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How to downsize your wardrobe ready for your ski season. Packing tips for season workers.
How exciting, you are about to set off for a huge adventure to work seasons. Congratulations on taking the leap to have the adventure of a lifetime and a dream career.
So you have your trip secured and you’re at the packing to leave home stage. You might be moving away from your family home, or perhaps you’re moving out of your rented apartment from your full-time office job life and need to downsize your belongings.
Going on ski season might be the excuse you need to downsize your life. Especially if you’re feeling stressed out, overwhelmed, and like you’re being suffocated by your stuff, then it’s time for a change. It’s time to figure out how to downsize and simplify your life.
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Are you feeling overwhelmed?
If you are anything like me you are probably looking at your wardrobe and possessions with sadness and are feeling quite overwhelmed with not knowing what you are going to need and how you are going to fit everything you do need into 1 or two suitcases. What are you going to do with everything you don’t need for your season but you’re not ready to part with just yet?
I just want to say, have trust in the process, it will all come together. Less is most definitely more when it comes to season life. You will be surprised at how little you need in your wardrobe and home possessions to be happy. After all, IT IS JUST STUFF. Don’t forget this!
Have you heard of Mari Kondo? She has a few NETFLIX series on how to downsize and reorganizer your life by deciding whether the item ‘sparks joy’ or not. The series is worth a watch to get you in the mood to say bye to things you may have become attached to over the years.
My aim when I looked at all of my possessions when I most recently when home was to get everything I wanted to leave behind into one large suitcase and to get everything else into one large suitcase and a ski bag. I did it! So if I can do it, can you?
Let’s start with the clothes in your wardrobe.
WINTER. You’re going on ski season so you need winter gear. Hit the subscribe button and ill email you an easy to use tick box packing list for your ski season. Check out my ultimate guide to season packing here too.
First start by going through each item and getting rid of anything you haven’t worn in over 2 years. If you haven’t needed it due to the weather and you love it, it’s practical and good quality, this can be your only exception.
Now go through everything and put aside any clothes that don’t currently fit you. You definitely don’t need to bring it if it doesn't fit because you won’t wear it! If you have a lot of clothes that you love but no longer fit, choose 5 items that you’d like to keep just in case your body shape changes to fit them or you’d like to give them to people as nice presents. Don’t let beautiful clothes go to waste if they really are special you might be able to get them altered one day.
Select any items of clothing that have rips, bobbles, stains, stretch wear and tear or colour fade and put them aside for donation.
Now for the Mari Kondo step- does it bring you joy? Do you smile when you wear it, does it bring you a sense of peace and happiness, if not, let it go.
Next go through essential items such as jeans, black white and/or plain t-shirts and select one or two of each to pack.
Then pick out 3 items that you wear all the time and couldn't live without in winter. Turn these items into 3 different outfits.
Shoes
Put any shoes that are uncomfortable, don’t fit, or are broken in any way aside for donation.
Get rid of any shoes that you haven't worn in over a year
Get rid of any shoes that don’t go with any of your outfits- trust me you’ll never find the right outfit if you haven’t already.
Jewelry
Are you wearing any jewelry right now? If not, don’t take much with you if any because you won’t wear it.
Choose 3 pairs of your favorite earrings, 1 necklace, and 2 rings just in case you have an occasion to go to. You can always go shopping if you need to!
Use this as an opportunity to get rid of any tarnished / cheap tacky pieces or anything that you haven’t worn in years. I have turned my jewelry box into a Stirling silver-only box over the years and have only a couple of sentimental real gold pieces because I find gold-plated jewelry just doesn't last for me and is never the right color if it isn't real gold. If you have a safe place to leave possessions behind, I would leave your expensive/sentimental pieces that you don't wear all the time at home.
You are most likely going to need a watch so start wearing one.
Accessories
Decide whether you need to bring a belt with you or not. One is enough.
Choose one summer/ spring hat, 2 beanies max, and one scarf to bring with you. Donate everything else to charity. Trust me on this one that working ski seasons these will be items you find so often in the shops, your collection will grow so gut your collection now before you start.
Home Accessories
Do you have bits and bobs in your bedroom or cupboards and drawers that make the place feel like home? Perhaps it’s a candle or a jewelry box, an ornament or a picture frame. If it can be replaced with something nicer, get rid of it. Take out photos from photo frames that can be replaced.
Are you moving out of your family home bedroom? Your parents would probably love to use your bedroom as a guest bedroom and if you don’t de-personalise your room, they will most likely end up doing it for you while you are away. Take down the posters off the wall and use this as an opportunity to leave the room how you’d like to come back to it when you go home to visit. This is the start of the rest of your life! Don’t look back.
Are you finding it difficult to get rid of items due to emotions and sentimental value?
Check out this helpful article. It provides some useful steps you can take to help you remember that while your heart can never be too full, your house can be, and gives you 10 ways to ditch your clutter and simplify your life.
Transitioning from High street to technical clothing brands
One of the things I love the most about ski season when it comes to possessions is that it's a very practical, technical gear-related lifestyle. If you end up working in the ski season industry long term you'll soon realize that your hobbies are less aligned with high street fashion and more aligned with what is lightweight, warm, and sweat wicking so that it is comfortable and performs best in your outdoor activities. Longevity of clothing items becomes more important to you and a capsule fashion wardrobe becomes more and more important to leave you more space for your technical items. I'm talking fleeces, merino thermals, comfy leggings and sweat pants, hiking and ski socks, sports bras, and gym clothes, simple jeans, hiking trousers, and raincoats.
On the back of this, my interests in high street fashion brands such as Mango, Zara, H&M, have transitioned to more interest in outdoor technical clothing brands such as Bamboo Clothing, Patagonia, Ice Breaker, Rab, Burton, The North Face, Eivy, Mons Royale and Black diamond.
Good luck with your journey to downsizing your life ready for you ski season. Please reach out to me if you have questions regarding your packing decisions.
The links to other websites in this article are not affiliated or sponsored links and serve simply as inspiration for you.
TheSkiNomad
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