I am going to assume that, like me, your objectives every season are:
#) a manageable size wardrobe
#) ease to choose what to wear
#) to look effortlessly fabulous
This was the case for Stephanie, whom I helped revamp her wardrobe last year. She wanted to downsize, which required keeping only pieces that were versatile and could be worn with multiple other pieces. She also wanted to feel like deciding what to wear and what to wear it with was a breeze. This way, she was confident she would feel compelled to look put together regardless of where she was going. I gave her five main guidelines I follow when deciding what to keep and what to toss, and then we embarked together on a quick 5-step guide on how to approach her wardrobe.
Today, I will be sharing this guide and the guidelines with you, along with some examples of how Stephanie goes from a children's play date to a date with her husband with minimal effort. Are you ready?
MAIN GUIDELINES to decide if you are keeping or tossing a piece
Can I use it for one (or more!) of the activities that I perform in my everyday life?
List the main 5- 7 activities in YOUR life. Stephanie listed: church, errands, play dates, business conferences, jewelry parties, family outings, and dates with her husband
Is this piece in one of my colors?
By "your" I mean "YOUR" colors. Stephanie had many neutral (black, white, gray, beige, navy) pieces in her wardrobe (yay!) which was a good starting point. She had several colorful items too, and some of them were in colors that complemented her skin, eye color, and hair (like royal blue and chartreuse; yay again!), but others were out of place: not only they clashed with her other color pieces, they didn't do anything for her complexion. Try the colored pieces you have and start a list of which colors work and which ones don't. From the ones that work, keep those that work together.
Does it complement my body type?
There are countless resources online that will help you determine what's your body type, and what shapes complement it. If you are more old-fashioned, like me, I recommend Dress Your Best by Clinton Kelly and Stacy London (it's even at the local library!). These gurus of style talk to no end about how you need to dress the body you have, not the one you would like to have, and choose silhouettes that enhance your best features. Start eye-balling which pieces in your wardrobe are there because you loved them on the rack, but don't flatter your body when you wear them. Stephanie has an hourglass body (I know, I envy her for that too!): curvy top and bottom with a small waist that normally would get lost in some of the boho, tunic-like pieces she used to wear.
Is it a Basic Piece or an x-tra?
Basic pieces are fitted (regardless of your style), they are neutral, and they are of good quality so they will last. Having 4-7 bottoms, 7-10 tops, 2 dresses and two options of shoes (flats and high heels) is a good start. Stephanie came up with basic tops and bottoms that carried her through her choices.
Bottoms: When it comes to pants, she now has two pairs of jeans, one hemmed for flats and of a lighter wash, and one hemmed for heels, which is in a darker denim. If you are not a denim kind of girl, you can go with cords, or even a pair of khakis. She has one pair of tight black pants. Finally, she has two skirts: a cotton, pencil and a silk, a-line.
Dresses: She has three dresses: a little black dress, a stripped, a-line dress, and a royal blue belted dress.
Tops: For tops, she kept an assortment of t-shirts, tanks and blouses in silk, cotton and satin.
Add to the list, two pairs of striped and black flats and a pair of leather sandal wedges, as well as a structured olive green canvas jacket, and her basics were complete. 75% of these pieces were things she already owned. The majority of the pieces on her wardrobe, however, were x-tras: cardigans, colorful dresses, tights, light sweaters, raffle-y blouses... here is where you get to add some fun and color, but also where you probably have the most pieces that don't follow the guidelines. These pieces can be worn on their own (in some cases) for a one-in-a-million-years event, or added to your basics for a pop of color or to embellish a run-to-the-store outfit. Be ready to filter heavily in this area.
Why did I save this piece?
If you save it, you must trust that there was a reason for it when you find it in your closet later on. Take photos with your phone, create a spreadsheet, find an app (like Style Book or Polyvore). Take note of what you think of every piece as you try it on. Try to take photos of the clothes on you rather than them laying on the bed. Stephanie felt like she would often forget how to style that basic dress and make it look super cute. She had a vague idea but once she tried, she felt something was missing compared to the picture she had in her head from when we styled the dress together. This step also helps eliminate “decision fatigue” when faced with your entire wardrobe on a busy morning — you already know what works with what for what occasion.
choose one of these as part of your basic bottoms
an assortment of basic tops: neutral and versatile
the structured summer jacket: choose your style
THE GUIDE: five simple steps
2) Clean your closet.
3) Separate the pieces on your good pile into basic pieces and x-tras.
4) Start trying the pieces from your good pile on, assessing each and every item based on the main guidelines. If something is too small, doesn't look as good on you as you thought, etc, move it to the reject pile. Focus on pieces that you can make work for more than one activity and dress up or down. Start with a basic piece, then add another, then add some x-tras. If you have a piece that fits you but you cannot use it for any of your activities (e.g.: a sequin gown when the most dress-up activity you listed is lunch out with your fiance), put it in the reject pile! If the piece could work through styling (a sequin top that can be worn for a lunch out with fiance by dressing it down with jeans and flats) then put it on, together with a basic piece, and try to imagine what else you can add to adjust it to the occasion.
5) Add accessories. Belts, hats, earrings, scarves... they can take the place of x-tras. Make sure they follow the main guidelines for color and fit. When it comes to accessories, “three is key” for any given outfit.
By the time you are done, you will not have all the pieces you need in your wardrobe, but my guess is that you'll have most of the main pieces plus a handful of x-tras and accessories. Take note of what you need to complete an outfit as you try pieces on, and wait for those online sales to start!
EXAMPLES of how Stephanie created 2-3 outfits from each one of three basic pieces
Example 1: start with jeans
Pair it with:
a t-shirt + flats ------------> for errands
a t-shirt + cardigan + flats + skinny belt ------------> for playdates
a blouse + heels + summer structured jacket ------------> for a casual date out in the town with her husband
Example 2: start with a skirt
Pair it with:
a bright colored simple blouse + flats ------------> for a business conference
a sequin tank + heels ------------> for drinks out with girls after conference sessions
Example 3: start with a dress
Pair it with:
a cardigan + heels ------------> for church
a cardigan + flats ------------> for an outing to the farmers market with kids
heels ------------> for a jewelery party
ONE EXTRA TIP directly from Stephanie
"Talk about attitude adjustment! Drop the mentality of “I’m just running to buy diapers so I can wear my sloppy sweatshirt and my pajama pants and my Uggs”. It doesn’t take a very large time commitment to “pull your look together” in the morning. This results in confidence / joy / satisfaction / the thrill and enjoyment of being a woman..."
So that's it. These guide and guidelines apply to stay-at-home-moms, business owners, students... as long as you don't live a life of servants and royalty, you want to look flawless with little effort, and you find your own style and have fun!
Great post!
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