Closet Clean Out – Hanger Help, Gaps, and S.T.Y.L.E.

 

If you have been keeping up with this new series, in the last blog you saw that our closet cleanout started with purging and sorting, dropping off and letting go. The closet cleanout is WELL on its way! Now you are thinking, where do we go from here? Don’t you worry ladies and gents, there is plenty more to be done in this journey to a visually pleasing new start.

Though, I would like to take a moment to point out some of the things I think are most important when it comes to rebuilding your wardrobe. Hanger Help, Identifying Gaps and a little thing I like to call my Signature S.T.Y.L.E. System!

Hangers might just be the most important thing to upgrade your closet. I am such a stickler for matching and clean hangers. Not only does it help preserve your clothing, but visually it is pleasing, and technically it is more organized. I suggest using black or cream felt hangers. The more evenly spaced your closet is the easier it is to find what you are looking for.

Another tip is to color code your clothing. I section clothing off by type {i.e. shirts, pants, dresses, etc.}, sleeve length {sleeveless, short, long, non-collard, collard} and then color coordinate with the ROYGBIV {Red. Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet, bookended with whites and blacks} system in each section. This way your eye easily moves to the type of item you need and then to the color you want to select.

Secondly, I use this newly spaced and organized wardrobe as my guideline for what you might be missing! You MUST identify the gaps in your wardrobe. This is my favorite part of the process and where I pull out my styling hat. A wardrobe is weak if you don’t have your core pieces. The ones that go with anything, and complete all the outfits my fashionista heart can dream of! By going through and pointing out these gaps, I can decide the best way to begin styling and have a path of where to begin.

 

Here is an example of an inventory sheet for the ladies I use to identify your gaps.

 

We can also completely inventory your closet virtually with my new Virtual Styling Service. Subscribe to the blog here and receive my inventory sheets for both men and women.

 

 

The final step to part two is integrating my Signature S.T.Y.L.E System ! This refers to my stylish yet less is more philosophy. I don’t look at a wardrobe as needing to be limited to 30 things like the age old Capsule Wardrobes from the 90’s, but rather refined and made with purpose. In fact, most robust wardrobes have around 100 items including tops, bottoms, shoes, accessories and intimates.

I use the acronym “S.T.Y.L.E.” to keep on track:

S treamlining your wardrobe {weeding out the unlovely and reducing your overwhelm}
T aking Inventory {understanding the importance of establishing an essentials based wardrobe with current inventory and remixing what you already have}
Y our body type {knowing how to dress your shape; focusing on your assets not your age}
L ess is more {identifying and prioritizing core pieces you need to make smarter shopping decisions; saves time and money}
E mbracing your authentic visual voice {instilling confidence to maximize your peak style potential and personal goals with your first impression}

 

Now stay tuned for a little “before and after” action in next week’s conclusion of the Closet Cleanout series! If you still have any doubt of why cleaning out your crap makes all the difference you won’t after seeing these images…

Stylishly yours,

 

Jen Young