Window Shopping - January 2017

A New Closet For a New Year

Give your closet a fresh start in 2017 - fashion consultant Greg Matusoff makes it easy to wind up with only the clothes you love!

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​Since this column's inception, one theme that I hope carries throughout is that you should always feel good about your personal self-expression. No matter what your style or preference, it is uniquely your own expression and it should make you feel good about you, and I can't think of a better way to do that than by cleaning out your closet and drawers.

While having a tidy and organized closet is great, the real reason behind it is to keep only what you love, what you wear, and most importantly, what fits. And by this I mean what actually fits you now, not what you hope to have fit by the summer swimsuit season.

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I have friends that keep items in their closets as "motivators" to lose weight, get in shape, and tone down a size. But what happens most of the time is that these items have more of a shaming effect, and inevitably do the exact opposite of making people feel good about themselves.

Now I'm not saying to abandon the gym or use this as a sign to mark off "get in shape" as part of your New Year's resolution, but what I am encouraging you to do is embrace who you are right now.

An added bonus is that you will rediscover everything that you have. I guarantee you that you'll find articles that you forgot you had and still have their tags on them. It's my hope that through reading this the past few months, you might be inspired to try something you haven't before.  And there's no better place to start than with what you already have!
So let's get to the closet!

Let's begin by pulling everything out. If this is a daunting task in its own right, start with a section, say jeans or shirts or sweaters. Get every item of that kind out and in a pile it on the bed. Look like a huge mess?  Great! You're doing it right! 

Let's start with our favorites — you see them instantly — the jeans that fit just right or the go-to blouse for meeting a client. We both know you're keeping them, so put them on the hanger and back into the closet.

Once you have your favorites rehung, then pick up one piece at a time and try it on. Look good?  Like the way it fits?  Have you worn it in the last six months? If yes to all three questions, it's a keeper. If no, then you have a decision to make. Keep it and put it somewhere outside of the closet or place it in the donation or resale pile.

Why keep some items that don't pass the test? These might be those "motivators" and perhaps you will keep your promise to yourself and lose those last ten pounds. If so, great! The skinny jeans are in the attic. If not, no problem, you are perfect as-is; those jeans can stay out of sight until you're ready to part ways.

And what to do with the rejects? There are some great consignment shops, resale shops, and places that gladly accept your donations. For your business clothes, there's Dress for Success that provides outfits for people interviewing for a job. For everything else, my personal local favorite is the Humane Society of South Mississippi in Gulfport. The proceeds from their resale shop goes to operating costs of the shelter.

If you are able to get only the wearable items back into the closet, it'll feel so much better as it's clean, organized, there's some extra room, and only items that fit are in there. How to keep it this way?

Two suggestions:
1. Have a donation bag that's tucked in the corner of your closet. When I try something on and it doesn't look right, it goes back on the hanger. The third time this happens, it then goes into the bag. And once the bag is full, it goes out for resale/donation.

2. Keep an item in/item out rule. Every time you go shopping and come home with a new shirt, an old one gets the boot. This is great for the impulsive shopper!

Giving yourself a new closet with items that you love is really a gift to yourself. And in the end, we should all feel good about our own personal expression and live an inspired life.

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Email Greg with thoughts and questions!  Also, if you'd like to be considered for a fashion makeover from your own closet in a future issue of the Shoofly!