More choices = an easier life.
Right?
Not necessarily. Especially when it comes to your wardrobe.
How many times have you opened your closet and discovered you have nothing to wear? You have clothes, but this shirt is too long for that skirt, and if you pair that purple sweater with your green pants you'll look like Barney. Half your clothes don't even fit anymore, and a good percent of the rest you don't even like (like that duck sweater Aunt Beatrice gave you for Christmas...).
Excess clothes not only clutter your closet (or your bedroom floor...), but also your style. How many of your clothes actually reflect who you are? Does your closet project one coherent style, or is it a hodgepodge collection of random items?
In her TEDx talk, Jennifer L. Scott presents the Ten-Item Wardrobe as the solution to these style problems:
The goal of the ten-item wardrobe is to create a coherent collection of ten basic pieces that can be mixed and matched, easily accessorized, and that reflect the unique style of the wearer. Having a hodgepodge closet myself, I was intrigued by this idea. So I decided to give it a try. I bought her book, Lessons from Madame Chic: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris, and opened my closet.
Combining Scott's directions from her book and her TEDx talk (and a tip of the hat to one of my favorite book series, The Selection by Kiera Cass I created my own version of the clothing elimination process:
*BEFORE YOU BEGIN!!!* Don't forget to show the environment some love by donating the clothes you eliminate to your local second-hand store or missionary box instead of throwing them away!
ROUND ONE: The Selected
In this round all the obvious no's are weeded out by asking these questions:
Does this fit me? If the answer is no, toss it out. Do not keep clothes that are too big or too small. Don't keep something around that you hope you will fit into again one day. Pull out anything that makes you feel uncomfortable when it's on your body.
Is this age-appropriate? Just because your old polka-dot prom dress still fits doesn't mean you should still be wearing it! Don't keep clothes that are no longer appropriate for the season of life you are in.
Do I like this? Pull out any clothes you don't actually like. Don't feel guilty about throwing away something that was a gift. These items are holding you back from discovering your true style.
ROUND TWO: The Elites
Now that you've weeded out the definite misfits, it's time to weed out the more subtle style counterfeits with these questions:
Is this in good condition? You're an adult now. Dress like it. Throw out anything with large holes, tears, or permanent stains. However, don't throw out something you love just because it's missing a button. Thread a needle and fix it. If you don't know how, learn. Clothing needs to be maintained. Minor wears and tears are easily fixable with minimal sewing skills, and fixing them will save you money in the long run.
Do I ever wear this? Various clothes are worn in various seasons for various occasions, but we all have that one shirt or dress or jacket that we like on the hanger but not on ourselves and never actually wear. Let it go.
ROUND THREE: The Ones
Every piece in your pile should now be something you love, that fits, and that's in great condition or easily repairable. Now it's time to use these last questions to narrow down to your core items:
Does this flatter me? Just because a piece of clothing made it to round three doesn't mean it is necessarily flattering on you. Do the colors compliment your skin tone or make you look washed out or sick? This color quiz can help you sort through what colors will most likely look best on you. Also look at the shape of your clothes. Do they compliment your figure or cut across your body at odd angles? Do they accentuate your features, or do they reveal too much or completely hide your shape? (I like to use Marilyn Monroe's quote as a guideline: "Your clothes should be tight enough to show you are a woman, but loose enough to show you are a lady."). Wearing shorts or skirts of a particular length can make you look shorter and stubbier than you really are. Pull out anything that is unflattering.
Does this still reflect who I am? How does each article of clothing make you feel when you wear it? Does the item instantly make you feel handsome or beautiful, comfortable in your own skin, powerful, and happy? Keep it! You have found a piece that reflects your true style! Does the item make you feel stiff, sad, self-conscious, like a younger version of yourself, or like you're trying to be someone else? Pull it out. That piece isn't you! Even if it used to be you, it isn't now. It's time to let go so you can be who you really are!
Congratulations! You now have a wardrobe that reflects who you are. Creating your ten-item wardrobe from this pile is now simple.
First you want to determine your core items. Look at the season you are in and pull out any clothing that doesn't to be stored away until they are needed. From there, chose the basic pieces you will wear the most often. For me, this consists of two pairs of dress pants, five tops, one skirt, and two dresses. These work for me because that is what I wear to work.
Lastly, you will want to chose your extras. These are the pieces that complete your outfits. My extras include a few cardigans, sweaters, scarves, and leggings for layering on cold days, jeans to wear on the weekends, exercise clothes for my dance class, pj's, socks, and a warm coat.
The Benefits
Now that I have a ten-item wardrobe, I save so much time getting dressed in the morning. I can pretty much grab any shirt, cardigan, and pants and they will go together. I feel effortlessly comfortable and beautiful in all the clothes I wear. And my closet now expresses my true style, which happens to be classic vintage ballerina (classically-structured pieces, vintage silhouettes, and soft ballet-inspired styles and fabrics).
