Maybe it happened because you just can\u2019t resist a bargain, so you regularly come home with shopping bags crammed full of 85-percent-off clearance items. Maybe shopping is your go-to stress reliever after a tough day at work. Or perhaps you just don\u2019t want to get rid of any old garments because you think you might need them again. Whatever the reason, your closet is so jam-packed with pants, shirts, dresses, skirts, and more that you can\u2019t even move things from left to right\u2026but when it comes time to choose an outfit each morning, you don\u2019t really want to wear any of it.<\/p>\n
If any of this sounds familiar, relax. You\u2019re normal. At some point or another, I think that almost all women deal with the \u201ccloset full of clothes but nothing to wear\u201d problem. (In fact, that\u2019s why many of my clients first get in touch with me!) The good news is, if digging through all of that mess in order to put together a matching outfit makes you crazy, there are some specific things you can do to make your wardrobe less wieldy and more wearable. Here are four steps I recommend taking if you\u2019re ready to break the nothing-right-to-wear cycle:<\/p>\n
First, sort what you have. <\/strong>If you\u2019re at your wits\u2019 end, chances are your closet is so cluttered and disorganized that you aren\u2019t really familiar with each piece of its contents. That\u2019s why I recommend taking everything off the rack. First of all, you\u2019ll be able to clearly see if you have an overabundance of a certain color tee, for example, or too many pairs of black pants. Plus, as you consider each piece of clothing, you\u2019ll be forced to consider how much you actually<\/em> like it. Be sure to try on everything<\/em> and evaluate each item based on whether or not you would purchase it again today. If the answer is \u201cyes,\u201d that piece is a keeper.<\/p>\n If you think you might not have a clear sense of what looks good on you or would simply like an outside opinion, ask a friend who\u2019ll be honest to assist you in eliminating things that don\u2019t fit, don\u2019t flatter you, are too worn, or don\u2019t match your lifestyle. And don\u2019t hold on to something just because you spent a lot of money on it. Yes, I\u2019ll admit that it can be tough to get rid of an expensive item, but if it is no longer an asset to your wardrobe, it has lost its value for you<\/em>. Be sure to set aside clothes that you want to keep but need alterations and clothes that are no longer appropriate for you but that can be donated.<\/p>\n Next, organize what\u2019s left. <\/strong>After you have discarded everything that is no longer an asset, organize what\u2019s left. First, re-hang everything you\u2019ve kept, grouping pieces in order of color or prints. You\u2019ll immediately feel more peaceful when you walk into your closet, and you\u2019ll also have a better grasp on your wardrobe. Specifically, I\u2019d recommend using this newfound \u201cclothing clarity\u201d to make a list of what you need to complete the outfits you already have. These pieces will probably be very simple things: the right underpinnings, jewelry, a new black skirt or base-color pant, for example, that will appropriately extend the wear of jackets or blouses that you already own.<\/p>\n Buy some new pieces\u2014with help\u2014and start small. <\/strong>After you\u2019ve cleared out some space in your once-overfull closet, reward yourself by going shopping for some of the items on your \u201cto-be-acquired\u201d list\u2026but use the buddy system. I definitely recommend taking a friend whose opinion you can trust, hiring an image consultant, or going to a personal shopper in your favorite store. This person can assist you in picking a few pieces that are flattering, easy to put on and match, and that make sense with your current lifestyle, and he or she can also help you to decide on a comfortable shopping budget.<\/p>\n As you rediscover your style, it\u2019s best to start small, even if you leave the store with only three new pieces\u2014albeit ones you feel very good about. (Again, I recommend concentrating on things that will extend and pull together the pieces you already have, like a brown belt or new pumps.) I would also suggest purchasing at least one thing that\u2019s outside your normal fashion box. This strategy will give you the opportunity to see how this new piece makes you feel and to evaluate the feedback you get from others before<\/em> you buy more.<\/p>\n Change your shopping strategy. <\/strong>Now that you have cleaned out your closet and started to figure out what kinds of pieces you\u2019ll still like and want to wear once you get them home, it\u2019s time to tackle what is, for many people, the toughest step of all: changing the way you shop. If you\u2019ve never passed up a sale in the past, for example, it\u2019s finally time to break the clearance addiction\u2014otherwise you\u2019ll fall back into your old pattern of buying odds and ends that you\u2019ll never wear. I always advise my clients to look at the garment first and the price second\u2014that way you\u2019ll be choosing only between pieces that are flattering. I firmly believe that it\u2019s worth spending a little more for pieces that you\u2019ll wear again and again and again, as opposed to shelling out less for something you\u2019ll wear once or (maybe) twice.<\/p>\n Ultimately, when you streamline your closet, you\u2019ll quite literally be changing your life. You\u2019ll feel less tense as you prepare for your day, and maybe for the first time in a while, you\u2019ll also be excited about what you\u2019re wearing. As you continue to acquire new pieces after the big clean-out and update, pay attention to how they make you feel and how often you find yourself wearing them\u2026and keep building on that knowledge.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Maybe it happened because you just can\u2019t resist a bargain, so you regularly come home with shopping bags crammed full of 85-percent-off clearance items. Maybe shopping is your go-to stress reliever after a tough day at work. 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