clothing store where she was trying on scarves, so we called the store and they had found it! It was such a relief – and I got extra brownie points for my detective work 😉 I’ve also often had to retrieve a chain from a drain – blue tack on the end of a skewer works well for this!

So remember – never wear precious rings when gardening or washing up! And never put your jewellery in a tissue or anywhere temporarily that isn’t a container – you will always forget it’s there!

With jewellery safe places and storage in mind – here are some ideas for trinket trays to keep near sinks, dressing tables and bedside tables, and portable travel jewellery organisers to keep your jewels safe and prevent future diamond dramas!

(some affiliate links used).

To secure earrings these lock backs are good – regular butterfly backs often come loose when changing clothes – probably the most common way of losing an earring.

New Year Wardrobe Detox

January 19, 2019January 19, 2019 ~ Alicia ~ Leave a comment

Many readers of my book Wardrobe Wisdom have commented on how the second section – Wardrobe Organisation – has really motivated them to have a proper wardrobe detox and declutter their clothing collection. This is a process that seems daunting initially but once completed is really transformative – to your wardrobe and to your mind. I’m not a neat freak and am not keen on rooms that are overly minimal – but I know which image below makes me feel calm and which gives me anxiety!

Photo: iStock images

Photo: Ikea

If your wardrobe is chaotic then it will make the process of dressing much more difficult each day – sometimes the feeling of not having anything to wear is because you can’t easily locate what you have. Clearing out clothing clutter will also help you to identify what gaps you may have in your wardrobe – garments that you may need to purchase to get the full potential out of the clothes you currently have, enabling you to create outfits with ease and take the stress out of dressing.

A survey in 2017 by Weight Watchers estimated that the figure of wasted expenditure on clothing was £10 billion, with only 55% of the clothes women own actually being worn. Whilst some people may be hanging on to things for posterity, or “just in case” they may need it/fit in to it one day, there is undoubtedly a hoarding of unworn or unnecessary clothing going on. And if you don’t have the luxury of wall-to-wall walk-in wardrobes to store mountains of clothing, then a periodic clothing cull is a necessity for most people.

So, if you have had a post-Christmas sales splurge and need to free up space for your new winter additions, why not release your inner “Marie Kondo”, ditch the New Year diet and detox your wardrobe instead!

Cleanse your Closet

When you go through your wardrobe, be realistic about the clothes that you wear day to day; hanging on to garments that you no longer wear takes up space unnecessarily, so try to adopt a ruthless sorting process. Divide into the following groups:

Keep, wear regularly
Keep, but need to supplement with new purchases in order to wear
eBay/re-sell
Charity
Storage (out of season)
Discard/recycle

If garments no longer fit or you haven’t worn them in a while, try selling them on eBay first or donate to a charity shop. Popular designer and high-street labels and occasion outfits/dresses tend to sell better than casual clothes on eBay, so consider sending casual clothes straight to the charity shop, if they are in good condition, or to a clothing recycling bank. I had a clothing clear-out just before Christmas and donated to The British Heart Foundation – they will collect the bags of clothing from your door (see the BHF website for details). You could also support charities like Smart Works, who accept quality second-hand workwear donations, which they then offer to women seeking employment.

Image: British Heart Foundation

High-end designer labels will also sell well on designer second-hand clothing websites, such as Vestiare Collective. Head over to my Recycle blog post where I have listed some other places where you can recycle your clothing.

Keeping Organised

To keep your clothing collection at a manageable level with a wardrobe that is accessible and wearable, try to resist purchasing any unnecessary items; focus instead on filling the gaps in your wardrobe that were revealed after the clear-out. Group 2 (things that you are keeping but need to supplement with new purchases in order to wear) is likely to be full of separates which only work if they have something to work with. Make a list of things you think your existing wardrobe would benefit from and focus on acquiring these items the next time you go clothes shopping. Your goal is for a versatile and manageable wardrobe to fit in with your space and lifestyle. Resist the temptation to purchase new one-off garments unless you think they will complement what you already own.

Once the detox is complete, your remaining wardrobe needs to be efficiently organised so that you can easily locate specific garments. It will be much easier to avoid clutter creeping back in if everything is suitable stored. Check out Wardrobe Wisdom for more tips on effective wardrobe organisation.

