Call me crazy, but I think I was the first person to secure my wrist band and copy of The Truth About Style for Stacy London’s book signing last night at The Grove.  I am a big fan of her show, TLC’s What Not to Wear.  Sitting on my sofa, I vicariously watch, wishing I was Stacy, looking so stylish while dispensing fashion wisdom to the seemingly hapless bunch of “contributors”, the women featured in the show. While these gals may represent extremes in their fashion choices, I think we can all learn a few tips to dressing better.

I have to admit it was a bit of a thrill to see Stacy up close and personal, and yes, she is quite striking, tall and hysterically funny.

Stacy London book signing at The Grove

She’s either intrigued by my comments, or she’s critiquing my outfit!

Why did I wear this blouse????

Whether you’re a fashionista or simply want to look presentable, having an organized closet makes getting dressed a lot quicker and easier.  The first step to organizing a wardrobe closet is taking stock of its current contents and determining what works and what doesn’t.  Some of the key things to ask yourself include:

• Does it fit?
• Is it stained, tattered or otherwise seen better days?
• Do I like it?
• Is it dated ? (and no, it won’t come back in style the same way or same fabrication)
• Do I have multiples of the same thing?
• Have I worn it in the last year?
• Is it closet worthy…do I have room for this if I rarely wear it?
• Am I holding onto it because it was expensive?
• It was a gift and I feel bad not keeping yet (don’t, someone else will enjoy it)

As you go through each item in your closet (and drawers) ask yourself these questions. Since we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time keep only what you love and actually wear.  Having said that, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Most of us don’t attend weddings or black tie functions all that often so we have dressier items that are rarely worn but worthy of space in our closets.  If you have a second closet or guest room closet then this would be an ideal spot to store these items, leaving more real estate in your main closet for your go-to wardrobe.

Sort your clothes into four piles:

1. KEEP

2. DONATE

3. REPAIR AND/OR CLEAN

4. MAYBE

I’m giving you a MAYBE pile because I know there will be a few items that you just can’t part with yet, yet you know you should.  If at the end of this process you still aren’t sure, put them back in your closet.  If in six months you still haven’t worn them, it’s time to donate. Before you re-organize your closet take stock of your hangers and other organizing tools.  Pull out all the dry cleaner hangers and recycle them at your local cleaners. Are you using more than one type of hanger per garment, e.g., are all your pants on the same type of hanger, etc.?  This may seem trivial or unimportant, actually the opposite is true. Using uniform hangers allows your clothes to hang at the same level, making it much easier to find what you want quickly.  My clients and friends know that I am a big fan of huggable hangers.

Why do I love huggable hangers so much?

• they are the slimmest hanger around, practically doubling your closet space
• nothing will ever fall off
• no more unsightly marks or weird protrusions in the shoulders of sweaters & tees

You can find these amazing hangers at The Container Store or Bed Bath n’ Beyond makes a knock-off version.

Now for the fun part, actually organizing your closet.  Identify where everything will go and organize by putting like items together by color.  For example, when organizing your pants hang your jeans together, black pants, lighter colors, etc. Same goes for skirts, jackets, blouses and tees. I would take it a step further by also organizing by length, including sleeves, skirts, dresses, etc.  This system allows you to quickly see everything you have.

Beyond hangers, there are many other products that can help to beautify and organize your closet: baskets, bins, shoeboxes, scarf hanger, belt hanger, shelf dividers, etc.  The possibilities are endless. Depending on your budget and closet space, you can add them as you see fit.

There is so much to say on this topic. I couldn’t possibly cover it all in one blog. Look for future posts on closet organizing.  In the meantime, please let me know what you’ve done in your closet to make it organized.  Or, ask me a question.