Superfluous and Wardrobe: Can it Happen?
Yes. You can have too much in your closet. And, it can be just as confounding as having too little.
Most of my customers tell me the same thing, “I have closets of clothes and nothing to wear”. If this feels like a familiar statement to you, then as your fashion and wardrobe consultant, I advise you to stop shopping right now!
I didn’t say to stop shopping forever but let’s take a breath and reassess. I love to go to a new client’s home and get into her or his closet before we do anything else. First, we toss out what’s really outdated, not in wearable shape and looks bad.
Next, I ask my client to tell me what in the closet makes them feel uncomfortable when worn, never, ever gets worn and what do they just not like at all. This often leads to statements like, “I spent a lot of money on this, but…”, or “I plan to wear it but it never goes with anything…”, or “I use to wear this and love it but now whenever I put it on, I feel lousy”.
I look over these various pieces and help the client to understand that sometimes it’s just best to say good bye no matter the price, the personal history or the other various reasons for keeping something that just doesn’t work anymore.
What to toss:
* Anything that’s obviously worn, tattered, spotted (with spots that can’t be removed)
* Any piece of clothing that makes one feel uncomfortable, self-conscious, needs constant readjusting (such as snaps that always pop open, slits that are too high, tops that need pulling down all day)
* Clothing you hate, dislike strongly, really can’t stand to wear
* Ill fitting clothes that a tailor can’t fix
Our next step in the process is to look over what a client has left and what we feel can either be useful in any new wardrobe or a special piece that just needs a little nipping or tucking, or letting out as the case may be with some pieces. I also teach my clients how to organize their closets so they can see what they have and find outfits and pull together looks easily.
Once we’ve done a good job of cleaning out the closet, the next step is to figure out what are the holes in this wardrobe, i.e. what do we need to shop for and what pieces are left that need a complimentary piece. Often we’ve kept a jacket but not the pants and skirt that were with it and then we look to find alternative new looks for that jacket. Or, we kept the pants and want to find a blouse or great, new top to compliment them.
The goal is not to have too much but to have the right amount. And that amount depends on the person and how many different options that she or he likes to have for their wardrobe needs.
If a client dresses up for work 5 days a week, that needs to be taken into consideration. If a client attends many evening events, Saturday afternoon ball games, works from home a lot or goes out to upscale restaurants on a regular basis, it all must be taken into consideration when creating a great wardrobe. What a client’s lifestyle and career are makes a difference as to what and how much of any type of clothing one needs.
A great wardrobe and shopping consultant will not push a client to buy, buy, buy but will help a client to put together a great, working wardrobe that fits that client’s lifestyle and budget. When you open your closet door each morning, you should feel excited and be able to pick out something great within a couple of minutes. If when you open that closet door you just feel dread or get stressed, then you need to give me a call!
