We at Youlookfab would like to wish you a very happy and stylish 2007!

Instead of making a list of highly unattainable New Year’s resolutions, try popping down a few really easy ones that you can get done quickly. Here are a few ideas:

• Sorting out your sock drawer
• Tidying up your jewelry box
• Washing the laces of your sneakers
• Brushing the lint off your black coat
• Sewing on a button
• Polishing a few sad pairs of shoes

A lot can be accomplished in 10 minutes and the satisfaction is guaranteed.

It’s important for the largest part of your wardrobe and seasonal fashion budget to reflect the dominant seasons where you live.

Examples from the three corners of the USA: 

• Hot Florida – Spring/Summer collections will dominate
• Cool Seattle – Autumn/Winter collections will dominate
• Extreme New York – you’ll spread your budget equally over both collections since it can get as hot as it can cold.

This year I made the mistake of going overboard on the great sleeveless styles that were so popular in the summer collections. Living in cool Seattle, I ended up wearing them once or twice before they were banished to the back of my wardrobe. And if you live in a predominantly warm climate – an assortment of coats is futile despite how much you love to wear them.

Of course, if you are a frequent traveler this will also affect your budget allocation. Do a quick assessment of your wardrobe – does it reflect your climatic demands? Are you allocating your budget effectively?

Your bags need to be accessible and protected from damage. Shoving them into the bottom of your cupboard not only makes you forget what you have, but damages the bags. Tucking them away in hard-to-reach-places is tidy, yet impractical. On the other hand, bags are bulky and you are probably running out of accessible closet space as it is.

I ran into this problem recently but managed to find a good solution. I ordered a “handbag rack” from ImprovementsCatalog.com. The rack hooks over the top of a door. It also has a hook at the bottom that is attached to a piece of elastic so that your bags are kept in place as you open and close the door. The rack can hold up to 8 bags of just about any size and will cost $9.99. It is orderly, out of sight, accessible and visible. My handbags and I are happy.

Some fashions from recent seasons will still work this Autumn, but others won’t. Here’s my opinion on what stays in the wardrobe and what goes into storage. 

Keep in your wardrobe:

• Military jackets and coats 
• Victorian and vintage blouses
• Preppy looks
• Long flat boots
• Metallic accessories (belts, bags and shoes, especially if they have gold hardware)
• Animal prints (either in clothing or accessories)
• Boot leg pants and jeans (don’t think that you can’t wear them just because “skinny” is in)
• Black pieces (I do not encourage a wardrobe full of black clothing, but black is the “it” colour this season. If ever you looked stylish in black – it would be over the next 6 months. Be mindful of the fact that not everyone looks good in black – the colour has to suit you.)

Store to (perhaps) wear another day:

• Cowboy boots (unless you are a Texan)
• Folkloric dresses
• Ponchos (unless you are pregnant, and then without any form of fringe)
• Bohemian and gypsy tops (which includes tie dye)
• Front tie shrugs (unless they have kimono sleeves and are in a very loose home spun knit)
• Shorter length knitted tops, knitwear and shirts  (unless you are able to layer newer longer lengths underneath them, they’ll look dated)
• Embellished jeans

Stay tuned on how to create updated looks for autumn with what you already have in your wardrobe. All you’ll need to do is add the new seasons’ luster to those existing favourites! 

Zip-lock bags are a marvelous invention. I have a few alternative uses for them that you might find useful for your closet:

• Store clothing receipts – customers in America are given a mind blowing amount of latitude when it comes to returning and exchanging items. It’s therefore a good idea to keep your recent clothing receipts in a safe place – like in a big zip-lock bag in one of your dresser drawers.
• Store spare buttons – our clothing often comes with spare buttons that are not sewn into labels, but in plastic sachets that are attached to the price tag instead. Keeping these is important. Prevent losing these spare buttons by popping them into a zip-lock bag every time you purchase something new.
• Store to keep things dust free – the top shelf of a walk-in-wardrobe often gets dusty. It’s on this shelf that we tend to store items that we use infrequently like ski goggles and ski gloves. They won’t get dusty if you seal them in a zip-lock bag.

Keeping your closet space accessible and organized is a wonderful feeling – make sure that those cupboards are culled before you start buying your updates for the new season.

Hopefully you’ve managed to do a thorough closet cleanup and gotten as far as the first part of closet organization. All that remains is to give your closet a system. Regardless of the space you have available, the guidelines below should help you get organized:

• Clothes, shoes and accessories only – try not to clutter your closet with all sorts of other items. The aim is to create a concise and efficient dressing area so that you can shop in your own closet every morning.
• Hanging space – assign each item of clothing to its correct hanger and group your hangers by category (e.g. group all shirts together, then all knitted tops together, and so on)
  • Dresses,  jackets, blouses, shirts should be hung on a simple wooden or thick plastic hanger
  • Skirts should be hung on clip hangers
  • Suits, pants, slacks, jeans and shorts should be hung on suit hangers
  • Fancy knitted tops and knitwear should be hung on padded hangers
  • Heavy coats and jackets are best hung on shaped hangers
• Shelving – fold and stack knitted tops, t-shirts, pullovers and sweatshirts into separate piles.
• Underwear, camisoles, socks and tights –fold and section each category into drawers using drawer dividers.
• Sleepwear – fold and place into a separate drawer or area in your walk in wardrobe.
• Sports gear – work out clothes, ski clothes, cycling togs, soccer kit or any other type of sports gear needs to be folded and kept in a separate drawer or shelf. These items should not be worn as everyday clothing unless you are actually engaging in the sport. If you keep them close to the rest of your clothing, you’ll be tempted to wear them day to day and that’s not stylish.
• Belts and long necklaces – hanging them on a tie rack makes them easy to access. Alternatively, hammering a small nail into a cupboard door for each separate accessory will also do the trick.
• Handbags – if you do not have a separate cupboard for your bags – placing them on shelves will also work. Messenger bags are best hung on hooks, while dainty evening bags and clutches are best filed side by side or stacked in a drawer.
• Shoes – shoes need to be stored either on shoe racks or in canvas shoe files. If you do not have room to keep your shoes in your closet underneath your hanging space, then in the coat closet close to the front door is also a good idea.
• Scarves, hats, gloves and shawls – fold and stack these into boxes or baskets in your closet. If you have a large assortment, then group each category into its own separate box. These items are very seasonal and proper storage will keep them free from dust and moths.
• Jewelry – everyone has their own personal storage vessel for their jewelry. Whatever you select needs to be easy to access and kept dust free. There is little point in storing everyday jewelry far away from your clothes – you’ll forget all about them when it comes to dressing.  Keep your accessory boxes organized – if your jewelry is tangled, you won’t wear it.

