How to Upgrade Your Closet

The Holy Grail of all wardrobe garments should be those which “suit you down to the ground, go with everything you already own and fill a gap in your wardrobe,” according to Anna Shephard, in Red magazine’s "Learner Shopper," June 2008.

There are a number of steps which can help you do this:

Learn About What Suits You

Rather than dwell on the negative aspects of your body, concentrate on your assets, and how best to accentuate them. It’s also possible to visibly lose pounds if you wear a style and cut which flatters your body shape in all the right places.

Find out where you are going wrong and what you are doing right. You have a number of options; reading articles on style advice, buying a style-guide (like What Not to Wear by Trinny and Susannah or Style RX by Bridgette Raes,) or use a personal shopping service. Another alternative is to go the same route as the rich and famous and use a personal stylist. There is even an online site which can give you personalized advice in the form of a personal stylist report, for an affordable £15.00 ($30).

Clear Out your Closet

Having established what styles do your figure justice, have a wardrobe overhaul. Any outfit that makes you look lumpy, bumpy or frumpy should be relegated to a second-hand clothing store or a swishing party.

If your closet looks a bit thin on the ground don’t worry, it actually has a positive psychological effect; the fact that you are able to move garments along the rails with ease.

Examine the remaining garments and decide what gaps you have in your wardrobe, Nina Garcia, author of the Little Black Book of Style, recommends a number of key pieces and timeless classics that every woman should own, to be stylish and confident.

Do Your Research

It is worth doing some style surfing online to check out the latest looks and labels. You are looking for particular cuts, patterns; prints etc which you know will suit your shape. Some online stores also offer fashion advice (like Net-A-Porter) or have a personal stylist that can be contacted online. Alternatively spend a lot of time window shopping.

Avoid Impulse Buys

Training yourself to avoid those cheap fashion impulse buys is something that has to be overcome. It is also about having the will-power not to buy something unless you absolutely love what it does for your figure.

Think carefully about an item before you buy it. Take a break, think about whether it ticks all the right boxes — Does it suit you? Will it go with other items hanging in your closet? Does it fill a gap in your wardrobe?

Finding the Right Fit

Always buy clothes that fit you now, not later, telling yourself that it will be okay when you loose some weight. If a garment doesn’t fit right, if there is something about it that niggles you, then don’t buy. Whilst it is possible to do minor alterations like a hemline or a positioning of a button, any major reshaping may ruin the design and proportions of the garment.

Invest in the Best

Invest in as many classic, timeless pieces as is financially practical. This not only proves a good investment but gives you a versatile wardrobe, where you are never stuck for something to wear. Simply by adding some on-trend accessories you have instantly updated or changed the look or a garment, whether it be a little black dress, a classic white shirt or a pair of stylish pants.

Investing in the best in today's current economic climate this may not be easy, but if you have a limited budget then always go for buying better accessories ? good quality shoes or a great bag. A $10 dress can look like a $100 if worn with a good pair of shoes. In an interview in InStyle magazine, April 2008, Desperate Housewives, actress Eva Longaria Parker, talks about the power of mixing quality with budget garments, “I’ve worn a $10 cotton sundress from Tijuana with nice shoes and it looked like $1,000.” The same applies to a handbag, if you wear quality accessories, as stylist Rachel Zoe points out in her book Style A to Zoe, people tend to assume that the same applies to the rest.

Ethical Fashion

Buying fewer budget fashion items, (which have come under the microscope of late, in terms of unethical practices such as the exploitation of labor) can also prove to be “greener.” Whilst buying more expensive items is no guarantee that they have come from an ethically superior factory, you are at least demonstrating that consumers are willing to pay more for their clothes. As Sheppard points out, this proves significant on reducing the pressure on manufacturers in their quest for cutting costs to feed our appetite for fast-fashion.

By buying less but buying better, this has a positive effect on your confidence and your life. No longer will you need to spend hours in front of your wardrobe, deliberating about what to wear or what to pack for a vacation. The way you feel by wearing good quality and easily coordinated garments that fit and look stylish, is a great confidence boost.

An Upgraded Closet

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