As women, we all know the frustration of staring at a full closet and not being able to figure out an exciting or inspiring outfit. How can someone have a closet full of clothes and good pieces and still feels uninspired and helpless every morning? As a stylist I have the privilege of working with amazing women and identified two key elements explaining the “I have nothing to wear” phenomenon.
Lack of clarity
We live in a society where we tend to accumulate. As a result, we find ourselves with cluttered closets where most of the clothes are not readily accessible. This is one of the reasons for the 20/80 rule: women wear 20% of what they have 80% of the time because it is easier to go back to the same things, the one that are easily accessible. Most of my clients tell me: “really, I don\’t have much”. And I often reply: “much” is a very subjective notion. Then I get to their apartment and find them with the “I-didn’t-know-I-had-so-much” look. While preparing for the closet consultation, they usually realize they have much more than they thought.
In order to avoid the clutter, start with editing your closet twice a year, preferably in early spring and fall. Anything that either does not fit right, or is not flattering, or is worn out or is outdated, is probably a good candidate for a donation. The first time might take long but the more often you do it, the faster you will be. Organization is also key. Organize your closet in a way that makes it easy for you to create outfits. It may be by colors (black, grey, blues, reds and pinks…) and by type of clothing (jackets, cardigans, sweaters, blouses, tees, pants, skirts, dresses, jeans).
Storing the off-season clothes is an excellent way to make room for the current season’s ones.
Dealing with change
Women are constantly dealing with transition in their life: physically, emotionally, professionally … We reinvent ourselves everyday and we often have a hard time adjusting our wardrobe to those changes. The young mom sees her body changing and has a hard time dealing with her new hips; the young graduate struggles to dress professionally for her first job; the recently published coach realizes she needs to dress appropriately for public appearances…. And so on.
The twice-a-year process of editing your closet is an excellent way to sit back and serenely think about the ongoing changes in your life.
- What are those changes?
- Are they emotional, physical, professional, familial, geographical?
- How are they impacting you as a woman and your wardrobe?
The young mom might realize she still is a size 6 but needs a different cut for her pants in order to fit her hips; the recently graduated might need to integrate more professional pieces in her wardrobe to better fit into her work environment; the life coach might realize she does not have any outfit enabling her to make her public appearances with poise and confidence.
Feeling inspired every single morning is a matter of clarifying your closet more often. It is also about understanding which clothes bring out the best in you and allow you to look beautiful, feel confident and realize your hopes and dreams.
