Inspiration for living a luxuriously and balanced life

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Style Statement Make-over~ Are your clothes speaking your language?


If you have been looking in your closet and can't quite understand what its trying to say, it may be time for a Style Statement Make-over. It has been a very long time since I understood what my clothes were trying to say - to be more percise its been almost 4 years. As I'm no longer part of the corporate world ~ suits just don't quite make the grade at physio therapy or rehab appointments; my casual clothes, well lets just say the nasty washing/drying machines and dry cleaner have shrunken them almost 3 sizes in the past 3.5 years. Of course when it became clear pyjamas and sweats (the wardrobe du'jour) just weren't going to be appropriate  it was time to go shopping!!

In therory this was great, but what happened was I my brain was still buying for a life I no longer had. So, yes the "new" clothes fit, but remained impracticle for a life of medical and therapy appointments. This past year has been a growing year -not just out and on the scale- but in realizing that I truly was in need of a NEW Style Statement. More importantly I need to define  "SmartCasual" which is a term my friend N. and I came up with to describe my wardrobe requirements.

Since the Seasons are about to change, and many of us are alraedy thinking Autumn and dreaming of the items we want need, I thought it would be a great time to start and share what I'm doing. It doesn't matter if you are in the process of re-inventing yourself, changing your wardrobe style or just want to get organized for the season ahead - I hope you join along. It would love to hear about what great steps, tips you use to organize this weeks items.

This week I'll be working on:

Foundation Items (otherwise known as clothing which touches your skin before all other clothing):
Here are some steps to help get those drawers organized:

Step One ~ pick an area to start with. N. suggested that I start with my foundations drawers.
 
Step Two ~ layout 3 laundry baskets (or any baskets, the idea is to make sorting items easy) & one garbage bag. Label 1) keep 2) donate 3) requires repair , Garbage bag - garbage.
 
Step Three ~ Try on each item ... YES... each item. Exception here is if you haven't worn it for 6 months it must NOT be kept , so no need to try on.
 
Step Four ~ Once drawers are empty, wipe them down and line with a drawer paper (scented adds a lovely touch)
 
Step Five ~ Take all items from basket 1) sort into; panty & bra sets, everyday panties, Aunt Ruby visiting panties, sports bras, garter belts, stockings/pantyhose, pant socks, specialty garmets (Spanx, slips etc.).
Step Six ~ replace these items in your foundations drawers in groups that work best for you.
 
The Goal is by the week-end to have the above steps completed so that an assessment of what I actually need (speaking the basics only) can be determined. Check back over the week-end I'll post about the progress I've made.
 
image credit: Google search

19 comments:

  1. Thanks for this HHL,

    I desperately need a wardrobe cleanout. You know when everything you pick out to wear is too small, faded or has a dirty mark on it somewhere? That's my wardrobe right now. : (

    I think I need to motivate myself with the promise of shopping for new things once I've done a massive cleanout. : ) Yay!

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  2. This is a great tutorial! Love it! :) I just got rid of tons of my clothes, that I haven't worn in FOREVER. So glad to see them consigned!

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  3. well, yes ma'am. out with the old,
    and in with the new!

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  4. I have to say I do this a lot!
    I am a shop a holic along with being an alcoholic, I am getting better though. Like you I love nice things, but I am slowly realising that apart from my rare visit to London I hardly wear the dressier end of the wardrobe so spend on the more casual ...
    I have just spied some amazing shoes that I love, cheaper than usual too.
    My foundation garment drawer is too small though I rummage as my cleaner puts things in there too...xx
    After hours of ironing today I will tackle it xx

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  5. If I try on everything, I'm afraid I'm going to take a punch in the face to my ego!

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  6. Hello!

    I know my wardrobe is in serious need of a makeover. To make it easy I would just love to get rid of all of it and start over! But, alas, that is neither practical nor feasible! I have items in my closet that still have the tags on them and now when I look at them I cannot figure out what I was thinking when I bought them! I usually do my wardrobe cleanout in the spring and because of the remodeling I am trying to do I will have to wait until it is finished and that way all will be fresh, including the wardrobe. But when I do, I will follow this practical advice!

    Thanks!

    ~Tracy

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  7. Great action plan! Starting with your foundation drawer is the best way to go. I'm trying to reinvent my style a bit too this season, starting with underwear.

    ♥ DaniĆ«lle

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  8. Guess what I've been doing all day today? Throwing stuff away and packing. We're moving house so I'm being forced to throw stuff away, I have too much! Hm interesting how you have everyday knickers and Aunt Ruby visiting knickers :-)

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  9. I am totally on the hunt for adorable MATCHING bra/pant sets too! Target has some cute sets in that looks luxurious on a poor girls budget!

    Great post!

    Stopping by to say hello from Lady Bloggers!

    Happy September,
    -Meg

    [Life of Meg]
    www.megnificentlife.blogspot.com

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  10. This is something I need to do! I have clothes in my closet from size 2 to size 12!

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  11. I've been "weeding out" some items, but need to get REAL. Good for you for starting. Can't wait to follow you along.

    Hugs,
    Kat

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  12. Following these steps is going to save you a lot of money at the store. It is also going to save you time. Great plan, I going to do it for me and my daughter. Thanks for the advice.

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  13. Great idea!! I did something similar while I was moving from TN to SC. I didn't want to move excess clothing that I was never going to wear, so I sorted, donated, and threw out old items. It was such a stress relief. I actually enjoy have less things to choose from and knowing that I love the items I kept.

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  14. Great idea!! I did something similar while I was moving from TN to SC. I didn't want to move excess clothing that I was never going to wear, so I sorted, donated, and threw out old items. It was such a stress relief. I actually enjoy have less things to choose from and knowing that I love the items I kept.

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  15. Oh my, HHL, what a perfectly wonderful, organized way to go about this. Unfortunately, I would only have about 3 items left in my closet if I followed the "6-month rule." I like your "smart-casual." For more info about my clothing style, check out this previous post: http://eastlynandcompany.blogspot.com/2010/05/im-schlumpadinka.html
    Can't wait to check back this weekend and see what progress you've made.

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  16. I need to do this, I found 2 underwear sets I didn't know I had when I was packing for my holiday! xx

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  17. nice tips which need to be followed and Thank you for sharing a great information.

    http://www.adaalo.com/search/searchresult/?city_id=&location=chennai&cat=Clothes&sub_cat_id=63&q=

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