As the light appears at the end of the proverbial tunnel of winter, and warmer spring weather fast approaches, it is time to get real and sharpen up your spring/summer wardrobe. We have covered getting your body beach-ready, now let’s get real about your style-centre: your closet. From now on, think of your closet as your inner sanctum. This should be a Zen place where the best version of yourself is lined up, organized and ready to go. Here is our own fail-safe Visual Therapy Five-Step Process from our book “Nothing To Wear” that we use to help our clients streamline their closets every season.
1. EDIT
Begin the edit going through your garments left to right (or right to left) and then up and down depending on your current wardrobe set-up, and where you keep shoes and accessories. Create four piles:
- “YES” – for “keeper” items, to be placed back into the closet
- “NO” – for items that you’re ready to let go. Be conscious about where your edits go – whether you’re giving them away to friends, reselling (we recommend The RealReal for that!), or giving to a charity.
- “ALTERATIONS” – for items that could be flattering but need to be tweaked (i.e. dry cleaning, tailoring).
- “MAYBE” – for items you can’t decide on. Ask yourself the “Three Golden Questions” and make a decision.
Remember to shop your own closet first!
2. CLEAN UP
Take all your fall/winter pieces and organize them into garment bags. Make sure you clean everything—hand washed, machine washed, or dry cleaned—before setting it aside. Pretend that you’re putting your clothes away and you’re giving them as gifts, because when you pull it all out again in the fall, you want it to look fabulous. We always add Downy lavender dryer sheets in shoes and every garment bag to keep everything fresh. For more storage tips, see our advice in “How To Store Winter Clothes” on Vogue.com.
3. REPAIR
Assess what you have and see if anything can be freshened up or revived. Sometime a trip to a shoe repair can revive a shoe, belt or a bag that you’ve been putting away in the farthest corner of your closet, waiting for a better time. Leather Spa in New York is our secret weapon when it comes to shoe, bag and leather repair.
Jenna Lyons’ Brooklyn Closet – Shoes
4. GET INSPIRED
Create a Pinterest board to help you focus on what what the overall look should be and stay up to date with trend reports on our blog to see what’s hot in the stores at the moment.
5. MAKE A WISH LIST
After modifying a few pieces at the tailor and making them new again, make a list of what is missing. Now you don’t have to break the bank; always remember it’s better to have less and love more.
VisualTherapyNY on Pinterest
You will feel completely liberated once you’ve finished! Being organized and following the process will save you money and bring a sense of wardrobe clarity.
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