Take Charge of your Closet!

The new season is fast approaching, regardless of which hemisphere you reside in this means it is time to take a good hard look at your closet habits and take charge. When I say 'closet habits' I am not referring to those little things you  repeatedly do when you think no one is looking, but rather how you organise your world of clothes and accessories. If you are one of these women who have a big closet (or in some cases a whole room) that is simply bulging at the seams with decades worth of clothing and shoe purchases and you still moan to your partner daily about not having anything to wear, then sit down, we need to chat. Intervention is required!

First things first, let's plan for success. Decide which day you are going to undertake your closet renovations and set aside the afternoon. By allowing good time you will do a proper job and not make hasty decisions you might come to regret. Recruit a good friend, preferably one who has great style and will be honest and objective in their opinions. Make sure it is someone who will be willing to take physical action and wrestle that 1980's Jenny Kee painterly knit out of your hands if things get really bad (they are making a bit of a comeback in some circles, just none you want to be a part of).

If you have a Pinterest page, create a personal style board and spend a week or two gathering pictures of outfits, styles and colours you love. If you aren't a Pinterest fan, or aren't overly tech savvy, go through your favourite fashion magazines and do it the old fashioned way by cutting out inspirational pictures and saving them to a folder for later. You will find that a pattern emerges, either a style, or specific colours you are drawn to more than others. This will help to clarify what you are trying to achieve with your overall look.

With that all sorted, I have one more piece of advice before you start. Make sure you are looking good  which means wearing flattering underwear,  makeup done and your hair looking fab. It just doesn't work to try on clothes when you have bed hair, no makeup and bad underwear, besides your friend will have to look at you in various states of undress throughout the process so spare a thought for her.

On the day, create three piles as follows. Everything should fit into one of these groups.

1.  The pieces that you plan to keep.

2.  The items that are good but for whatever reason aren't quite right for you in shape, cut or colour. These you can either sell on e-bay, give to charity or take to a swap party.

3.  The "What was I thinking??" items. These are typically the pieces you saw and just had to have, like chocolate, and didn't think them through. My rule is, if you haven't worn them in a year then straight into the rubbish sack with them.

Work through your entire closet and categorise every item according to this system. Now it is time to get rid of all the pieces you are either throwing away or sending to charity. Once you have done this you will already be feeling much lighter and in control.

Try on all the items you plan to keep and ask your friend to tell you honestly which shapes suit you most and which colours look best. Think outside of the square and mix up your items to find new ways to wear your existing clothing. It helps to have the digital camera at hand to take some photos so you can remember later. It is also a good time to check for things that need to be repaired or altered slightly to improve the fit. Put these aside and take them to your local tailor or seamstress.

The way you put things back in your closet will be determined by your preference and what inspires you most. Here are some suggestions:

• Colour grouping
• Categories - Shirts, Skirts, Jackets, Pants & Dresses
• Lifestyle - Casual, Urban,Career
• Outfits

Whichever you choose, you must be able to maintain it or you will quickly find yourself back at square one.

I also have a rule whereby at the end of each season I dry clean and clean everything that I am not going to wear until next summer/winter and pack them away into empty suitcases. It is a good time to review what you want to keep. I also do this with my shoes.  My boots are cleaned and stuffed to keep them in tip top condition until I need them again. Make sure they are stored in a clean dry place with plenty of moisture sachets, especially important if you live in the tropics.This frees up more space in your closet and makes choosing outfits even easier. The added advantage is that you feel like you have a whole new selection of clothing at the beginning of each season.

When you have finished sorting and categorising it is time to have a think about what is missing. This is where your magazine cut outs will come in. Write a list of what you need to create your desired look starting with the wardrobe staples then build around them eg. a good jacket, a great pair of jeans, some well cut tees, some versatile flats and you have the backbone of many casual outfits. The only thing left then is to hit the shops. Enjoy!