I know, I know…you’re only just over Xmas, the weather’s been freezing and the last thing you want to do is strip off and try on clothes. But here’s the thing…spring is on the way and the shops are now filling with exciting new creations.

Are you like me? I go for a couple of years and love everything in my wardrobe, just adding a few items to freshen up the look and then suddenly one morning you look in your wardrobe and there’s nothing! Clothes that you loved wearing have suddenly lost their charm. Almost overnight you’re bored with the colours and the style is starting to look a little last year.

I took a long hard look at my wardrobe this week and I’m afraid I think I’ve reached the stage where it needs a real shake-up. So what is my advice for getting a spring wardrobe back on track? Here is my six step approach…

1. Be ruthless – take a long hard look at your clothes and identify what is really past its best. Send to charity or a clothes bank. If you’ve just gone-off an item you could swap it or give to a friend. Or you could hold your own swishing party with a few friends.
2. Think about why you’re no longer keen on some things. Have you changed shape, had a baby, put on weight or lost weight so that the style is no longer quite as good on you? Or has there been a major change in style – like the trend away from skinny leg towards wider leg 70s style trousers. Get rid of anything that doesn’t make you really excited.
3. Take a look at your diary and work out what events you need outfits for, in the next 6 months. Have you got something for your friends’ Wedding/Baby Christening/Add your own event here
4. Have you seen some outfits on celebs that you love or do you admire someone’s style that you’ve seen in the magazines or on TV – work out what it is you like about the look and think about how you could wear a similar look.
5. Work out what you might need to replace or buy. Make yourself a shopping list and set a budget (and stick to it!)
6. Spend an hour or so Internet shopping to get a good idea of what’s in style and available and this will help you plan a shopping trip.

Putting a wardrobe together from scratch doesn’t happen overnight. You do need some quiet time to plan, which will save hours of leg work. And it’s OK to come home from a shopping trip empty handed. At the very least, get out of your comfort zone and try on as many new styles and shapes as you can while shopping – you may be in for a pleasant surprise and get new inspiration for your wardrobe.

You’ll see an eclectic mix this spring 2016 – look for lace, ruffles and bows. Spots rather than stars and stripes. Shine in silver or dare to bear with off the shoulder detailing and tops created in supersized fishnet.

Let me know how you get on…

Helen