by Ryan Boles | Contributor
- Allow time in your weekly schedule, or plan a weekend, to go through each article of clothing in your closet. You must try on everything in order to see how everything fits and if it is still wearable.
- Decide which articles of clothing will stay as a part of your wardrobe. Any articles that you do not want can be given away, donated, or sold. Do not throw anything away unless it is no longer wearable.
- Remove any clutter in your closet. You want as much walking space in your closet as possible. This includes any items that are not clothing or accessories.
- Invest in hangers that are all the same color or style. You can grab an 18 pack of hangers in a variety of colors for less than two dollars at Walmart. Your closet will look so professional with matching hangers!
- Ask a family member, close friend, or a personal stylist to help you build outfits from the clothing that you have decided to keep. It is always nice to get fashion advice from people other than yourself. If you haven’t worn an article of clothing in over three years, then it is time to get rid of it! Out of sight, out of mind!
- Create a shopping list for yourself if you need any staple pieces to go with your chosen outfits, or perhaps you will decide that you need an entirely new wardrobe this season. Begin by shopping for the current season, and make another shopping list for when the season changes.
- When you are shopping try to stay on a budget so that you can grab a lot of pieces for new outfits, rather than spending so much on just one or two outfits. If you need help, bring a friend with you, or you can hire a personal stylist to go shopping with you!
- If your closet is over 70% black, then try on some colors that really heighten your hair, skin, or eye color. For example, if you have brown eyes then go for cream, olive, tan, or dark blue. Take risks and go outside the box! It’s a blast to try on new colors!!!
- When building your new outfits at home, try to take pictures of your new outfits so you can remember what goes with what. A stylist could also help you with this by creating a personalized look book.
- When organizing your new closet, try to group the clothing in one of two ways. Either group by color or group by what type of garment it is. For example, short sleeves go together, pants go together, jackets go together, etc.
Finally, take a day for yourself, and go get your hair, nails, and makeup done! Those final touches will really bring out your favorite outfit. Always take time to spoil yourself and celebrate the new you!!!
Ryan Boles is owner of RCB Image Consulting.
