How to update your wardrobe for Spring / Summer 2013

How to update your wardrobe for Spring / Summer 2013

Spring / Summer 2013 is on it's way which means its time to think of ways to update your wardrobe to make it lighter and fresher.

In this article, I will show you several inexpensive and easy ways you can update your wardrobe and look for Spring / Summer 2013. The ideas are suitable for both a work and casual wardrobe. Read on to learn about:

• The KEY colour for S/S 2013 which will instantly update your look.
• How to INSTANTLY look more uptodate for less than $1.00!
• Which six items of clothing are essential for a Spring / Summer wardrobe - you probably own most of them already.
• How to edit your wardrobe and create a core capsule wardrobe for S/S 2013.
• Four NEW neutral colours you may like to try.
• Six FRESH and NEW trend colours.
• NEW print ideas for S/S 2013
• How to use these new S/S 2013 colours to expand or update your core wardrobe.
• How to quickly update your make-up with the NEW nail varnish, lipstick and eyeshadow colours for S/S 2013
• THE key accessory for S/S 2013 that every stylish woman needs.
• Which inexpensive and easy accessories to buy to update your look.

Start with a wardrobe edit and review.

If you wish to update your wardrobe for Spring / Summer 2013, it is a good idea to start by reviewing and editing your existing wardrobe and creating a small core or capsule wardrobe which you can expand and update.

To start, I recommend removing the following types of clothes from your wardrobe, then seeing what you have left:

• Heavy winter clothes - winter coats, heavy knitted jumpers and cardigans, heavy wool suits, skirts and trousers, winter accessories such as woolly scarves, gloves and hats, woolly tights, winter boots and shoes.
• Dark coloured clothes - any dark neutrals such as black, dark brown, dark grey.
• Dark coloured clothes - and dark winter colours such as dark purple, plum, burgundy, dark teal, mustard, burnt orange, dark khaki.

If where you live is still a little bit chilly, you may like to keep one of your winter chunky knit cardigans in your wardrobe. Try to pick one in a lighter neutral colour such as white, cream, beige or light grey. If you don't have one in a light neutral, pick out one in a darker neutral such as grey, black, navy, dark brown.

Try to store the clothes that you have removed elsewhere, away from your wardrobe. I store my out of season clothes in a suitcase under my bed.

Next it is time to look at what you have left - your wardrobe for the forthcoming Spring / Summer 2013 season.

Update your neutral colours

Next we are going to create a capsule wardrobe based around clothes in neutral colours. We will add colour later in the form of extra items of clothing or accessories.

For now, we will focus on the neutrals.

The traditional neutral colours for Spring / Summer Neutrals are:

• White, cream, light grey, camel, light grey, khaki.
• Denim

However, in order to update your wardrobe for Spring / Summer 2013, you may like to try out four new colours that Pantone have identified as the trendy new neutrals for 2013. Pantone are an organisation that predicts the trend colours for the fashion and interior design world. Their trend neutrals for Spring / Summer 2013 are:

• Monaco Blue - Navy, but a new softer, lighter and brighter version.
• Dusk Blue - A mid-blue that is soft and calm.
• Grayed Jade - a mid-tone jade green, that contains a lot of grey.
• Linen - a soft and pale nude skin colour.

Make sure you have the Six Key Basics first

If you have followed my advise above and removed all of your heavy winter clothes, you will hopefully be left with a rail of lighter coloured and lighter fabric clothes.

We will use these to form the basis of your new updated Spring / Summer 2013 wardrobe.

The next task is to make sure you have a collection of basic clothes in neutral colours which you can build upon. So, start by separating your clothes, by pulling out all items of clothing that are in a neutral colour and put them at one end of the rail.

As you have learnt from above, neutral colours for Spring / Summer include:

• Navy, White, Cream, Tan, Camel, Taupe, Beige and Light Grey.
• Denim

Now, check these neutral coloured items to see if they contain the following key primary basics of a Spring / Summer wardrobe, and put them together on the rail.

