Curating your closet and why it’s important

Welcome to my closet! Her name is Tiny and we have had quite a time getting used to one another. When our son moved away and my husband and I downsized our home, that also meant I had to downsize my closet. My previous closet was three times the size it is now. I was used to walking into a large open space with more than enough room for clothes I didn’t have. Truth be told there was a lot of empty space. However, once I started putting all my clothes in my new closet claustrophobia set in. I missed my open space and room to move around. So this required me to curate what I own and make more suitable decisions to continue to have the closet space I desired. There are photos below of what I have done with my closet thus far. Don’t get lost in there! LOL

How many times have you gone into your closet and though it’s filled to the brim with options galore you find yourself only choosing a handful of items? Perhaps it’s because you are a good candidate for a “capsule wardrobe” where you manage just fine with only a handful of items and you want a simple and minimalistic wardrobe. Perhaps you prefer more variety but your closet has too much variety that doesn’t suit you and you have become overwhelmed with choices you really don’t want and therefore gravitate to the same items on a regular basis. Either way it may be time to curate your closet.

If you’re over forty and reading this chances are that you have a pretty good idea of what your style is and you’ve likely created a wardrobe and closet that reflect your style. Or, perhaps like myself you are forty, entering into a new era of life and wish to cut out the clutter and reinvent yourself starting with your closet and the clothes on your back.

Curating your closet is relatively simple but does require a bit of leg work such as figuring our what you like, don’t like. What fits, what doesn’t, what’s in good shape and what’s not. This requires you to pull EVERYTHING from your closet. If in doubt about how it fits, try it on. Even if it fits great, but you don’t feel great in it...toss it. Questions to ask yourself during this process.

Does this fit?

Do I feel confident?

It is in good shape?

How many times have I worn this item in the last year?

Is this an item that reflects the style that I want to show the world?

Here are a few of my guidelines of items that need to go: This includes shoes, scarfs, belts, handbags, etc. Say goodbye if the item is stained, doesn’t fit well, torn or worn, colors which don’t suit you, outdated, t-shirts with prints, logo’s etc. (unless it’s your favorite college football team of course. Those are okay) otherwise, it should only be used for gardening or painting. T-shirts are not fashion excluding a simple good quality white/black tee with no print. These are two essential items everyone should have in their closet.

Items to keep & tips: Items you keep returning to that make you feel your best. Keep foundation pieces you have identified that you wear the most. Only things that fit you correctly. You do have the option to have things tailored and the leather refinished on boots and shoes as well as having soles repaired. The key here is to find out the cost of refinishing. If it is more than the shoes cost in the first place, it may make more sense to just buy a new pair. If it is a high-end investment piece chances are it’s worth the cost of repair. Clothes are a bit different. You can have a jacket or pair of trousers that didn’t break the bank and by having them tailored to your body they look more expensive than what they are.

Curating 101

1. Determine your 2 wardrobe “Foundations”

   Your wardrobe consists of two foundations. A foundation color (black, white, blue, etc) and a foundation item (jeans, trousers, skirts, dresses, etc) My foundation color is black, The majority of the items in my closet are black with white, light blue, pale pink and camel coming in down the line. My foundation item is pants. I wear more pants than dresses overall though I do have four black dresses and couple skirts on rotation. I prefer black slacks/ankle pants and white jeans.

2. Hang by items.

   All jeans with jeans, all blouses with blouses, all tanks with tanks, all blazers with blazers, all dresses with….well you get the idea.

3. Hang by color.

   Color coordinating your closet is super helpful. All blacks with black, all stripes with strips, all prints with prints etc. I even hang all jean colors in order from black, dark wash to light wash and then white.

4. Let’s talk about hangers.

Your closet looks and feels better when all your hangers match.

I use wooden hangers in a light stain as this feels a little more like shopping in a boutique and looks beautiful. Whether you are using a wooden hanger or plastic, stick to one consistent color.

5. Shoes/Boots: Sort your shoes out by style. Heels with heels, boots with boots, sandals with sandals, loafers with loafers and so on.

What I found during this process is I eliminated more than I anticipated. I found this helpful to really hone in on what my true style was. What key pieces do I tend to purchase again and again (turtlenecks & skinny jeans) and what have I purchased in the past and never worn; what I should never purchase again. My hope is that you’ll be able to do the same and curate a closet that is tailor made to you and your personal taste and perhaps it becomes a learning experience or an opportunity to reinvent your style. As you go through this process remember that it’s not about what the world is telling you to wear. It’s not about the latest trends. It’s about what you look and feel good in. What persona do you want to put out into the world for everyone to see?