Frugal Fashion Rotation

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One of the biggest expenses for me is clothing. With weight fluctuation, and my addiction to having trendy pieces and loving my classic pieces, well, to pieces, it seems like I’m always trying to find a deal on clothes or looking for ways to make the clothes I do have last as long as possible. The newest idea I’ve been implementing is clothing rotation,

We already rotate our clothes in and out with each season, so doing this within each season is an even better concept.  Just imagine: you have a favorite tee that you love to where in the summer but you know that within those months you will end up wearing and washing it down to the point where it will become a new cleaning rag for housework.  How about rotate that t-shirt in and out of your wardrobe every few weeks? Here’s the plan I’ve been following since the beginning of spring:

1. Pull out all spring  and summer clothes. Go through them and discard any items that you know you won’t want to wear(or can’t fit) and put aside to give to Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc.
2. Place like items together. Same style t-shirts, shorts, tank tops, or dresses all get put into their own piles.
3. Decide what type of rotation you want to use. I suggest doing a 2 or 3 week rotation, so you won’t get tired of using certain pieces for a long period of time, but you’ll have enough time with your mini-wardrobe so that you don’t feel like you are constantly switching out clothes.
4. Create your 2 new wardrobes. If you have 2 pairs of similar style shorts, place one pair in one pile and one pile in another. If you have 4 pairs, place 2 in one pile and 2 in the other, etc. By the time you are done with this, you’ll not only have your items organized, but you will be able to see what outfits you can create from each pile.
5. Place one pile in your drawers to be used for the next few weeks, fold up the second pile and place in nearby storage(like a linen closet or a tupperware under your bed).
6. Make a goal to wear every piece of clothing in your first pile. This will ensure that all pieces get their time out in public. It also ensures that you may not have to wash your wardrobe until the rotation period is over.

I started doing this right before the first day of spring, and even with the fluctuation of the weather, I’ve been able to give each item it’s due time. I also was able to add in a few more pieces since I could see what was missing from each rotation group(new items pictured above). I’ve even been able to rotate out my purses, which is big since I wear out purses like crazy. My favorite clothing pieces seem even more special now since I don’t give myself the opportunity to wear them every time I have the inclination to pull them out.

Do you all do anything special to stretch out the use of your favorite clothing pieces? Do you think this idea might work for you?