Photo courtesy of Natalie Jobity, Elan Image Management

Summer will soon be over and it’s time to start thinking about the clothes you’ve been actually wearing versus those that have been hanging in your closet (probably with tags still on!) that remain unworn. Statistics show that women only wear about 20% of the clothes in their closet. Why? Perhaps because they have bought an item on impulse, or maybe they did not try the item on before purchase and it fits poorly, or they like the item but have no other matching coordinates to pair it with, or they bought the item anyway even though they didn’t really like it or it was gifted to them and they don’t like it. The reasons are many and vary for each woman. But if this sounds like you, you need to do something about all those neglected clothes—you need to do a wardrobe purge and gift or donate the clothes to someone who will wear them. Many people need the help of a wardrobe consultant to do this effectively but if you follow these tips you can get a great start.

1. Figure out what image you want to project and assess your clothes to see which ones reinforce this new image. This is TOUGH! It may mean discarding clothing that no longer serves you or that is no longer relevant to your life or lifestyle. And you may still love many of these garments. But you’ve got to really be ruthless and start purging.

2. Create 4 categories of clothing:
a. Keepers
b. Menders
c. Giveaways
d. Throw a ways

3. Keep items that are relevant for your new image and those that fit, flatter and enhance your figure. These are clothes you LOVE, that you’ve been wearing often that are also in synch with your new vision for yourself.

4. Look critically for clothing that may simply need mending or tailoring to make them work. The goal is to keep as many usable garments in your wardrobe as possible.

5. Donate or Give away clothing that is still in very good shape but that just no longer is right for you and your new image. A great non-profit for professional women’s clothing is Suited for Change: www.suitedforchange.org

6. Discard garments that are worn out, or otherwise unusable. You know clothes with stains, rips, fuzz or otherwise just worth throwing in the thrash because no one will want them.

7. When you’re done, look honestly at what is left? What are you missing that if you had it, would pull your outfits together? It could be good fitting foundation garments. Or layering pieces like T’s and camis. Or it could be something you never considered, like certain accessories that you may finally have the nerve to try that makes your image a complete package. Identifying the gaps in your wardrobe are an important part of the process.

8. Whatever you’re missing, the next step is going shopping to add those missing pieces to your wardrobe. This is the fun part!!

Happy purging! If you need professional assistance I am just a phone call away.