how to overhaul your wardrobe in 10 minutes

March rolls around, and we trade out our winter coats for swimsuit fantasies. Raise your hand if you've been looking at Spring clothing all week (which, admittedly, is such a tease here in chilly NYC). Me, too. 

But I don't want to talk about pieces you're going to buy this Spring. I'm interested more in what you already own, rife with potential, waiting patiently to be worn. 

I am in a near constant state of changing over my wardrobe. There is always a pile to donate, a pile for Poshmark, a pile for Buffalo Exchange (though I always have bad luck there, to be honest). Old clothes are dropping like flies and I'm being very selective with any new additions. They have to adhere to a previous list I came up with earlier this year, or be second-hand (like these).

So, how does one make the most of their existing wardrobe? Even if you've been purchasing nothing but fast fashion for the past 5 years, there are bound to be lifetime staples in your wardrobe. We just have to find them.

Here's a quick, 10 minute exercise to refresh your existing wardrobe: 

1. Break down "the pile": You know the one. We all have the pile. One of my clients called it her "clirty" clothes (clean + dirty = clirty). It's the pile we keep shamefully off to the side in our bedroom, where we keep the 5 pieces that we actually wear. We all have the pile. Even I have the pile. Right now my pile is as follows: my jeans, my white tee, my sweatshirt, and a cardigan I've been rotating into my outfits...there's other stuff in there too, but you get the point. So, first step is to take all the clothes in the pile and put them away.

2. Resurrect the back of your closet: I've talked about this before, but so often we're only dressing ourselves from "the pile" or from eye-level in our closet (or from some routine-wired part of our workday brain) that we forget what we actually own. And it's usually some great stuff. Here's the easy part: divide your clothes in half and physically move the hangers to the front of your closet. And that's it. With something new to look at, you're way more likely to think outside the box, develop a new habit (neural pathways, anyone?) and choose something new to wear. Bonus: you rediscover pieces you love and have neglected as of late.

3. Change your base for one week: Okay, so you're starting from scratch now, yeah? Can you, just for 5 days, commit to wearing something you haven't worn in a minute? When I say "your base" I mean the staples that make up your style. So for me, my base is a pair of black jeans and a t-shirt. Maybe the next 5 days I'll wear slacks, or blue jeans, or a blouse, etc. You get the picture. It's kind of uncomfortable to break out of a habit (remember when I wore lipstick for 30 days in a row?) but I am a firm believer that it works wonders.

4. If all else fails, call in the big guns. We can do it together, except we'll be much more thorough. There will be many many laughs involved, promise!

xoxo,

aok 

3 ways to organize your closet

Hi friends! As some of you know, a good chunk of what I do outside of these pages is what I like to call a closet makeover. About 80% of what I do is stripping down my clients' wardrobe, and clearing out items they don't wear anymore to make room for investment pieces. The other 20% of what I do is organize. This so key, especially for those of us who live in the NYC area. We have little space, lots of goods. I get it, I do. Like I said, 80% is editing your existing wardrobe, and 20% is this:

1. Invest in good hangers: We're all adults here, right? Can we agree that it may be time to get rid of our plastic hangers from college and recycle our hangers from the dry cleaners? When I decorated my room, I decided to spend $50 on really nice hangers. Not only does my closet feel less full, I can see everything in it! I love these, and these are a great all in one option.

2. Utilize your closet: I mean it! Hang everything you possibly can. The more you hang in your closet, the more readily available your best pieces are, and you won't forget about them. Leave drawers and shelves for sweaters (knits stretch when they're hung) and workout clothes, pjs, undies, etc.

3. Put your best pieces forward: We all wear the same three outfits, truly. It's so easy to get into a routine of wearing the most comfortable / ready wear items in your closet. Challenge yourself! Put your tried and true pieces behind the pieces that don't get much mileage. When you're sussing out what to wear, reach for these pieces first. Try something new every week. Your closet and your bank account will thank you!

Follow these rules and I promise, you'll have a happy situation. Or, if you just don't have time / energy, shoot me an email at allie AT littleredswell DOT com and I'll do it for you! Closet makeovers start at $100.

xoxo,

photo by Victoria Gloria.

think twice

Good morning from a chilly NY! Raven and I slept with the window open last night and spent the early morning hours with Charlie in between us, trying to soak up all his little puppy heat.

Since I started working with clients last fall, I've taken a good, hard look at my own wardrobe every few months. I'm getting to be ruthless about it - I see the similar challenges my clients face also infiltrating my tiny closet, and I want to make room for new finds, yes, but I also just want to cultivate a better wardrobe, with fewer things. Clear and clean out.

I always tell my clients about Twice, which I've used on multiple times now to sell clothes for clients as well as myself. It is a pain in the butt to take your clothes to the consignment shop - especially in NYC. Twice has eliminated the need for schlepping; you sign up, say you want to sell, and they will mail you a prepaid envelope for your clothes.

Once you get the envelope, you fill out a form, shove your clothes in the bag, and send them back to Twice with your fingers crossed. Twice will review what you send and email you an offer (takes about a week) that you can either accept and take to the bank, or reject and pay to have your clothes sent back to you.

The only slightly tricky part to using Twice is that they only purchase certain brands. Their website has an easy search form so you can double check what they take. In addition, if you accept their offer, you cannot get back the clothes that they didn't include in their offer - everything gets donated. So make sure you don't want what you send in!

Here are three tips to help you decide what to send in:

1. It's like new and you never wear it. It could be that striped blazer, or pair of slacks that your job no longer requires. Get rid of it! My rule of thumb - if you haven't worn it in a year, say goodbye.

2. You love it, but it's just not your style anymore. I frequently see two people while doing closet makeovers: the current client, and the three years ago client. The clothes from 3 years ago are fine, but they're not her style anymore. Let them go and make room for pieces your current self loves.

3. You have multiples of the same piece. You don't need four black cardigans, you need one awesome cardigan. Keep the item that's made of the best material (wool, cashmere, etc) and is in the best condition. Send out the others.

That's it! Here's hoping you all make your closets a little skinnier.

To sign up for Twice and get $10 off your first purchase, click here. I have not been compensated by Twice for writing this post, but I am using my referral link.

xoxo,

images by Ashley Caroline.