A Wardrobe is Like Life - December 2008

A wardrobe is like life, a mixed bag of chores and wonderful moments. There are of course many ways of approaching the concept of a wardrobe and several ways of organising a wardrobe too. Based on the saying 'out of chaos comes order' I will deal with two; the organised and the bombsite, each other’s opposite? Not necessarily.

Often ‘the organised’ is seen as an expression of ‘being on top of things’, in our sometimes quite chaotic daily lives. We want to be on top of ironing, washing, cooking, household and decoration, not to mention clean school uniforms and shoes, clean children for that matter. And in the middle of lunchboxes, fitness, after school activities, play dates, some of us are juggling a part-time or even a full-time job, as sudden illnesses, doctor appointments, parents consultation are required, birthday parties and presents, oh god Christmas is coming up…. There really is one thing after the other, how to ‘be on top’ of it all, I don’t know. All I know is that life is a mixed bag of consecutive tasks, chores and wonderful moments.

This is how I see my wardrobe too, a mixed bag of chores and wonderful moments. The wonderful moments are the clothes, the mixed bag of different style, colours and combinations, all waiting for their chance to get out of the cupboard, and join me as I enter the day.

Everyday the wardrobe comes into the equation. It is where we start our day, whether you have an organised or bombsite wardrobe. The organised wardrobe is where trousers hang next to trousers, tops next to tops, dresses next to dresses and so on. It is likely to be colour coordinated too. It looks organised and sometimes impressive, but is not always the most inspirational wardrobe, as the owners, often out of habit will wear the ‘same’ combinations again and again, dictated by colour. When, as a personal stylist, I am faced with such a wardrobe, my task is to reorganise and introduce a bit of chaos, in order to stir up the set approach and enable the client to see new combinations.

On the other hand when faced with a bombsite, the task is to bring order enhancing the inspiration. A bombsite wardrobe is often a wardrobe that contains clothes from past decades and lifetimes. Where pain is an appropriate word and the client more inclined to avoid the wardrobe, as facing the truth is an awful reminder. The truth being that one has lost the will to engage and therefore feels totally uninspired. The joy and pleasure in a client's face when a bombsite again is turned into a playground is truly rewarding.

It is important that clothes are loved, worn and versatile; remember you walk through life with them.

If you would like advice or have any questions please email style@asbjorgdunker.co.uk