Learn to Shop Your Closet, to Simplify Your Life
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Want to get dressed in a “flash,” and feel confident that you look great everyday?
Nancy Goldblatt, Wardrobe Wizard
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Do you pull out half your closet desperately searching for something that fits?
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Are you frustrated because it takes so much time, money and effort to look good?
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Do you have a limited selection of things you can actually wear?
Before being trained as an Image Consultant, I remember how frustrating it was for me to find something in my closet that fit and looked good on me.
Like many women, my closet was full of “orphans.” and “only children.”
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Closet “orphans,” are pieces of clothes that have no matching pieces. This may be a top or bottom. Because your orphan does not make a whole outfit, you can’t wear it.
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Clothing I call “only children,” can be worn with only one other thing or one way. (I will discuss “only children,” another time.)
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If you have lots of ” clothing orphans,” or lots of clothing “only children,” you may feel you have “nothing to wear.”
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Is your closet fat with clothes but there isn’t much you can actually wear?
Extend your wardrobe without buying a lot of new clothes.
A few suggestions for shopping in your closet.
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Start by taking your “orphans,” out of the closet. Try them on. Only keep those “orphans” that fit and flatter you. Consign or donate the rest of your “orphans.”
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What can you do with the “orphan” pieces you keep, to incorporate them into your existing wardrobe?
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You can layer your orphan tops over or under a base. A base is a top and bottom that matches, without any contrasting trim or contrasting buttons.
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For example : dark brown slacks and a matching dark brown shell is a base. (This is an inside base.)
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A dark brown skirt and matching jacket without any contrasting trim or buttons is also a base. (I call this an outside base.)
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Take any of your orphan tops, these can be jackets, which you wear over your base or shells, or blouses which you wear under your base as a third layer.
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Lets say you have a turquoise “orphan jacket.” You can wear this as a third layer over your brown shell. Or if you have a turquoise shell or blouse you can wear it under you brown jacket. Keep in mind that the fabrics must be compatible.
(You can make any of your orphan bottoms into an outfit by bringing the orphan bottom color up as a scarf, or necklace.)
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(Compatible fabrics will be discussed at another time.)
- 3 piece turquoise base
What if you don’t own any bases?
Stores used to sell matching tops and bottoms, sometimes called suits, but as the workplace got more casual, more non- matching separates flooded stores.
It’s likely that designers and retailers realized women would have to buy more clothes, if they did not have matching pieces that they could mix and match.
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Take a few of your favorite orphan tops or bottoms shopping and try to find a matching piece so you have a BASE. You can go a shade darker or lighter if necessary, but your new piece must be in the same shade.
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Blue (outside base) with orphan white blouse.
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If you really love your orphan, and can not find a matching piece, get a matching piece made for you and you will have a new BASE!
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Find A Seamstress In Baltimore or Learn to Sew
If you live in Baltimore,Maryland or surrounding areas, contact: The Sassy Sewer Lounge 410-882-7277, in Parkville, Maryland. Blondell Howard is the owner of Sassy Sewer and she can give you the names of reliable seamstresses who can make clothes for you. You can also sign up for sewing classes and learn to make your own clothing.
From now on when you do shop, try to find two or three-piece outfits that don’t have any contrasting trim colors, so you will have more BASES. You will find mixing and matching these pieces into your existing wardrobe will make life much simpler for you and you will save time and lots of money.
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Red (inside base) with orphan brown jacket.
What Is Your Next Step?
In The Next Two Weeks I will…..
Write down your plan ……
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