How to Move Away (With Your Clothes)

I’m moving across the state (out of my family’s home and into a student apartment). My finances, medicare, lease and uni are sorted. One of my biggest issues are, what do I do with my clothes!? Fortunately, I can leave the clothes that I don’t take at my mums, but now I have to choose between clothes. After researching efficient ways to choose and move my clothes, I've come to a few conclusions.

Choosing what to take

I hate this part. So many times I've stood in front of my wardrobe and thought ‘Would I take this over that? But what If I need that for so-and-so occasion!’ etc. So here’s how I judge the value of my clothes.

                                                               

Priority list:

-          Quality – Top priority, pieces in impeccable condition (no rips/tears, good material, durable)

-          Size and fit – Needs to fit well, and if it doesn’t, sizing needs to be easy to fix

-          Classic or trend – Trends are out, classics are in (of course)!

-          Season – I can get winter pieces from my mums later, I need summer clothes!

-          Price – It’s harder to let go if you paid an awful lot, but not if you’re over it

Examples of what I’m bringing

-          Light, chiffon blouses

-          Pencil skirts

-          2 semi-formal dresses

-          1 spring cape

-          A pair of versatile capris and well-fitting, navy jeans

-          3 pairs of ballet flats

Examples of what I must leave

-          Gorgeous, Italian winter coat (too hot for that!)

-          Ill-fitting blouses that I meant to mend and never did

-          Obviously old clothes

-          Things I hadn't worn in over 6 months

-          A few formal dresses

-          Boots – fur trimmed and knee-high pairs

Packing the clothes

So, I love my clothes dearly, but I’m travelling by car with my 5-person family – and no trailer. I was faced by the dilemma, how do I take it all? I have so many things to take, but after some searching on the internet I've found some tips to fit my things!

-          Sort clothes into types (eg. Jackets, shirts, pants, underwear etc.)

-          Turn clothes inside out to decrease the amount of creases in your clothes!

-          Roll thinner items into a tube (thin blouses, underwear etc.) instead of folding

-          Pack heavy things/less-likely-to-crease pieces at the bottom of box/bag/case

-          Pack clothes in heavy duty bin liners – it’s cheap, clean and fits awkward car boot space

-          Take some clothes in a big handbag on the way down – you don’t want to open the bin bags

-          Shoes are packed in boxes with scrunched newspaper in the feet

-          Put jewellery in a separate ‘valuables’ box

What to wear while I drive

Being in a cramped car for three days will comfy. It’ll be 30C+ degrees, hot hot hot! Anyone that has been on long road trips should know how to dress, but if it’s your first time here’s an example outfit.

A skirt won’t be too comfortable, so shorts or play suits are a must. Light coloured clothes will deflect light/heat more than darker. Jersey cotton is comfortable and breathable choice. For shoes, open-toe ballet flats are my go-to, but some would prefer sandals. To top it all off, a pair of cute sunglasses will protect the eyes and some cute hair clips would help to pin back your hair. These are the type of outfits that I will be wearing on this hot summer trip!

Well, I’ll be testing how this all goes in a few days, and reporting back with how my move went! I’ll be driving 1722km/1070miles in the space of 3 days, it should be very tiring. I’ll see you soon with my next Outfit Photo Friday.

Vintage Fashion, Modern Approach.

Love Claire, xo.