5 STEPS TO A WORKABLE WARDROBE Hi ALL!! This is LaTonya Knox and I am excited to bring to you “5 Steps to a Workable Wardrobe with some added bonuses!! I am a Style/Image Consultant and I am here to help make life stress free for you!! How do you get a Workable Wardrobe? I will tell you, but let me share my story with you: Working in retail I accumulated SO MUCH clothes and I woke up every morning saying to myself “I have nothing to wear”, while my husband looked at me like I was crazy. Really, did I actually form those words out of my mouth looking at clothes on top of clothes in what used to be our closet? Yes I did, but why? Because all I had was stuff on top of stuff on top of stuff. Is this what you go through each morning? Do you walk into your closet and say “I have nothing to wear”. Well, like me you have the case of the Un-Workable Wardrobe…meaning you have a wardrobe that is not functional. Getting dressed in the morning is our time to be creative and to be us…not a time to feel frustrated and anxious about the day. Here is an example of your day: So you say your closet is a total mess and you do not know what to do? You say you have nothing to wear but yet you are looking at a closet full of stuff. Nothing in your closet matches, nothing goes together, everything is unorganized, you can’t find that white button up that you wore 2 months ago because you have too many items hanging on the closet rail. You are always speeding to work because when you do decide what to wear the night before, and then wake up the next morning you hate it and then you have to try to find another outfit but you hate that one too, but you don’t have time to change and you don’t have time to eat breakfast so you have to eat the crackers in your purse and wait until lunch to eat a meal. And then you get to work and you only have enough time to put your belongings away and then clock in only ready to go back home because today is not going to be a good day. Who wants to start their day like this? I know I don’t, but did you know Diamond Beauty by LaTonya C Knox LLC Page 1 that most of us do because our wardrobe is a total mess – in other words, our wardrobe is working against us. Think of your wardrobe as a refrigerator. You clean your refrigerator regularly; you get rid of items that are old and past their ‘use by’ date. You wipe it and organize it so that you are able to find items much easier. The same applies for your wardrobe, it should be cleaned regularly (at least 2x a year); you should get rid of items that are old and past their ‘trend by’ date. Keeping your wardrobe organized will lead to a stress-free morning. Here are some fun-facts for you to think about: Did you know that most women wear only 20% of our clothing in our closet? That is 80% of clothing that doesn’t fit, are out of season, need altering, or just plain worn out and faded. Did you know that most of us are considered to be "hoarders" in this area of our lives? Look in your closet and see the repetition of similar items or the same item in different colors, or even the case of the too many black pants, the too many black skirts, or the too many blue jeans. But how do I begin, LaTonya? You may ask…Well let’s start with your supplies. The supplies listed below is a small list, but you may choose to get extra items such as storage solutions, and that is GREAT! But what I want you to see is how simple it is to get your wardrobe in workable condition for YOU! So here are your supplies: SUPPLIES: Time - at least 4 hours (preferably in 1 day) *if it requires more time try to do it consecutively in 2 days, but this would be the last option* Full length mirror (optional) Diamond Beauty by LaTonya C Knox LLC Page 2 Bags or bins or empty laundry baskets (4 categories - Altered, give away, toss out, maybe) Totes - to place off season clothing; ie..fall/winter clothing or spring/summer clothing Hangers Rolling Rack All clothes must be washed and cleaned Storage bins/storage solutions After you have purchased or found these supplies, it’s time to get to work. Now, I will tell you it will be difficult for the first hour to get in the groove and to get motivated, but once you begin to see the difference in your closet as you go through each step, you will become more and more at ease and you will fall in love with your clothing. So here are the 5 Steps to a Workable Wardrobe: STEP 1: Take out all of your clothing and place them neatly in a stack or stacks on your bed or hang them on rolling rack(s). Those that are on broken or wire hangers remove them from the hangers and throw the hangers away. Step 2: As you pick up each item ask yourself these important questions: (1) Is the item in poor condition? Is the item in good condition but out of date? (2) Is this an item you really like, and would purchase in the store if you were to see it? (3) Has this item been worn in the past 2 years? If not, why? (Your why will determine whether it stays or goes) (4) Does it fit your style personality, body type (fit and flatter), and does the color compliment your skin tone? (5) Do you feel good in this item? --- If you are undecided on any particular item place it in the MAYBE bag. But Diamond Beauty by LaTonya C Knox LLC Page 3 before you can go to the next step, you need to decide on these MAYBE clothing by going back through the questions in Step 2. STEP 3: Alright you now have a smaller stack of clothing, so let's double check and make sure that they pass the test: They are in good condition, not out of date, you like the clothing, they fit your lifestyle and can be worn in multiple ways, they fit your style personality, body type and the colors compliment your skin tone; and they are clean and can be worn. STEP 4: Clean the interior of your closet, by vacuuming the carpet, etc. Place the out of season clothing in the totes, and place seasonal items (i.e. belts, scarves) on the top shelf of your closet. STEP 5: It's now time arrange your clothing. There are multiple ways to do this but we will focus on one way at this point and time. The simplest way to arrange your clothing is by shirts, blouses first (sleeve length), then jackets (blazers - sleeve length), then skirts (hem length), pants (dressy, casual). If you are able to, place shirts, blouses, and jackets on one side and skirts and pants on the other side. If not then arrange in the order above. *Never hang up sweaters or sweatshirts or jeans or any type of bulky items, as these items take up too much space, so fold them up neatly and place on top shelves.* You want to make sure your closet is not overcrowded and that you can see every individual item. *Also this is where you can change your hangers, if you decided to purchase new hangers.* AS AN ADDED BONUS I HAVE INCLUDED HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR FOUNDATION (which is pretty simple) AND 10 MUST HAVE ITEMS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD HAVE IN HER WARDROBE!! Diamond Beauty by LaTonya C Knox LLC Page 4 Now that you have gotten your closet in tip top shape, it’s time to work on your foundations. These are extra important because you don’t want to spend 15 minutes trying to find the right bra or underwear for the outfit you are wearing that day. BONUS: ORGANIZING YOUR FOUNDATION (bras, underwear, socks, miscellaneous items) Step 1: Empty your drawers and wipe them clean. Dispose of faded, discolored, worn-out, off-white, un-wearable items. Step 2: Place your underwear in one drawer, bras in another, socks in another, etc. This not only keeps your drawers neat but allows easy access to them. Step 3: Organize your tights and stockings by placing them in separate small zip loc bags…this keeps them from snagging. IMPORTANT: Fold each item neatly. Diamond Beauty by LaTonya C Knox LLC Page 5 WARDROBE CHECKLIST On the next few pages you will find a Wardrobe Checklist. This Checklist is for you to keep as a reference when going through your closet. It is your inventory keeper. Knowing what you have in your closet will make it easier for you to fill in any gaps of missing must have items that you need. It will also help you create outfits that you didn’t realize were in your closet. Diamond Beauty by LaTonya C Knox LLC Page 6 WARDROBE CHECKLIST Check the inventory left in your closet and write the number of items per clothing.