Express to the world your personal style with a wardrobe that fits who you are inside and out. It’s important to take a look at your closet and refresh what works and what doesn’t work anymore. Keep the tried-and-true classics that you love and love you back. Take time for a closet inventory and clean out. This is a perfect opportunity for you to donate old pieces that don’t work for you anymore and make space for new items that reflect your lifestyle today. A quote from fashion icon, Rachel Zoe sums it up perfectly, “Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” And from fashion designer Ralph Lauren, “Fashion is about something that comes from within you.”
Take a look at some easy-to-do tips from an image consultant to refresh your style:
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Enhance your Style With Accessories
Jewelry, belts, scarves, handbags, and hair accessories are the ideal way to enhance your personal style. One or two statement pieces can instantly transform a look. For example, a crisp white button-down blouse and a classic pair of black slacks create a blank canvas for many looks. Thanks to accessories you can wear the same thing and make it look totally different. Create a professional look and wear a delicate gold necklace, small hoop earrings, and stacked bracelets. Use a colorful scarf as a belt and carry a large leather designer bag. Wear your hair in a bun for a classic, feminine style. For a more casual look, wear the same white blouse, half-tucked, and black slacks, wear a big, colorful statement necklace, and chunky earrings. Wear your hair down with a headscarf or flirty hat and complete the look with a colorful cross-body handbag. Or simply create a minimalist look and wear no accessories at all except a pair of diamond studs, your favorite shoes, red lipstick, a timeless carry-all tote, and let your personality do the rest.
Makeover Your Closet With A Major Clean Out
Does This sound familiar? How many times have you stood in front of a closet full of clothes and said to yourself, “I have nothing to wear?” Taking an inventory of your closet is the first step in creating an updated wardrobe that fits your personal style and lifestyle today. It can be a mental exercise to get rid of clothes that you’ve worn for special moments in your life, but it can also be an exhilarating exercise to move into the future. As you start going through oldies but goodies, you’ll realize many items you’ve hung onto no longer fit or even appeal to you, today. Removing clothing makes room for new and fresh pieces that will make it easier to get dressed and on the go. If you think you might miss a few items that you haven’t worn for some time, pack them away, and if you don’t miss them after a few months, donate them to a church or charity. This “out of sight, out of mind” exercise is effective and will work.
Speaking of The Secret Sauce, Shoes
We would be remiss if we didn’t bring the importance of shoes and an outfit. Shoes, like a secret sauce, are an essential part of any look and should also be in the loop for the closet makeover. We should mention that many designers and fashion influencers suggest starting from the shoes and moving up (Think Carrie Bradshaw in HBO’s hit series, “Sex and the City”). As we progress in life and our lifestyles change, so does our footwear. Unlike Carrie, most of us can’t walk miles in designer stilettos or pay thousands for our everyday footwear. Sorry, Carrie! High heels that are not comfortable and leave our feet in distress should be replaced with a more comfortable ballet flat, leather loafer, or kitten heel that includes more innovative and supportive features. Thankfully fashion designers are finally showing a combination of comfort and style in great-looking footwear. This is exciting fashion-forward news. The professional look mentioned earlier in this article would also look perfect worn with a pair of classic kitten heels, mid-high wedges, or a multi-colored pair that coordinated with the scarf. Any comfortable shoe like a platform sneaker, classic moccasin, or on-trend sandal would work perfectly with the comfortable, casual styling. Pack up those old uncomfortable and beat-up, scuffed-up, hard-on-your-feet shoes and replace them with footwear that makes your feet look good and feel even better!
Get Back To Basics and Rock Every Look!
You may need to change your mind about the number of clothes you have to really have in your wardrobe. A less is more attitude is helpful when re-establishing your wardrobe and reinventing your updated style. Think basics like solid colors including black, brown, gray, white, beige, and navy blue as your staple pieces. We used the white shirt, and black pants example earlier and this can be successfully done with these colors as well. Invest in quality, classic and basic foundation pieces that can be mixed and matched with a multitude of colors and accessories. Make sure they fit your body type and are comfortable. Let’s face it, if they don’t feel comfortable, you might leave them hanging and opt for something else. Keep comfortable, breathable, and moveable fabrics in mind. This will extend the possibilities in your wardrobe whether you need something formal, casual, or anything in between. Instead of buying new clothing on a whim, be intentional and create a list of basics. Shop for items that are classics and will always complete your style. This includes the from time-to-time must-have trendy piece that you can’t live without! It’s always good to remember that a classic look and a fabulous fit are always in style.
The bottom line is this. Tried, and true classics are easy to mix and match with modern pieces to create your personal one-of-a-kind style. It may take some time, but it will be well worth the effort.
