by If there’s one thing I’m sure I have enough of, it’s clothes. I’ve worked in fashion for the past seventeen years, a job that naturally accumulates a lot of outfits. Plus, I’m a bit of a hoarder.
As well as vintage home knits that both my mum and dad used to have, I still have my first pair of Converse, which I got for my 13th birthday in 1990. So there’s definitely plenty to choose from in my wardrobe, both old and new. But sometimes, I still open the doors and feel like I have nothing to wear.
It is at this point that many of us fall into the trap of buying something new. Up until five years ago, that was me, too. Cheap clothes and convenient availability meant I could pop into a high street shop on my lunch break to pick up a fresh outfit if I wanted a pep up.
More often than not those purchases were ill thought through impulse buys, and in order to move away from supporting the harmful fast fashion industry, I decided to do something drastic: I quit shopping for year (I also stopped writing about trend-led fashion and accepting gifts, but that’s a story for another day).
It was during this period that I discovered the Wardrobe Relay. It didn’t have a name then – it was my idea – and I can’t take credit for the concept itself, which I borrowed from a now-defunct Instagram account called Not Buying New (what a shame it was a great account ), but the idea is simple: you take one thing out of your outfit and carry it to the next day. So maybe first you will wear a classic white button-up shirt with a pair of blue jeans, and the next day, you will wear the open shirt over Breton and change the jeans for a skirt. Then, the Brit sits under a pinafore dress and… you get the gist.
What’s the point, I hear you cry? In my experience, there are many benefits, including:
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It will encourage you to wear your clothes more often. We should all aim to wear everything in our wardrobes at least 30 times.
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It will force you to think about your clothes in a more imaginative way, styling skirts under partially unbuttoned shirt dresses like petals, perhaps, or a back-to-front cardigan.
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It’s really helpful when you’re packing, especially for short trips. When I first tried it, I was commuting to London for three days every week. My relay outfit meant I had less to carry in my overnight bag.
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It makes you think twice before throwing something in the dirty laundry basket and instead, wear it the next day. Something that saves on laundry, water, electricity… I’ve spoken to many people who say they’ve been unknowingly doing the Wardrobe Relay for years for that very reason.
I don’t include shoes or coats in my Wardrobe Relays, because seasonally the stick runs regularly anyway, but everything else (minus undies and accessories) is fair game. To illustrate, I’ve embarked on my longest wardrobe shift ever – ten days! – and today, I give you the results:
Day one
I don’t wear my dresses often enough. I’m naturally casual, and I’m much more likely to pull out a pair of trousers in the morning, especially when it’s cold. So for the first day I chose this upcycled gingham number and dressed it down with a jacket and necklace. I have never worn this combination before and I love it! Already benefiting from the shift.
Day two
One of my favorite tricks for mixing up the vibe of your favorite vintage dress is to wear a knit tank over the top. This comes with the added bonus of keeping you warm – a great way to wear a summer dress all year round. If you’re worried about my cold feet, rest assured that there are some secret leggings you won’t see down here.
Day three
Okay, the knitted tank is a little cop out for Wardrobe Relay, since it is so versatile and has the ability to enhance almost any outfit. But that just goes to show how awesome knit tanks are.
Day four
I bought these cords secondhand and my favorite way to wear them is with the aforementioned knit tank. So I enjoyed forcing them to look very different with this look. This oversized shirt doesn’t get the love it deserves – I’ve had it for years, but only worn it a handful of times.
Day five
Another opportunity to wear the unworn shirt, and I’ve paired it with my possibly overworn coat (this has been worn about once a week every week since I got it). Long skirts like this are great for getting more wear out of longer items that wouldn’t fit neatly into a pair of trousers. I am very happy with this one! Will visit again.
Day six
Once you’ve been doing the shift for a while, you might start to get more experimental. During my original run five years ago, I really got into shirt dresses because you can wear them in so many different ways. I’ve only worn this particular one on its own as a dress, but I prefer it this way.
Day seven
I couldn’t wear the straight dress by itself because it wouldn’t give me anything to carry over to tomorrow, so I wore wide leg trousers underneath. I wasn’t at all sure at first, but now that I’ve seen these pictures I think I might win.
Day eight
Back in my comfort zone with the ultimate Wardrobe Relay item – a reversible jacket! I love this lightweight one because I can wear it like a cardigan; It looks great with another jacket over the top and is perfect for cool summer days too. You really understand the most versatile items in your wardrobe when you start relaunching.
Day nine
is easiest. Relaunch. Ever. I have been known to wear the same outfit and turn the jacket the other way to get a whole new look. This is especially good when you’re traveling with only hand luggage (which I usually do – I did a trip to Thailand with a tiny bag!). But that made tomorrow’s relay a bit complicated so I’ve tried something else new: wearing the jacket as a shirt.
Day ten
I got the idea for this outfit from someone I saw on social media; It’s a great way to take styling inspiration and apply it to pieces you already own to try out during your shift without buying anything new, and yesterday’s jeans worked perfectly for the look.
