Step 2: Eliminate the Excess

Good Morning Stylinistas; 

In this post I will share with you the second step in selecting a wardrobe that will make an almost effortless, flattering, and comfortable daily "costume" for the role you will play on almost any occasion.  Today my roles are that of Blogger, Homemaker, and Fashion Artist.  I have my hair encased in a fuzzy headband because I'm conditioning my hair while I am writing the post and also will have to run an errand at a nearby store.  I have on my usual minimum cosmetics and jewelry, the same top I wore when launching the blog (I try to wear a garment again if I have worn it within the week (drought here) so I can then toss it in the wash-I don't like returning worn tops to my closet). I am also wearing a comfortable pair of Not Your Daughters Jeans appropriate for the activities performed today.

Let's move on to the next step in creating an effective wardrobe. Hopefully, you have already Defined and Quantified your wardrobe requirements for your different roles (Step 1 was in the last post-the act of defining what kind of clothes and how many you need). 

Almost all of us have items in the closet that are simply not wearable; if the garment is shoddy or outlived its usefulness, no matter how much you love it, remove it from your closet and get rid of it.  If a garment does not fit and cannot be easily or practically altered, get rid of it. If you really hate it and know you won't wear it, get rid of it.  Place these articles in bags, piles, whatever.  Just remove them from your closet as soon as possible. By now you will most likely have cleared some space in the closet.

Take another look at the items in the closet.  If you decided to keep an item because it needed alteration, remove it from the closet for further action..   If you do not really like it (you bought it because it was of high quality and it was a 'good buy', ), determine what you don't like about it; Is it fixable?  If the answer is "yes", place it on the alteration pile, but get it out of the closet.  If the answer is "no", say good bye to your good buy! If you no longer like a garment and you feel it cannot be re-imagined, simply get rid of it. (you know, the "what was I thinking?" garment..)  If you are like most of us, your closet has even more space. We have just set the cornerstone for building a award winning wardrobe.  

I organize the remaining items in my closet by clothing types; I put all the blouses together arranged by color and sleeve length, all the pants, skirts, dresses, etc.  Of course, you should choose whatever method you prefer.  Some people like to organize by type, some by color, and some by function.  Choose the method that works for you. 

It is now time for me to analyze what I really can use and what I need. I Looked at my blouses: I have five crisp white button down shirts. I really only need one, but I will keep one more for back-up (you know, the unplanned coffee stain).  Check your closet and assess.. Do you have several printed short sleeve cottons and no white blouses? Are all your skirts black?  All of this may be appropriate based on your lifestyle and the amount of time you spend in a single type of garment.  The task is to determine if these garments are suitable for the role you wish to project and do you have the correct (approximate) number.  Only you can make this determination.

I found I had five crisp white button down shirts, all of good quality, and a perfect fit, I will embellish or dye three of them because my roles do not require five of them.  For instance, I might trim the collar of one of them with black details; I might decide to dye two of them in flattering colors. Those items would go on the pile of garments to be altered.  I would continue to analyze the remaining categories, making any notes as to items I might have to buy because I needed more of them.  I would also make notes if I needed to soon replace a necessary garment.

You may note that never once do I discard a flattering, high quality garment just because I have not worn it for a season or two or three, etc.  I never recommend disposing of it for that reason.  Classic and "timeless" means just that, you can wear it for all time. Pencil skirts may be in vogue one year, A-line another, etc.  I know the garment will be useful to me in the future.  Even if the garment has a non classic cut and may be dated in its details, I will find a way to combine it appropriately during most of the appropriate seasons. As  long as it fits and flatters, it stays.  I will find a way to use it creatively. That is a big part of the art of styling-the unexpected but pleasing.

One final task in properly stocking our wardrobe: evaluating investment buying.  Are too many items in the closet trendy?  Do I have garments for the unexpected occasion that I can wear in an emergency? Do I have appropriate foundation garments, quality accessories, and basic jewelry to support any trend or fashion?  If these items are not in your wardrobe, you may need to add them to your "items to purchase notes."

By now you should have a group of clothing to be discarded (where and how, your choice), and a group to be altered. (make a timetable as soon as possible-this is critical, else you will still have a pile months later; been there, done that!), The remainder of the clothes in the closet now become your foundation wardrobe.

My last step (and the most fun) will be another form of analysis; combining a foundation wardrobe in fresh and flattering ways to "Rockmyages".  We will cover this step in detail in the next post.

I "Curate my Closet" every fashion season to eliminate the obsolete, determine what items to upgrade and any items I might want to add to my wardrobe.  ...Happy Styling......Geneva