New Year, New Wardrobe

January 19, 2018January 19, 2018 ~ Alicia ~ Leave a comment

Hang on to your Christmas spirit a little longer and cleanse your closet instead.

If you are anything like The Lady’s Maid, the last thing you want to do in the midst of January is adopt the customary New Year post-Christmas detox, diet or that strange phenomenon of recent years: “dry January” (why make the bleakest month of the year any worse by depriving yourself of a warming tipple). As the first month of the year, it is natural that the arrival of January prompts people to assess their lifestyles and want to improve, in an effort to “start as you mean to go on”. Still, The Lady’s Maid prefers to bask in the glory of Christmas until at least Candlemas. So, instead of depriving yourself of food and drink’s winter-warming sustenance, The Lady’s Maid suggests you turn your attention to a “wardrobe detox” instead.

If you have had a January Sales splurge and need to free up space for your new winter additions, then January is a perfect time to de-clutter your closet and release your inner “Marie Kondo”. Most ladies, at one time or another, have uttered the panic-stricken words “I have nothing to wear”. It is never usually true and often a result of clothing clutter – it is hard to create an outfit if you can’t easily locate one. Clearing out clothing clutter will also help you to identify what gaps you may have in your wardrobe – garments that you may need to purchase to get the full potential out of the clothes you currently have, enabling you to create outfits with ease and take the stress out of dressing.

A YouGov survey in 2012 revealed that there are around 2.4 billion pieces of clothing lying unworn per year in the UK, cluttering up wardrobes across the land; this equates to approx 46% of the national wardrobe. A similar survey in 2017 by Weight Watchers estimated the figure of wasted expenditure on clothing to be £10 billion, or £200 per adult, with only 55% of the clothes women own actually being worn. Clothing clutter is clearly an ongoing problem. Whilst some people may be hanging on to things for posterity, or “just in case” they may need it/fit in to it one day, there is undoubtedly a hoarding of unworn or unnecessary clothing going on.

With this in mind, when you go through your wardrobe, be realistic about the clothes that you wear day to day; hanging on to garments that you no longer wear takes up space unnecessarily, so try to adopt a ruthless sorting process. Divide into the following groups:

Keep, wear regularly
Keep, but need to supplement with new purchases in order to wear
eBay/re-sell
Charity
Storage (out of season)
Discard/recycle

If garments no longer fit or you haven’t worn them in a while, try selling them on eBay first or donate to a charity shop. Popular designer and high-street labels and occasion outfits/dresses tend to sell better than casual clothes on eBay, so consider sending casual clothes straight to the charity shop, if they are in good condition, or to a clothing recycling bank. High-end designer labels will also sell well on designer second-hand clothing websites, such www.hardlyeverwornit.com or http://www.cudoni.com.

Keeping organised

Here are The Lady’s Maid’s Top Tips for Organising your Wardrobe:

The best way to organise your clothing in your wardrobe is to divide it into sections, such as: work wear, casual wear, evening wear, sportswear. Within these sections organise garments by type (skirts/trousers/tops), and then by colour, darks to lights.
If you want your wardrobe to look neat and streamlined, discard shop hangers that came with your garments as these will vary in size and add bulk to the wardrobe space. If you adopt slim velour-covered plastic hangers, or slim rubber hangers throughout the rail you will keep the clothes hanging at an even level and achieve a streamlined visual effect as well as saving space.

Keep woollen knitwear folded to protect the natural fibres which will stretch if hung on a clothes hanger. Box-folding and arranging by colour is the best way of organising knitwear – keep different types together i.e. high-necks, V-necks, crew-necks etc for ease of location and then organise each type by colour, darks to lights. You can use a shirt-folding template to help achieve a uniform shape, or a plastic chopping board works just as well!

Hanging shoe organisers are a great space saver for flat footwear. These can be hung over a hanging rail to allow you to store multiple pairs of shoes. You can also store other small accessories here, such as scarfs, belts and gloves.

Out-of-season clothing can be stored on top of the wardrobe or under the bed, to free up space for clothing in wear during the current season. Be sure that any storage boxes and bags that you use are appropriate for clothing – they should be made of breathable cotton or canvas material, not plastic. And if woollen knitwear is present, add a lavender sachet to ward off the pesky moth. Delicate garments should be folded with acid-free tissue paper to protect them from creasing.

