Bump up your wardrobe by 'shopping your closet'

Bump up your wardrobe by 'shopping your closet'

Published: Friday, September 24, 2010, 10:00 AM Updated: Friday, September 24, 2010, 2:59 PM
By Kiley Kievit

It’s a true moment of terror for women: You have a dinner party or wedding or trip to the grocery store to make, and nothing that will work in your closet.  Oh, it’s not empty, but the degree of difficulty in finding the perfect outfit there might as well make it as desolate as the Sahara.

But with a less-than-booming economy, the idea of “shopping your closet” has captured the attention of consumers determined to be careful with their hard-earned cash, supplying countless segments for morning-show TV and newspaper and magazine articles.

Americans determined to kick their shopping “addiction” have signed on for campaigns like sixitemsorless.com, which challenges people to wear just six items of clothing (not counting shoes or underwear) for 30 days. There’s even been a book written about the shop-your-closet concept.

But how to decide what to donate? And what to do with what you keep?

Think classic
That’s not to say that every closet is laden with treasures, but there are key pieces to be found that will fit today’s styles. “There are things in your closet you can adapt to the current trends,” says Peggy Syrowik, manager of the Coldwater Creek store at the Crossroads Mall. “Boxy blazers are out — wearing a well-cut blazer instead can dress up jeans. Long, bangled jewelry is back. When looking through your closet, just be
savvy about what you have and how you can make it work for you.”

Jackets, belts, leggings and accessories can update a woman’s everyday look, and are versatile enough
to work with most anything. “Right now, the look that’s in is long and lean,” says Syrowik. “Pair a long sweater with leggings or ‘jeggings’ (denim leggings). Just make sure you’re comfortable and that everything fits you well.”

Style mavens suggest thinking classic, rather than trendy.
“I definitely think a man’s white button-down shirt is a great piece to have, because you can either dress it up or down with jeans or a skirt,” says Lauren Worgess, owner of Loved Consignment Boutique on E. South Street in Kalamazoo. She says that a black blazer is also a great item to hold on to, since it can be thrown on over a white shirt, T-shirt or tank top — items “everybody has.”

Another top pick to scrounge the closet for: A black dress.
“A black dress is a great thing to have,” Worgess says. She suggests kicking it up with a pair of funky shoes, a belt, long jewelry or a jacket over the top.

One warning: Don’t over-accessorize.
“I’m really not a fan of the matching handbag to shoes to shirt,” she says. “Also, in the past 10
years, trends have really been picking up, and you want to avoid putting too many together.”

‘Shopping your closet’
It’s one thing to know what to look for in the closet and how to use it to the best advantage. For some, it might be a whole different concept to actually find those items. The book “Shop Your Closet: The Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Closet with Style,” by Melanie Charlton Fascitelli, touts the benefit of clearing out the clutter. Simply stated, clutter takes up valuable closet space, mashing the good with the bad and confusing any efforts to shop your closet successfully.

“Anything that doesn’t fit you well should go, as well as anything that’s really, really dated,”

Syrowik says. “Get rid of things you wouldn’t miss, things you never wear, and look at the things you’re holding on to. A lot of times women will keep things in their closet, thinking, ‘I’ll wear it someday,’ but think about why you’re not wearing it now. It probably either doesn’t fit well or doesn’t go with any of your other clothes and needs to go.”  (Getting rid of it doesn’t have to mean tossing it in the trash. Depending on the condition, items can either be sold on consignment or donated to a charity such as the Salvation Army or Goodwill.)

By sorting through a closet’s inventory, you’ll be able to see what’s worth keeping — accessories, a
great black dress, a fabulous coat — and what needs to head out the door.

Get rid of anything kitschy: “Kitty-head sweaters, Christmas-tree sweaters — they need to go. Unless
you’re a kindergarten teacher ... get rid of them,” Syrowik says.

Anything that’s too small, too big, really out of style or damaged has no place in the closet. Keeping — or worse, wearing — clothes that do little for the body or self-esteem should be avoided at all costs.

Most important, women should feel good about their clothes, wearing items that are comfortable and a
good fit, Worgess says, and they should keep this in mind while shopping for future items — in their
closet or at a store.

“I’m a big fan of seeing clothes that fit,” she says. “I don’t think enough people tailor their clothes, and tailors can do amazing things.”  She adds that tailoring pieces that fit a little big means one more item in the closet — almost as good as brand new.

Related topics: Kalamazoo Style, Kalamazoo Your Home

MY THOUGHTS

i promise to do this next week. make some sense out of my closet again. i have so many things to let go of. it's time.