The Six Key Primary Basics

• A trench coat - in one of the neutral colours. (The priority item if your Springs are wet.)
• Spring Tops - 3 to 4 long sleeve cotton tee shirts for layering - in the neutral colours.
• Summer Tops - 3 to 4 short sleeve tee shirts - in neutral colours.
• Trousers - in the neutral colours
• Skirts - in the neutral colours
• Denim jeans or skirts in either a dark inky navy or a softer mid-tone denim.

Put these together on the rail. These items form the back bone of your wardrobe and are what makes it work. If you are missing any of these items, or feel that you don't have enough, create a shopping list and make these your priority items to buy.

Expand your core wardrobe with Secondary Basics

The eventaul aim of this exercise is to help you create a capsule Spring/ Summer wardrobe that contains enough clothes to last you a week.

Once you have your Six Primary basics in your wardrobe, it is time to expand it by adding some Secondary Basics. These can be in neutral or plain solid colours (no patterns yet).

Go through the rest of your rail and see if you have any of these items. If you have, add them to your core wardrobe.

The Secondary Basics

• Short and long sleeve T-shirts in basic colours
• Cardigans - in neutral and basic colours
• Spring Tops - Long Sleeve shirts and blouses - in basic and neutral colours.
• Summer Tops - Short sleeve vests, tee shirts, shell tops, blouses - in basic and neutral colours
• Jackets - smart jackets for work and a casual jacket for week-ends.

Check that all of your basics are good quality, in good condition and still fit you. If they need cleaning, wash them or take them to the dry cleaners. If they need repairing in anyway, do this as soon as possible, so that your basic wardrobe is ready for the upcoming season.

Update your accessories

Another cheap and easy way to update your wardrobe for Spring / Summer 2013 is with accessories. They are often the last layer and finishing touch to your outfit. If you can’t afford to buy new clothes at the beginning of the season, a new accessory, can bring your look bang up to date.

First start with the basics:

The KEY accessory for Spring / Summer is a pair of glasses. Choose your first pair in a neutral colour such as black, brown or tortoiseshell for a chic and stylish look.

Other basic accessories are:

• Classic Shoes in neutral colours such as Ballerina flats, loafers, sandals, canvas shoes.
• A basic everyday bag in a neutral colour.
• For jewelry, there are classics such as gold or silver chains, hoop earrings or ropes of pearls.

Once you have acquired these, you can then add accessories in the colours and prints of S/S 2013 such as:

• Sunglasses or glasses frame in a trend colour.
• Scarves - silk or cotton scarves are a great way to update your look by adding a splash of the current seasons colour or print to your outfit. Wear a new scarf with your raincoat, tied to your neutral handbag to update it, wear it with a neutral outfit to add a splash of colour or on the belt loop of your jeans.
• Pretty coloured ballerina pumps - in a traditional or trend colour.
• A handbag in one of springs traditional or trend colours.
• Trend accessories - for Spring / Summer 2013 statement necklace are a popular and trendy accessory.

Update your make-up

After winter and the first rays of sunshine and warm weather, it is nice to freshen up how we look. An easy and inexpensive way is to buy a new lipstick or eyeshadow in a soft or fresh Spring / Summer colour. Again it is cheaper than buying new clothes.

Lipstick

• Traditional colours for Spring / Summer are coral, red and soft pinks.
• New trend colours - choose a lipstick in one of the new Pantone trend colours such as the soft Poppy Red or the soft Nectarine.

Eyeshadows

• A classy look is to wear a neutral eyeshadow, but for fun add a touch of the new Pantone colours to your eyelid, such as African Violet, Greyed Jade or Emerald Green.
• If you like really colourful eye make-up, you may also buy eyeliners or mascaras in these colours.

Conclusion:

I hope you found this article useful. Often the most stylish women are not those who spend a great deal of time or money on their wardrobes, but are often the ones who have a small well thought out wardrobe that suits their lifestyles and regularly edit it and update it with a few well chosen key items and accessories.

Often all you need is a new basic neutral garment to expand the possibilities of your wardrobe, or a new lipstick, nail varnish, scarf or cardigan in a fresh new colour to update it and ring the changes.

I hope you enjoy updating your wardrobe for Spring / Summer 2013.

(Fashion source:http://rontlog.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-update-your-wardrobe-for-Spring-Summer-2013)