Drawer organisers are useful for keeping different types of underwear separate, and preventing you from having a top drawer full of jumbled smalls. If you don’t have drawers, then you could arrange underwear in open shoeboxes on shelves, or in similar shaped boxes.

Acrylic drawers and stackable trays are a good way of storing costume jewellery and sunglasses to protect them from dust; the transparent plastic makes it easy to view the contents.

This article also features on The Lady magazine website: www.lady.co.uk

Wardrobe Organisation

October 30, 2014December 9, 2017 ~ Alicia ~ Leave a comment

Convert Clothing Chaos into Calm: follow The Lady’s Maid’s guide to Wardrobe Organisation.

Organising your Wardrobe

Organisation is key to keeping a tidy and accessible wardrobe and prevent chaos from creeping into your clothing collection. There are many different constituent parts you have to bring together to create an outfit, so the process of dressing and creating outfits will be made a lot quicker and easier if your wardrobe is kept in a tidy orderly way at all times. Once you have a system for organising and storing your clothes you will begin to value the things you do have and want to get the full potential out of each garment, rather than resorting to buying something new when you’re looking for a new outfit to wear.

Here are some of The Lady’s Maids tips for keeping the perfect wardrobe:

Sort through your wardrobe as outlined in the previous post Detox your Wardrobe. Before rearranging the clothes give the wardrobe space a thorough clean – vacuum inside and clean the sides and base with a damp cloth. Leave to dry thoroughly before placing clothes back inside.

Re-line drawers with lining paper or drawer liners – preferably lavender or cedarwood scented to ward of moths.

The best way to organise your clothing is to divide it into sections such as: business/formal wear, casual wear, evening wear, outdoor wear. Within these sections organise garments by garment type (e.g. skirts/tops/trousers) and then by colour within these types, from darks to lights. Group together patterned and multi-coloured pieces.

Don’t pack things in the wardrobe too tightly – clothes need space to air and hang freely to allow creases to fall out.

Evening dresses with very delicate fabrics and clothes that are only worn occasionally should be protected from dust with garment bags. Use breathable calico bags. Short plastic shoulder covers can be used to protect the tops of dresses if you have lots of them and want to be able to view them all in your wardrobe.

Very heavily beaded dresses should be laid in drawers rather than hung as hanging them will cause the fabric to sag and stretch.

If you want your wardrobe to look professionally arranged and organised use matching hangers for all clothing within the wardrobe. This will keep the clothes hanging at an even level and make them look more streamlined on the rail. Slim wooden or non-slip rubber hangers are the most space-efficient.

Sort knitwear into groups such as: V-necks, High-Necks, T-shirts, Cardigans, and then into colour order: dark-light. Thick woollen knitwear is best kept folded in drawers or stacked on shelves to prevent the delicate fibres from stretching on hangers. Thinner knitwear can be hung but be sure to use appropriate hangers to support the vulnerable shoulder area, such as these ones from John Lewis.

Buy John Lewis Non-Slip Knitwear Hanger, Set of 3, White Online at johnlewis.com

If placing shoes at the bottom of the wardrobe below the clothing, order them in a way that corresponds with the clothing above. This will look better visually and will also enable you to match up the shoes with appropriate outfits.

Shoes that are not worn everyday are best kept in boxes to protect them – use boxes with a clear front so you can easily locate them.

Storage solutions

There are many clothing storage solutions available that will help supplement your main wardrobe and help impart a little calm amidst the chaos:

Portable hanging rails are practical and economical if you need extra hanging space in a spare room, and also very useful for planning travel wardrobes. The downside of these are that your clothing will be exposed to dust, so make sure you only use clothing rails for everyday clothing that is worn and washed regularly.

Single Pole Garment Rail

Shoe hanging bags can be fixed over a hanging rail to allow you to store multiple pairs of shoes and are particularly good for flat and casual shoes.

A multi-hook rail fixed over the back of doors for hanging coats and bags.
Baskets or stackable trays could be placed on shelves within the wardrobe to keep together bulkier accessories that are awkward to store elsewhere.