We’ve been talking for so long now about the benefits of wardrobe planning that it is about time we get down to the business of actually doing it. In this article I will cover the first step in my system for building your wardrobe. Following the steps in the way that I present them will help you simply and automatically uncover the gems in your closet and figure out precisely how to use them. Following the steps will also help you weed out clothing that you no longer need and figure out exactly what items you still need to find to complete your wardrobe.
Are you ready?
The first step in my wardrobe planning system is to identify your anchor pieces. What are your anchor pieces? These are garments already in your wardrobe…they are your best-of-the-best and the pieces you will build your wardrobe upon.
Let’s get started!
In order to qualify as a best-of-the-best anchor piece, each item must meet four criteria. You are going to go through your closet and pull out only the clothes that you: a) absolutely love, b) wear frequently, c) look great on you and d) are in good condition.
I’ll repeat it again because it is important: To qualify as an anchor piece, the clothes you pull must satisfy each of the requirements listed above. Don’t pull out a piece that you love but that doesn’t really fit you. And don’t pull out an item that you wear all the time but looks kind of dumpy. Also, don’t stress that by not choosing a garment as an anchor piece you will have to say goodbye to it forever. That’s not the case at all! For now, just focus on locating the pieces that meet these criteria.
Because it is so important, let’s go over each of these categories more fully:
a) The Clothes You Absolutely Love
These clothes make you feel good. They are either comfort clothes or they make you feel stylish and sexy. Perhaps you are drawn to the color, the fabric, or the cut. For whatever reason, these are your favorites because of the way they make you feel.
b) The Clothes You Wear Frequently
Just because you love an article of clothing doesn’t mean you wear it often. To qualify as an anchor piece, an article of clothing should be one that for whatever reason you find yourself putting on your body at least once a week.
c) Clothes That Look Great On You and Fit Well
Comfort clothes that are emotionally satisfying may not necessarily look good on you. Perhaps the cut is not 100% flattering, or it’s a smidge too tight or too loose. To be an anchor piece, you want the cut and style to flatter, and the clothes to fit.
d) Clothes That Are In Good Condition
No matter how much you love it, if it’s stained or torn or frayed or worn, it’s not an anchor piece. You want to choose the clothes that are in good condition…they don’t have to be pristine and new, but in good condition.
Perhaps you’ve only pulled out a handful of clothes, and perhaps you’ve pulled out many more. If you’ve only pulled a few, that’s absolutely fine. If you’ve pulled out more than twenty pieces, go back and go through the process again. See if you can whittle that number down slightly. Don’t worry, you’re not eliminating anything from your wardrobe just yet!
Now why must you go through this specific process of choosing garments?
The reason is that we are emotionally drawn to the clothes in our closets -- otherwise they wouldn’t be there in the first place. This exercise is meant to acknowledge the emotional investment you have in your clothes while following the logical process which will help you design a functional wardrobe. Eventually, these two sides of emotion and logic will merge. But for now, you can’t let yourself make choices only based on logic or only based on emotion. If you do, down the road you will end up unhappy and unsatisfied with your choices.
Once you’ve got your collection of pulled garments, take each one of these pieces and categorize it according to whether it is a top or a bottom. If you happen to have an extra hanging rack, pull it out now, as it will come in handy for hanging your clothing.
Notice any complete outfits that you have amongst these pieces. Are all the pieces the same color or colors? Does everything go together? Or do you have a collection of really great pieces that are all orphans? Spend a little time analyzing the clothing that you’ve selected. What is it about the specific item that you love? What is it about the item that makes it look so good on you? There is something special about an article of clothing that meets all four criteria, and you want to begin developing a sense for exactly what it is so that you can replicate it over and over in your choices. Ultimately you want your whole closet to be full of clothes that meet all of the big four. Now, set these clothes aside. These are your definite keepers…your anchor pieces.
Now comes the hard part. IN preparation for step two, it’s time to make your first real discard pile. Getting rid of clothes can be extremely stressful, so I suggest going through your wardrobe in stages. The first stage is to get rid of anything that does not fit. Be brutal! Clothes that are too tight or too big are unflattering. Period. Think like the French women do: they don’t keep a “skinny” wardrobe or a “fat” wardrobe. If their clothes are getting tight, they see it as a sign to rectify the situation, which they do right away. They use their clothes, rather than a scale to let them know when they need to diet.
Next, eliminate anything in your wardrobe that is torn, stained, or beyond being repaired. There’s no sense in keeping a garment that will never be fixed. And chances are, if you haven’t done it by now, you never will. Toss!
Lastly, go through and pull any clothing that you know does not represent the person that you are now, today. Having already determined your style persona and your essential uniform can help immensely with this step. A good indicator that a garment no longer suits you is if you haven’t worn it in the past year. Say goodbye!
When you are finished, you will now have three categories of clothes: those you are giving away, those that are your anchors, and the clothes still remaining in your closet.
Your last task for now is to organize the clothes in this last group. Put all pants together, all shirts together, all blazers together, all skirts together. You are going to want to see how many you have in each category, and of what color and styles.
Great work!
Next time we will add the anchor pieces into our wardrobe planning template and begin the process of building your wardrobe.
Jennifer Skinner
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