If you’re like many, you then proceeded to
put on the same outfit that you’ve been wearing over and
over ― we affectionately refer to it as ‘the uniform.’
The uniform is typically your most recent outfit purchased
that seems fashionable and hopefully fits properly.
Although the uniform creates a comfort level, it
eventually gets old and you don’t feel nearly as confident
as the first time you stepped out in it.
Weeding through and organizing your
wardrobe and closet can seem like a daunting task; yet, if
done properly, you’ll not only feel a great sense of
accomplishment, but you will end up with a wardrobe full
of promise.
Global
Image Group Developed 4 Easy Steps to Weed Through Your
Wardrobe:
Step 1 –
Assess Your Current Wardrobe
What do you want your closet and wardrobe
to resemble? Do you need to donate that suit you haven’t
worn since the 80’s or those jeans you wore out in the
90’s? Does your closet look like a museum of artifacts
preserved in plastic bags? Can you easily find your
favorite black sweater? Have you collected a sea of ‘on
sale’ clothing that doesn’t seem to go with anything, and
instead of saving money, you may have wasted it?
Rule #1: If you have an ‘on sale’ item
with the tags still on -- return it or try to get
merchandise credit. Every little bit adds up.
Step 2 –
Clear Out Your Closet
Take all of the clothing out of the closet
by category. Start with coats, jackets, and tops. Then
proceed to bottoms, shoes and accessories. Since most of
us do not have rolling racks in our homes, place the items
on your bed. Organize each category by season –
spring/summer and fall/winter, then by color. Place all
your blacks together, browns, khakis, reds, greens, blues,
violets, pastels, and whites. This exercise helps you
figure out what you have in excess.
Rule #2: If you find you have too many of
one item (i.e. white shirts, black pants), think twice
before buying another one on your next shopping spree.
Step 3 –
Should it Stay or Should it Go
Once you’ve cleared your closet of all its
contents and organized it into categories, assess each
item of clothing. Define your wearables, bearables, and
terribles. Wearables are your favorite or most worn
clothing, shoes, and accessories (your ‘uniforms’ probably
fits in this category).
The following questions can help you
identify your bearables and terribles: Do I still like
the look, cut, color, and/or style of this garment, bag or
shoes? Does it go with anything else in my closet? Is it
worn out or permanently stained? Does it fit? Can it be
altered? If you answered maybe or no to any of these
questions, you should place the item in the ‘bearables’ or
‘terribles’ pile ― to be sent to a consignment store or
donated to your favorite charity.
If you find it difficult to part with an
item of clothing due to sentimental value, take a picture
of it or of you in it. Do not place something in the
bearables pile instead of the terribles pile due to the
cost of the item. Determining whether an item should stay
or go is dependent on use.
Rule #3: If you haven’t worn it once in the
last two years, you should probably discard it.
Step 4 –
Establish Balance and Harmony in Your Closet
Once you’ve identified the items you would
like to keep, start creating outfits in your mind to make
sure they work with the rest of your wardrobe. For a
balanced wardrobe, you should have two to three bottoms
for every jacket and three to four tops for each bottom.
Before hanging everything back up in your
closet, use wood or plastic hangers for every garment.
Wire hangers from the dry cleaner may stretch out your
clothes or leave unpleasant marks on your clothing. Be
consistent in the type of hangers you use.
Rule #4: Hang everything in your closet
facing the same direction by category, season, and color.
The
Final Touch
If weeding through your wardrobe sounds
appealing, but you’d like professional help with the
actual process, please contact a Global Image Group
consultant at 1.888.873.8017. Our goal is to
provide simple solutions to what may seem like complicated
tasks.
By Michelle T. Sterling, AICI, Principal,
Global Image Group
About
Global Image Group
Global Image Group’s mission is to deliver the most
cost-effective, high-impact image services to
forward-thinking professionals and corporations that want
to define and express their brand and identity. Global
Image Group is a privately-held company headquartered in
San Francisco, California, with sales offices in New York,
London, and Hong Kong. For more information, visit Global
Image Group at
www.globalimagegrp.com.
