Closet Clean-Out: Toss, Fix or Keep?

If your clothes own you and you are in constant battle with how to wear
them, your closet becomes a place of conflict, rather than image solutions.

Studio 5 Beauty and Style Contributor Holly Stone helps us know when to
toss, when to fix and when to keep.


Your closet is full but you have nothing to wear? You bought it but now you
love it less? It reminds you of your best friend’s wedding? It was a great DEAL
or an EXPENSIVE splurge? You just love the color but have nothing to go with
it?

If your clothes own you and you are in constant battle with how to wear
them, your closet becomes a place of conflict rather than image solutions. It
is time for a tough evaluation: do I toss, do I fix or do I restyle? The hardest
part of this exercise is LETTING GO. Memories can be preserved by taking a
photo of you wearing the item. Money spent can never be recovered but if
the item has lost its pizazz, it is now costing you in emotional clutter. And
there will ALWAYS be another great sale. When you let go, you will free up
space in your closet and your mind. The end result will be more confidence,
room for the next great item, less clutter and peace of mind each time you
ask “what should I wear?”

Get in the right mind set! This type of exercise can be challenging. Prepare
yourself. For the most optimal outcome, you must:

· Be ready to make a change

· Be realistic

· Be willing to let things go

· Be ok with fewer items in your closet

· Be creative!!

YOU CAN DO IT! A grand feeling of liberation and freedom awaits you.
Clothing can be frustrating or fun-it’s YOUR choice. Here are some tips to let
go of the NOs and how to mix and match the YESs.

Let it GO or Let It SHOW?

First questions to ask when considering how to maximize your wardrobe:

1. Do I love it? Confidence abounds when we wear clothing we love. If it is
a “like” or even less-it is open for consideration.

2. How often do I wear it? Clothes are meant to be worn. If they are just
taking up closet space, it’s time to determine what to do with them.

3. Does it tug, pull, itch or hang annoy? By ridding your closet of clothes
that “aren’t quite right”, your wardrobe can then be comfortable and inspire
confidence.

4. Can it be paired with multiple outfits? If it can be incorporated into
many different looks, under or over, around or through, it may still have
benefit.

5. Does it enhance my image? How you look is a form of etiquette and is
constantly communicating a message. Does your wardrobe reflect a message
consistent with who you are?

TIME TO TOSS (donate)
It’s time to let it go of a clothing item if it has any of these characteristics:

· Has holes
· Fabric stretched
· Color faded
· Out of style
· Fabric balled or matted
· Stained or bleached
· Misshaped
· Is ideal for one season/climate only
· Too small/too large without options for fixing
· Color not right
· Old, over worn, love is gone
· Hasn’t been worn in over 18 months
· Doesn’t flatter your figure or worse, accentuates figure in unflattering
way

TIME TO FIX (modify)
Consider fixing if item has:

· Missing buttons
· Isolated snags (doesn’t run throughout the fabric
· Hemlines coming apart
· Item is too large
· Seam lines are snagged
· Hardware is tarnished or faded
· Buttons are out of style
· Length is too short or too long
· Overall shape is unflattering but can be modified

TIME TO KEEP (Re-style)
If item:

· Fits well
· Is in a color that can be worked into your wardrobe (doesn’t have to be
the ideal color for you, but can be incorporated with other colors to
compliment)
· Is in good condition (hemlines, fabric, color)
· Can be layered over or under other items
· Can cross into different seasons
· Can be recreated to look different in shape, style or design

Ideas for re-styling:

1. Pair with Jacket in different color
2. If typically worn with pants, try wearing with a skirt
3. If in a rut and pairing with same color top/bottom, break the rut by
choosing a completely different color of top/bottom.
4. Use a scarf to tie in less dominant colors
5. Wear lacy scarf to dress up
6. Flower pendants, fabric floral clips or necklaces with flower
embellishments can yield a feminine look to any item
7. Put a belt over it
8. Dress up with jewelry-long or short strands
9. Wear with leggings instead of tights
10. Try wearing with boots at different lengths (ankle to knee) instead of
shoes
11. Try paring a more “dressy” appearing item with jeans or denim
jacket
12. Use shrug or pashmina to hide bare arms
13. Think silk shirt underneath spaghetti straps or tube top
14. Pair with a color outside what you typically match: think turquoise with
grey, chocolate and fuchsia, yellow and orange, coral and blue.
15. Do something BOLD!

The goal is to just wear the item COMPLETELY different than you have ever
worn it in the past. There is no right or wrong-just different. Have fun and
give new style to an old item of clothing.


Holly Stone is no stranger to business and the beauty industry. Starting as a
model at the age of 14 she decided that she preferred to be behind the
scenes rather than in front of the camera. She choreographed fashion shows,
selected models for events and assisted her agency with make-up.
Her skill for make-up artistry quickly became recognized and the demand for
her talent launched a career that would take her all over the country. She
received a bachelor’s degree, and took a position as VP of Merchandising for
Overstock.com. There she learned the business skills of resourcing, buying,
marketing, and negotiating. She moved on to train in Los Angeles at AWARD,
a leading make-up artist school in the west.

Today, with her business skills and her passion for the art of make-up, she
manages a successful career as an educator and a veteran make-up artist of
16 years. She works in various media with actors/actresses, models, brides,
and photographers. She is a consultant to several cosmetic distributors, spas,
and salons where she teaches application and technique. She is a nationally
recognized educator of cosmetic application and is a personal image
consultant to people ranging from high position corporate figures to the
everyday woman.

Holly is the owner of Re-Creation Studio, School of Media Make-up Artistry.
For information about her classes, visit www.learntodomakeup.com.

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