What IS In Your Closet?

Do you often stand at your closet and struggle with what you will wear that day? Would you like your closet to be easy (and fun) to look through like a boutique? Do you want your closet to be organized but you just haven't taken the time to do so yet? What is holding you back from organizing and enjoying your closet? Do you wear outfits that you plan and clothes you feel fabulous in, or do you rush out the door each morning without planning and feeling great in your outfit? If you feel like you are in a 'style funk,' what are you waiting for to enhance your style? There are many ways to enhance your style on your own or with some assistance from a StyleLife Consultant.

If you are trying to enhance your style on your own, try the following steps and evaluate how you feel once you tried each step.

1. Get a 3-angle mirror for a complete view of the clothing on your body, or have an honest person near to help you make decisions.

2. Interview yourself. How do you feel? How do you feel in each piece of clothing you own? What do you like about each piece? When do you feel your best? When do you feel your sexiest? What is your favorite feature on yourself? What is your profession? Do you have young kids and/or pets? What is your image saying about you to your family, friends, coworkers, boss, clients and strangers? What would you like your image to say? What can you incorporate into your daily routine to maintain your new style once you have achieved it? For example, will you spend 10 minutes each night preparing (steaming the clothes included here if needed) the next day's outfit down to the shoes and accessories? Also, will you look in the mirror before you walk out the door to make certain that your outfit looks put together?
If you would like a professional perspective, hiring a StyleLife Consultant can be helpful, fun and life-changing. A StyleLife consultant will conduct a profile interview of the above questions and more to try to fully understand where you stand in regard to your style and what you would like to achieve.

3. Try on every single piece of clothing you own, and evaluate how you feel in each piece. Does each piece "fit and flatter" your body (height, shape, size- by look and feel- NOT by the tag size)?

4. Decide which pieces of clothing you will keep, alter or give away. It is handy to use multiple baskets or boxes to distinguish between each category for easy clean-up.

5. Once you have your "keep" items together, organize them in your closet. Use a convenient method. For example, like with like- shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, etc. Or organize by work wear, weekend wear and special occasion wear. Then, further organize by sub-categories of like with like. You can take it even further and organize by color too.

6. Once you have organized your clothes in a convenient and fabulous way, evaluate your wardrobe's 'style holes,' and write a list of clothing pieces that would fill the 'style holes.' For example, do you have a solid white oxford button-up that fits and flatters your figure? If not, that should definitely be on your list. When writing this list keep in mind that much of the list will consist of solid, neutral colored items that are your staple pieces. You should also consider including accessories/other key pieces (jewelry, bags, belts, shoes) on your list. Having an idea of what to shop for will definitely make the process seem less daunting. And you can budget accordingly. Your staple items will get more wear so focus on quality even if that means spending a little more to get higher quality.

7. Go shopping. A StyleLife Consultant will help with personal shopping assistance, but if you do not hire a professional, consider taking along an honest friend who can help give you feedback when you try on each piece. Ask yourself how each piece fits your body from all angles? Do you feel confident in each piece? Rate each piece on a scale from 1 -10. Don't settle for anything under an 8 or 9. You want to look and feel fabulous no matter what is in your closet. Only buy what you will wear with confidence.

8. Play dress up, and try on outfits from your closet. Photograph the outfits that you rate a 10 and keep in a 'style book' for easy planning and finding later. Include shoes, bags and jewelry. It may help to keep note of which accessories you put with each outfit.

9. Plan ahead. Each Sunday afternoon, take a few minutes to plan 5(-7) outfits for the work week ahead (yes, domestic goddesses are included, of course). Try using sachet bags to store the smaller accessories, and then hook it on the hanger to the appropriate outfit. Also, try using shoe bags for the shoes if space is an issue. *Coordinating outfits ahead of time in this way is extremely helpful for travel as well.

10. Enjoy the rewards of being even more fabulous and organized.

Have a fabulous day every day!