You will still be able to use the above closet system if you share a wardrobe with someone else. For the ultra regimented, consider sorting your clothes not only by category, but by colour – it not only makes your closet look even more inviting – but it makes it even simpler when putting together your look for the day.

With a little organization, even those of us with modest closets will be able to experience some of the benefits of a very fancy, custom California Closet like the one above.

Having done your closet cleanup, it is now time for some re-organization. You should have been left with 4 piles of clothes:

• A pile to donate – consider donating to non-profit organizations like Dress for Success or the Salvation Army. Pass clothing that is the incorrect size or colour to family and friends who you feel might benefit.
• A pile to have altered – get these items off to a tailor quickly.
• A pile to store away – all outdated designer and vintage pieces should be kept because fashion repeats itself. You might not be able to wear them now, but you will again at some point. Store away items like your wedding dress, and other sentimental garments that you can’t bear to part with but cannot wear. Box them to protect them from moths.
• A pile to keep – these are the “cherries” that made it into your new, regimented closet system.

The first step to creating a happy, efficient and comfortable personal dressing environment is to arrange the appropriate storage space and invest in the correct storage aids. Most of us are not blessed with lavish walk in wardrobes and have to make do with the cupboards we have. Not to worry – there are storage solutions for everything! The most important aspect to create in your closet is visibility – you cannot shop in your closet if you cannot see and access things easily. This goes for underwear, socks, shoes, belts, hats, scarves, gloves and handbags as well.

Before we can slot our wardrobe into a system, we’ll need the right tools:

• Hanging space
• Different types of hangers
• Shelving space
• Drawers and drawer dividers
• Shoe racks or shoe files
• A belt rack, necklace rack
• Transparent boxes
• Jewelry storage vessels (a very personal choice)
• A full length mirror

The above items are inexpensive to buy and can make the world of difference to your daily dressing ritual. Once you have the correct supplies, you’ll be able to follow a simple system. Stay tuned for how an efficient clothing system can positively influence the way you dress!

Hangers (30 for $17) and shoe rack ($24.99) from Target.

Drawer dividers ($14.99 a pair) and tie, belt, cap, or necklace rack ($19.99) from Bed Bath & Beyond.

It’s easy to get caught up in the illusion that with a full closet, we have a wardrobe that is brimming with possibilities. However, most closets are stuffed with items that you don’t need, shouldn’t be wearing, or don’t even get around to wearing. The objective is to create a wardrobe that is fluid and consists of pieces that are easy to combine. This does not just refer to clothing, but to shoes and accessories as well.

The first step to creating a wardrobe that works for you is to prune what you already have. You’ll need to re-evaluate your existing wardrobe one piece at a time. Be ruthless when you prune, because ultimately every stitch in your wardrobe should be flattering to your body and suit your lifestyle.

Ask yourself the following questions as you tackle each item:

• Is this flattering for my body type?
• Is it the correct size? (Remember to dress for the body that you’re in today)
• Is alteration worth considering?
• Is the garment outdated?
• Is the piece still in good condition?
• Is the colour right?
• Is the pattern right?
• Why do I never wear this item?
• Is the garment comfortable? (If it looks good but feels awful – get rid of it.)
• How many pairs of black pants, white collared shirts, black T’s and white T’s can I have? (You may find that you have many of each but none are perfect – weed them out.)
• Have I outgrown this look?
• Is the piece ”me”? (Everything is right about the garment but you feel that it’s just not right for you, which is why you don’t wear it – pass it on.)
• Is this item style-enhancing?

Ideally, your wardrobe should consist of only the cherries. If you don’t love everything in your closet, re-evaluate it before you contemplate any more purchases. Pruning should happen at least twice a year. After years of doing this, I still regard cleaning out my closet to be an act of liberation!

Cleaning out your closet, getting organized and practical about what’s inside of it is worth every minute of the effort. The end result makes my toes tingle with delight. Seeing neat and tidy piles of clothes can sometimes make a hectic morning seem more calm.  It sounds absurd, but perfectly displayed clothing, shoes and accessories seems to have a positive impact on the way you dress. Without fail, ordered shelves and rails seem to start off my day with clarity.

Messy closets are problematic because you can’t find what you are looking for in them. It therefore:

• Takes you twice as long to get dressed for anything
• Makes you spend unnecessarily on the duplication of items
• Makes you feel like you have nothing to wear despite the fact that your wardrobe is bursting at the seams

The easier it is to see the entire contents of your wardrobe, the easier it is to choose an outfit. Sorting out the clothes and accessories in your closet has to be done with forethought and planning. It’s not just a question of hanging up things that are on the floor. The aim is to be able to shop in your own closet. Stay tuned on how to create a happy, efficient and comfortable personal dressing environment – rather like your favourite store.

Aspirational closet organization with a little help from Organize-it-Online and Aztec Closet Systems.