Spring Wardrobe Strategy

I had the pleasure of speaking with Lauren Murphy from Nashville's News 2 WKRN this morning about wardrobe strategy and closet organization for Spring!  On this first day of Spring, we met to discuss ways to put your best foot forward this season.  

Here are a few tips:

Screen for Quality and Fit

It's important to make sure all of your essentials are up to par. Throughout the year, if your favorite heels have gotten a little too worn for example- now's the time to fix or replace them. Making sure your favorite items are in good condition is important to secure a firm foundation from which your wardrobe can be expanded. 

In addition to quality, this is the perfect time to scan for fit. If you've been working out getting ready for swimsuit season, now is the time to have that shirt tailored a little bit to make sure the lines are most flattering for your figure.

Identify Lonely Pieces

Next I would recommend looking into an often overlooked area- identifying what I call lonely pieces. Throughout the year we all pick up a top, a skirt, a fun pair of pants that we say "I'll find something to go with this" and then it ends up hanging in our closet forever. Spring is the time to pull out those unique pieces and figure out what to do with them. 

One major trend now for example is to pair bright bold patterns or colors with softer more subtle neutrals. So take that fun hot pink peplum top and mix it with a great camel colored skirt or bag.

One In, One Out

This concept focuses on closet maintenance from a quantity perspective.  As you introduce a new item into your life, my suggestion is to remove an item that you love less. Eventually you'll end up with a closet full of things that make you happy, and you'll be less cluttered along the way. 

The key here is coming to the realization that you can live without it. Believe it or not, the world of fashion will always produce fabulous new things that can replace the pieces you need to let go of. You just have to enjoy the search and seek out the pieces that best work for you!

Before & After: Closet Organization

It is quite possible that I am so ready for Spring I'm actually now cleaning in an attempt to rush its arrival.  In addition to getting settled in my own place, a friend of mine was out of town this weekend so I took the opportunity to give her closet a facelift.  

I'm excited to hear her reaction when she gets back. Below is a before & after visual. To take it from before to after, I followed (and will now share) some of my rules re: closet organization...

*Tops on top rack, bottoms on bottom rack: Helps you visualize the look in your mind before even pulling the hanger off. 

*Matching slim felt hangers, evenly spaced: Saves space and makes your closet feel like a store. Isn't that the ultimate goal? 

*Pants folded, hung in same direction: Allows you to locate your favorite pair with just a quick glance. 

*Gradient hanging: Hanging clothes from dark to light creates the cleanest appearance from the entry because your eye isn't drawn to all different colors.

*Mirror hung in closet: Necessary for self-checks between changes.

*Storage containers in open shelving: In this case I used whitewashed baskets. The neutral colors help to keep a minimal look and the clutter hidden from sight. It's also much easier to pull out the basket and sort through folded items, rather than taking everything off the shelf to find only one piece. 

*Overhead storage: Often times, people don't take full advantage of the top rack for storage.  Here, I used white pop-up boxes to store her clutches, bags and purses (lawwd she had a lot!) 

Try these tips in your closet and let me know the results.  Or if even the thought of it stresses you, call me to come do it for you!