Curating a Wardrobe you LOVE!

Curating the Wardrobe you LOVE!

I always hear people complain that they have nothing good to wear, no closet space, etc. My response is always the same: We must approach our wardrobes like an ongoing project. 

Something that's assessed has requirements and needs to be maintained. If your wardrobe doesn't make you feel like the best version of yourself, you must reevaluate and change. We can spend years finding our own unique style because, similarly to us, it's constantly evolving. Through the deepest closet clean-outs, I've coached countless friends, strangers, and myself. I've gone through this process many times with various people, and after seeing their results, it's time to share what works best!

The key to having a meaningful wardrobe that makes you happy is figuring out the commonalities for the clothes you love to wear and getting rid of the ones you never wear. My first advice for starting a closet clean-out: Take everything out! Our subconscious thinks it's harder to get rid of something when it's already in the closet, but if you have to put it back in the closet to keep it, you may find you don't actually want it. 

My second piece of advice is to look at everything you have and ensure the balance makes you happy. Michael Kors once said your closet should be 70% staples and basics and 30% unique statement pieces. This ratio varies person-to-person, but it's a great place to start. Once you've done an excellent clean-out and figured out what you can sell to make some money back, (I'd count this as my third piece of advice because selling clothes you don't wear is so much better for the environment and your wallet than throwing them out) now it's time to figure out what you're missing! 

Our inner fashion designer can create the items we think would make an outfit perfect.... but some of us are not. If you have the creative capacity and God-given talent to physically make an item you envision, then you must take advantage of that. Nothing is more unique and "your style" than a piece you created yourself. But, for those who know we do better in stores than in front of a sewing machine: it's time to shop with a plan. I'm convinced that 80% of over-shopping and having items we don't like could be solved by truly understanding what we are shopping for and our style. Otherwise, it's too easy to fall prey to whatever's cute or pretty, and then you waste your money on a closet full of clothes you never reach for.

We all treasure making a list before going to the grocery store or planning things with a budget, so why not do the same for clothes shopping? My fourth advice is a big one: list what you will look for. Browse mood boards, websites, and influencers to see what outfits you like and what they all have in common. Make a list of things that you wish you had in your wardrobe. For example, mark down a style or color of pants you've seen that would be great with 3 tops you already have. Shopping with a big-picture plan versus impulsive or desperate buys has many benefits. You buy less, save money, save space, have items you love, can more easily create outfits that make you feel good, and so on. Having a list of things ahead of time will help keep your shopping focused. Aiming to have just one item per category will save you both space and money.

And finally, my last advice to anyone shopping for specific items or occasions: do not just buy something because it's cheap. It usually ends up falling apart or losing my interest after just a few wears. It pains me to think of how much I've wasted on Fast Fashion. Now that my style and taste are more developed, I wish I had that money back to invest in items of better quality. If you don't see something you love in the store you're standing in, move on to another store. You'll know you've found the right piece when you see it, so don't waste your money on something cheap and easy.

To sum it all up for those of you about to take on a closet clean-out project: take it all out and decide what you want to keep, sell what you don't want, figure out what you like the look of, make a list of what's missing from your closet and what you want to shop for, and finally make sure you really love it and have things to wear it with at home before you buy it.    

Happy cleaning!!