If there’s one thing I definitely have enough of, it’s clothes. I’ve worked in fashion for the last seventeen years, a job that naturally accumulates a lot of outfits. Added to that, I’m a bit of a hoarder.
As well as vintage home knits that used to belong to both my mum and my dad, I still have my very first pair of Converse, which I got for my 13th birthday in 1990. So there is certainly plenty to choose from in my wardrobe, both old and new. Yet sometimes, I’ll still open the doors and feel like I have nothing to wear.
It’s 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 just pop into a high street store on my lunch break to pick up a fresh outfit if I fancied a pep up.
Those purchases were more often than not badly thought through impulse buys, and in a bid to move away from supporting the damaging fast fashion industry, I decided to do something drastic: I gave up shopping for a 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 back then – that 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 (such a shame, it was a great account), but the idea is simple: you take one item from your outfit and carry it over to the next day. So perhaps first you’ll wear a classic buttoned-up white shirt with a pair of blue jeans, and the next day, you’ll wear the shirt open over a Breton and switch the jeans for a skirt. Then, the Breton will sit under a pinafore dress and… you get the gist.
What’s the point, I hear you cry? In my experience, there are multiple benefits, which include:
- It will encourage you to wear your clothes more often. We should all be aiming to wear every item in our wardrobes at least 30 times.
- It will force you to think more imaginatively about your clothes, styling skirts under partially unbuttoned shirt dresses like a petticoat, perhaps, or a cardigan back-to-front.
- It’s incredibly helpful when packing, especially for short trips. When I first tried it, I was commuting to London for three days every week. My relay outfits meant I had less to carry in my overnight bag.
- It makes you think twice before throwing something in the dirty clothes basket and instead, wearing it the next day. Which in turn 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 count shoes or coats in my Wardrobe Relay, because seasonally they tend to have the baton passed pretty regularly anyway, but everything else (minus undies and accessories) is fair game. To demonstrate, I have embarked on my longest ever wardrobe relay – a ten dayer! – and today, I bring you the results:
Day one
I don’t wear my dresses often enough. I’m naturally pretty casual, and I’m far more likely to reach for a pair of trousers in the morning, especially when it’s cold. So for day one I opted for this upcycled gingham number and dressed it down with a shacket and neckerchief. I’ve never worn this combination before and I love it! Already reaping the rewards of the relay.
Day two
One of my favourite tricks for mixing up the vibe of an old favourite dress is to throw a knitted tank over the top. This comes with the added bonus of keeping you warm – a great way of giving a summer dress year-round wear. If you’re worried about my cold legs, rest assured there are some secret leggings you can’t see under here.
Day three
OK, the knitted tank is a bit of a cop out for a Wardrobe Relay, since it’s so versatile and has the ability to boost almost any outfit. But that just goes to show how great knitted tanks are.
Day four
I bought these cords secondhand and my favourite way to wear them is with the aforementioned knitted tank. So I enjoyed being forced to make them look really 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 under-worn shirt, and I’ve paired it with my arguably over-worn waistcoat (this has been worn about once a week every week since I got it). Long skirts like this are brilliant for getting more wear out of longer items that wouldn’t tuck neatly into a pair of trousers. I’m very happy with this one! Will revisit.
Day six
Once you’ve been doing the relay for a while, you might start getting more experimental. During my original run five years ago, I became rather partial to shirt dresses because you can wear them in so many different ways. I’ve only ever worn this particular one on its own as a dress, but I rather like it like this.
Day seven
I couldn’t wear just the dress on its own as it wouldn’t give me anything to carry over to tomorrow, so I threw some wide leg trousers underneath. I wasn’t at all sure at first, but now I’ve seen these pictures I think I might be won over.
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 it’s perfect for cool summer days, too. You really appreciate the most versatile items in your wardrobe when you start relaying.
Day nine
Easiest. Relay. Ever. I have been known to wear exactly the same outfit and just turn the jacket the other way around for a whole new look. This is especially good when travelling with hand luggage only (which I generally do – I did a trip to Thailand with a tiny bag!). But that would have made tomorrow’s relay a little tricky so I’ve tried something else new: wearing the jacket as a shirt.
Day ten
I got the idea for this outfit from somebody I saw on social media; taking styling inspiration and applying it to pieces you already own is a great way to experiment during your relay without buying anything new, and yesterday’s jeans worked perfectly for the look in question.
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