What's in Your Closet?

How many times have you looked in your OVER FLOWING closet and said to yourself, "I have nothing to wear?" Your clothing racks are packed and your drawers are barely shutting -- you'd think it would be easy to find something to wear. Instead, you either keep coming back to the outfit you wore yesterday, or you try and coordinate and outfit around that "clearance" skirt you bought last season. In the end, you're sitting on your bed in your underwear with no clue what to wear.

In my days of helping my clients "clean" their closets, here are a few tips I picked up along the way. Getting dressed CAN be fast and easy!

1. Let it go: Look, if you haven't worn a piece of clothing from your closet in a year, then it's time to get rid of it. By getting rid of those "dead" pieces you can make space for the things you do wear and for things you may need to add. Get'em out! Use the space for "active" clothing.

2. A deal is not always a deal: How many times have you been at your favorite store at clearance time and talked yourself into buying something that was originally $450, on sale for $230 and then an additional 50% off. It might have been a size smaller, but what the heck. 6 months later it still has the tags on, and it is starring you in the face! Don't buy things just because you got a great deal. Challenge each piece you buy. A great price doesn't mean you are more likely to wear it.

3. Live in the moment: Separate summer and winter clothes. It can be overwhelming when you look at ALL your clothes at once. Seems like you have so much to choose from but at least half of it is not wearable at the moment.

4. Versatility: Look for versatile pieces that can be worn in multiple ways. Keep a balance of classic pieces such as the classic suit, a great-fitting pair of jeans, or crisp white blouse that can be worn as is for a clean sophisticated look or then spiced up when paired back with the seasons hottest fashion trends. Having great fitting well made basics is the best building block for a fool proof wardrobe. You can wear the most basic trousers, tshirts, sweater all while reinventing the outfit each time you wear it with different accessories -- scarf, long layered necklace, shoes, cocktail ring, handbag...there are so many options.

6. Storage: Make sure you can see all that you have. So often we forget what we have because it gets buried in the back of our closet or underneath a big pile of shoes. Check out the Container Store or IKEA for storage inspiration. The key is to create a manageable closet so that you can see what you have and put it to good use.