Curating Your Wardrobe for the New Year

Even if we don’t make any big resolutions, we like to start off the new year fresh. At BillyGrey, that means taking stock of our clients’ wardrobes, culling any pieces that aren’t working, and adding essentials that will make looking good effortless.  

If you’ve never considered curating your wardrobe, you may benefit from the process.

Do Any of These Ring True to You?

• You spend more time deciding what to wear than you would like.
• You have plenty of clothes, but feel that most of them don’t look that great or fit just right.
• You find that you wear the same thing over and over again.
• There’s a lot in your wardrobe that goes untouched.
• You have a few nice pieces, like blazers or sweater vests, but they don’t seem to go well with the rest of the things in your closet.

If these sound familiar, you might benefit from developing a capsule wardrobe.

What is a “Capsule Wardrobe”

Think about the last time you took a business trip. Chances are you looked through your closet and selected a pant that would go with anything, a nice suit for that important event, a couple of white or light blue Oxford shirts, and maybe a pair of khakis or nice jeans for casual events. You probably selected items that looked good on you and could go with a number of different shirts and jackets.  

When you build a capsule wardrobe, you basically do the same thing: You collect a reasonable number of clothing items that are versatile enough to maximize the number of combinations you can create with them. The goal is to make your wardrobe do more work than it normally would, so that you have a range of outfits that you can mix and match.

3 Tips for Your Planned Wardrobe

Bill believes that a wardrobe should be planned. Beginning with staples like a solid navy and solid charcoal suit, you can then branch out into colors and fabrics that both work well with these staples and compliment your style and coloring.

There are three basic things to remember when you choose and cull clothing items for your capsule wardrobe. The mix should be (1) intentional (2) versatile and (3) tailored to compliment you.

You’ll Benefit Immediately from Creating a Capsule Wardrobe

There are plenty of benefits to having a sleeker, more efficient wardrobe. Here are just a few …

• Each item of clothing has a purpose.
• You get more use out of each piece. There isn’t a mismatched suit jacket hanging in your closet for years.
• Your clothing purchases become more purposeful. You don’t waste money on items you won’t wear very much.
• You’ll be happier when you get dressed for work every morning, and your morning routine will be quicker, too.
• You no longer settle for outfits that do nothing for you; you can be assured that no matter what you choose from your closet, you’ll look good.
• You don’t take up nearly as much closet space.

Once you implement this method, you begin to purchase items more strategically. Instead of stumbling upon a clothing item that you hope will look good, you’ll choose high-quality items that fit into your clothing scheme. You can’t lose.

How to Put Your Capsule Wardrobe Together for the New Year

Here’s where you’ll have to do some work. First of all, take an honest look at your closet. Are you holding on to pants that don’t fit or suits in colors you don’t really wear anymore? If you’re holding on to sweaters that don’t fit or faded khakis that aren’t doing your physique any favors, it’s time to purge. We recommend taking inventory of what you already have and dividing them into 3 piles:

• Clothes that are versatile and can make up part of your capsule
• Clothes you like, but are “extra” – that is, clothes you might not wear every day, but still want to keep
• Clothes that aren’t doing your physique any favors to donate or discard.

Here are more tips for clearing out what doesn’t work anymore and selecting the best items possible for your capsule wardrobe:

• Use as many items you already own as possible before you go shopping.
• Make a list of core items you need to complete your wardrobe.
• Store seasonal items that you want to keep but won’t wear for the next several months.
• Get rid of clothing that doesn’t fit or doesn’t flatter you. Be ruthless!
• Once you have the basics, use accessories like ties, pocket squares, etc. to complete your look. You have a lot more freedom with these items, so you can keep several of them to increase the number of combinations you can wear.

Let BillyGrey Help You Curate Your Wardrobe

If you’re not sure where to start, call Bill. The benefit of working with a stylist is that he can help you identify which shades, patterns, and colors work best for you. Bill can help you pair colors and identify staple pieces that could be the centerpieces of your capsule wardrobe.