Style Mantra

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THE STYLE MANTRA OF A CLOSET EDITOR

If there is one thing I’ve learned from my years in the fashion industry it’s how to keep my closet edited.  Each season new collections become available, but for people in the fashion industry, we’ve been watching these collections for months.  We watch them develop, we embrace new trends before they get introduced to the public eye, and we grow attached.  Factor in the perks of working for a fashion house: designer clothing allowances, employee discounts, employee only sample sales (to name a few).  All these opportunities sound great, but they can pose a threat to the tiny closets of Manhattan fashionistas.  I have had to channel all the teachings of my beloved mother (a pro at the binging and purging cycles of closets) to deal with this dilemna.  I have mastered the art of editing closets down to the individual needs of the closet owner. I blog about the process of editing my own closet, to give people tips and tricks of the trade.  I also offer my services out to my readers and the public.  (If you feel like this is an area you could use some help in, email me for a free consultation at closeteditor@gmail.com).  As a lover of all things fashionable and stylish, I’ve extended my blog range into other categories, but always with the goal of providing “insider information,” to my readers.

CLOSET EDITING

Your wardrobe staples should be based on your career, your lifestyle, and your personal taste and aesthetic.  To everyone who sees you, you are what you wear.  Let what you wear speak volumes about who you are.  There are basics every woman needs, but closets need updating based on the weather, the most recent fashion week, your social calendar.  When new styles come into your closet, you have to make a decision.  It’s time to closet edit.  First off, always look at your existing wardrobe and think about what you have that can be re-purposed.  When re-purposing just won’t do, think about what your new clothes replace, and what they complement (new and old).   How to make these call, and how to build out a beautiful and functional wardrobe – that’s where I come in.

CLOSETS ACCORDING TO ME:

1. Edit, edit, edit. Edit your wardrobe down based on your life.  You need a work wardrobe, a lifestyle wardrobe, and a few pieces that are just plain fun – you may not be trendy, and that’s ok, but everyone needs a little something to elevate their looks.  This little something doesn’t have to be for everyday, but it should be that perfect finishing touch that you pull out when you want to take your look to the next level.  Work and life can often blend together so easily, you still need specific styles that give distinction to each.  You may be able to wear jeans to work every day, but that doesn’t mean wearing a t-shirt (even if that’s allowed) is a stylish choice.  Give your denim a boost with a flouncy silk top, and save the tees for Saturday.
2. Time.  There are some pieces in your closet that you haven’t worn for at least 2 years.  Take them out.  They were either ultra trendy 2 years ago, and they simply don’t work for the style moment.  If you can’t let them go, then figure out how they can work with your current clothes.  It’s time to get creative with how to style them.  Look at your everyday staples.  Look at what’s missing in your closet.  How can that piece work with those looks?  If it can’t, it’s time to give it a new home.
3. Basics vs. Event Dressing.  There are styles that you need, and once you have them you’ll wear over and over again.  Then there are the styles you buy for your calendar.  First dates, fundraisers, cocktail parties, the first day at a new job, you name it, you wear it.  You need outfits for all of these times in your life because your outfit tells the world a little bit about who you are.  For some of these, you’ll buy a one time wear dress, for others you’ll buy a basic.  I can teach you how to cut loose the pieces you don’t need any longer, and how to leverage the more versatile pieces.
4. Keep a skinny corner.  Every woman holds onto pieces that they hope, hope, hope they will eventually fit back into.  KEEP THEM!  There’s nothing wrong with hope, or the perfect leather jacket.  These styles might even give you the extra push you need to lose that extra 5 pounds.  However, even this selection needs to be carefully edited.  There’s no point in keeping a $40 pair of jeans that didn’t even look that great when they did fit.  This assortment should be about key items, luxe items, that have an element of being irreplaceable.
   

   Dressing Room to Die For

   

   Mirror Mirror on the Dressing Room Wall