Space Wars

For those who love fashion, the inevitable issue of not enough closet space becomes a constant uphill battle. New collections are released every season of every year, making it hard not to indulge in this season’s must-haves. 

It’s time to get honest with yourself if you want to build a clutter-free closet full of only items you love. 

All too often, the wrong reasons are responsible for precious space taken up by unworthy items. Either because they were expensive, sentimental, or reflect an ideal of yourself that isn’t truly who you are. 

I get it. It’s difficult to admit that you probably won’t wear those Jimmy Choos again that you paid an arm and a leg for that wear like a torture device on your feet. Or that your body is happy at the weight it is and not the weight it once was when you splurged on those trousers. 

Getting to the truth of who you are, what your lifestyle entails, and having a little objectivity can help take the emotion out of editing your closet. In essence, how do you define your style?

Get your full Spring/Summer 2021 Style Report along with in-depth instructions on how to easily edit your closet complete with a ‘Keep or Go’ flowchart to take the emotion out of tough decisions. Download it today below.

Define Your Style

Your style is defined by a combination of different considerations such as - 

• Your lifestyle and the daily/weekly activities you engage in most. Obviously, virtual offices have impacted how you dress professionally, but you get the idea. 

• Your personal style. Do you prefer more tailored cuts or more flowy blouses and skirts? Identifying what you are typically drawn to when you’re shopping for new clothes can give you insight into your style. 

• Your comfort level. This can be defined by what clothing you’re most comfortable in and the level of care you’re willing to go, such as dry cleaning or tailoring.

• Your confidence level. Does what you wear make you feel fabulous?

After you put thought to these considerations, you can usually break down your closet into six categories. Depending on the frequency of your weekly or monthly activities will determine which classes are primary. Consider thinning the herd or storing items from types that are not primary but take up more space than they should. 

1. Work - Corporate events, client meetings, going to an office, etc.

2. Daily - Running errands, weekend brunch, etc.

3. Going out - Girl’s night out, date night, client happy hours, etc.

4. Formal - Special events, galas, fundraisers, etc.

5. Loungewear - Working from home, household chores, etc.

6. Activewear - Working out at the gym, yoga classes, etc.

Time to Edit

This is the moment of truth when you ask yourself a series of questions that will identify each item’s value in your closet. Thereby creating four piles to place items in - 

1. Keep

2. Recycle

3. Donate/sell

4. Store

These questions give a useful framework to work within during the process of auditing your closet - 

• Have you worn it recently? Usually, within the year is a decent benchmark, especially with the last year in mind.

• Is it badly stained or broken?

• Does it fit?

• Do you like the way it looks?

• Is it comfortable?

• Was it expensive?

• Is it sentimental?

• Does it fit your lifestyle?

• Is it versatile?

• Would you buy this today?

• Could you replace it with something better?

By creating a more tightly curated closet, you end up with more possible outfits. It makes room to see more relevant options without the clutter.

Best of all, it opens up more space to add a few covetable pieces from this year’s trends that happen to play right into the global pandemic lifestyle. 

Fashion and function? For once you won’t be judged for wearing sweats in public. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Spring Forward

Assurances come with every season. It is almost like a subconscious narration that propels reliable benchmarks such as changes in the weather, seasonal offerings on the Starbucks menu, and fashion trends. 

While unmovable trends such as allergies keep our pace with the unfolding year, much of everything else hangs in hopeful limbo. But the show must go on with the fashion industry despite the quieter buzz and virtual pivots in collection presentations instead of crowded fashion weeks.

It’s not often that you see collections from designers informed directly to reflect the cultural climate and not the other way around. But then again, we’ve never been in a pandemic before, and designers had to acknowledge the tremendous shift in lifestyle on a global scale.

This season’s trends deliver on that acknowledgment and introduce an unsuppressed version that symbolizes our desire to reemerge from our socially distanced existence. Individual looks illustrate an almost conflicted balance between athleisurewear’s functional comfort and attention-grabbing cut-outs with exposed g-strings.

Room to Zoom

The virtual workplace is undoubtedly responsible for the slouchy suiting trend of oversized boyfriend jackets and shirts. Simultaneously, bling that sits on top, such as earrings and necklaces, remain a Zoom meeting staple. 

Slipper inspired footwear was everywhere, blurring the lines between what is acceptable to don while running errands or doing house chores. Accompanying this trend is athleisurewear reimagined to go from the house to the yoga studio, and beyond.

Split Personality

This season’s functional side also gets a big dose of frivolity that seems to mirror our cabin fever’s tension in ways that put the fun back into fashion. The most notable looks cover the spectrum from sleek and modern to feminine and frothy.

Form-fitting styles with cut-outs, exposed backs, and built-in ‘g-strings’ give an edgy modern update to the LBD. In contrast, billowy romanticism of puffed sleeves and ruffles of confectionary-like frocks offer something sweeter.

A Future So Bright

Bright optimism seems to be the theme of this season’s Pantone colors. Spring hues propel us forward with a sunny outlook featuring shades of marigold and cheery yellows. Striking blues compliment these citrus palettes along with jewel tones of amethyst and raspberry sorbet.

Use these as an accent color with their less attention-seeking counterparts of neutral grays and natural buttercreams. When paired strategically, they can offer wonderful color punctuation to your overall look. Color block your outfit with one item of clothing or add a punchy accessory such as a piece of statement jewelry. (wink, wink)

Perfectly Jeweled

Speaking of jewelry, this is a must to mention considering the subject matter of this site. While there are certainly some trends worth highlighting, jewelry as a stand-alone category in your closet requires less editing due to its timeless nature. This quality explains its absence in the above process of closet decluttering. 

Additionally, jewelry always fits and takes up significantly less space than just about any item in your wardrobe. But above all else, jewelry offers an unassuming way to add a personal touch to any ensemble from your closet unfettered by trends. 

Jewelry’s role in your style is much more intimate than the latest slouchy jacket that every influencer on Instagram is wearing. Jewelry enables your ability to create a signature style with the presence of reoccurring talismans that add unforgettable details regardless of the season or outfit.

That being said, it’s still fun to see what designers are sending down the runways to give their collections a perfect polish. Heavy chain links and beach beads continue to be a staple accompanied by a few emerging new trends.

Length Matters

The reprisal of the nineties choker loosens up to greater lengths with full-body bling. The longer necklaces of the season are ideal for elongating your proportions and creative layering. Neck party anyone?

Necklines aren’t the only areas benefitting from lengthier designs. Necks and shoulders are next in line with this year’s elongated earring silhouette. Shoulder dusting styles were sweeping the runways as this year’s favorite statement trend.

Wrist Management

Bracelets and bangles are back in action. Blame it on Wonder Woman and her Bracelets of Submission bringing back this symbol of female empowerment. Worn layered or lonely, either way, they’re sure to be a welcome springtime statement.

Conclusion

Fashion is fickle and that’s part of the fun. Even fashion designers rarely commit to any trend that they defined for a season. What they do perpetuate from collection to collection however is a signature style. A recognizable look that you can easily associate with that particular designer.

This is a great approach to take on for your own personal style. Create some lively experimentation of your own with seasonal offerings. Doing so can be an easy way to add a little spice on top of a solid wardrobe foundation that gives you unshakable confidence.

Modern individuality practically gives you a card Blanche to try anything without worrying about the fashion police arriving. In the words of Marie Kondo, if it sparks joy, then it’s worth keeping and if it’s worth keeping then it’s worth wearing.