Cleaning the Closet

Before you look ahead to a new image, you must look back…into the depths of your closet. It contains things you wear, things you wish you could wear and, let’s face it, things you never ought to.

Set aside an afternoon to take stock of your current wardrobe. You’ll want to make three distinctive piles: one for things to keep, one for things to tailor/mend, and one for things to donate/toss. Then ask yourself:

• Does it fit?
• Have I worn it in the past year?
• Is it beyond repair, or will it cost more to repair than to replace?
• How do I feel when wearing it?

Do this for everything in your closet, including shoes, belts, hats and scarves. Keep only what is flattering and supportive of the style change you have in mind; get rid of anything that does not fit or that hasn’t been worn in at least a year. And if you’re worried about having nothing left, don’t be. You’ll be surprised at the new combinations you can make out of a few basic wardrobe pieces. And, of course, you may have to go shopping in order to further change your look!