Paring Down Your Wardrobe

Photo courtesy of HGTV

Are you in the process of paring down your wardrobe?  If there is one request that I hear most often with my clients getting their closets down to a manageable level.  Many of these clients dream about the idea of what most of them refer to as a “European closet” with a few choice items of value that they can wear more often.

Paring down your wardrobe

Photo courtesy of ApartmentTherapy.com

This way of dressing is the complete opposite to how most American women dress or manage their wardrobe.  For most of us, our closets are overflowing with a bloated mish-mosh of clothes with tags still attached and pieces that have long been forgotten about.  There is nothing attractive about a closet of this nature.  For most, it causes overwhelm, panic, frustration and extreme dissatisfaction.  Yet, what makes me laugh this manner of hoarding is that, usually, a client has a small section of the closet or a tiny pile of clothes that they’re actually wearing.  This client is dressing the way they crave to dress– in the European, less is more, way without even realizing it.  So, why can’t they just let go of all the other stuff that is burdening their closet and minds? Often, after I clear out the gunk from a client’s closet, I get a follow up email or phone from them stating  that because I removed so much of their wardrobe they have nothing left to wear.  When I challenge my clients by asking them when was the last time they wore any of the stuff we got rid of, most can’t remember a time that they actually wore any of these eliminated pieces.  In the end, my justified response to them is: “I didn’t get rid of your clothes, I got rid of your false sense of security.”

Paring Down Your Wardrobe to 24 Pieces

paring down your wardrobe

Photo courtesy of katelordbrown.blogspot.com

There was an article in the Telegraph today about a woman’s desire to create a capsule wardrobe of just 24 pieces that she can mix-and-match.  By doing this she realized that the pieces she would need to buy would have to be more classic as, obviously, the less novelty the more possibility for outfit-mixing.  What I liked about this article is that it went on to talk about the dilemma that simple dressing can create– a boring stagnant of too much simplicity and the risk of looking like everyone else with a simple pair of jeans, a crisp white shirt, a little black dress or a blazer, for example.  Therefore, in regards to a simple capsule of pieces, the goal is not to sacrifice personality or flair when you pare down, but to find those pieces that play a basic role in a novelty manner and choose pieces that are YOUR core pieces.

It may surprise many of you to know that I have an EXTREMELY small wardrobe.  I live in a small apartment, I need to share a closet with my husband who wears suits daily and I’ve not had the budget to go crazy with my clothes spending.  I’ve had no choice but to streamline.  Yet, what has never been sacrificed in my own sense of style or excitement.   Yes, sometimes I get a bit bored of wearing something over and over, but when that happens I just know it is time to trade out one piece for something that replaces the piece I’ve grown weary of.

paring down your wardrobe

So, here is a challenge for all of you.  Can you trim your wardrobe down to just 24 pieces?  And, if so, what would those 24 items be?  List them as a reply.