The average time women stand in front of their closet choosing what to wear is 17 minutes a day, and on average, 20% of the clothes in most women’s closets are worn 80% of the time.
It’s possible that your closet no longer works for you because you haven’t updated your style, even though you have experienced changes to your body or changes in your lifestyle. Any of these changes can require a makeover for your wardrobe:
If you are resisting any of these changes, your wardrobe is probably full of things that you are no longer wearing. It is easy to get trapped in the past and continue shopping for our old figure or our old lifestyle. With aging, the body changes even if your weight does not, so styles we bought years ago usually do not look the same on our current figures.
With a proper edit your closet can go from chaotic to functional and be filled with stylish pieces that mix and match for a fabulous and easy wardrobe. The best wardrobes are full of basic or foundation pieces that work for your lifestyle, are in your best colors, are styles that suit your body shape, and are styles that represent your personality, letting the world know who you authentically are.
If you haven’t worn it in over a year, there is a good reason for that, and it’s just taking up valuable space.
Styles that were bought when you were a different size or when your lifestyle was different should be tossed or donated. If your goal is to become a different size, you will want to reward yourself with new purchases when you reach your goal.
Anytime you are unsure about whether or not something needs to go this question will give you clarity. If the answer is, “No”, you should put it in the donation pile.
What is your current lifestyle and what percentage of your time is spent in each segment (for example) work, church, social activities, exercise, etc.?
The categories you wear the most should be where it is easiest to locate them. Items that you only wear for special occasions or that you wear rarely can go in another location in your home or be put in your closet where it’s not as easy to get to them.
Divide your categories such as:
Each category can be organized from lightest to darkest for visual impact.
After eliminating what was not fitting, what was not in your best colors, and what you don’t feel great in, what do you need to replace? Make sure your wardrobe has a great foundation of basic pieces. This will look different for each person, depending on your lifestyle. Your basics might be a great fitting blazer, tailored trousers, blouses, and lots of layering pieces or it might be a jean style jacket, great fitting tees and stylish denim jeans.
Remember to replace the worn out pieces that you wore often.
Any items that you purchase should be in your best colors, styles that fit your body shape, and be items that you love and that express your personality. Make sure the foundation of your wardrobe has functional, basic pieces that fit well and are in your best core colors. These basic pieces will be the mainstay of your wardrobe and will mix and match with all of your statement pieces and fun items that are seasonal.
For a neat and organized closet that has visual appeal and brings you joy, use all matching hangers, clear plastic shoe boxes to store the shoes you don’t wear as often, and bins to store sweaters and other items you want folded. For lots of product ideas go to KendraFoundIt.com.
An inspired closet will be a joy to walk into. When it is fully organized, and without the clutter of unworn clothing, choosing your outfits will be a pleasant experience. It can seem like a daunting task when you are starting out; however, the final results will be so worth it.
Sometimes, having a professional to help is what is needed. If you would like to experience the full “Style Journey” of discovering your best colors, best styles for your body shape, and your style personality before doing a full closet edit, contact me on my “Image Consulting” page on my website.
