Project Wardrobe: Ladies, Optimize Your Clothes Collection!

How wonderful is your wardrobe? Is your closet filled with unnecessary clothes, inappropriate for your career or lifestyle, and ill-fitting to your body type or weight? It only takes a bit of time to go through your clothes, starting with your closet, then moving on to your drawers, shoes and jewelry to refine your well-balanced wardrobe. Use this as a guideline and ask a friend to work with you in your "fashion makeover." Have fun! Treat it like a reality show! Set out to define your clothes categories and find out what you have worth keeping and what you need to replace or buy new.

Basics

Check that you have your basic mix-and-match essentials that will fit into several categories--casual, business, or dressy. If you don't already have these in your closet, then think about buying versatile knits from a travel store like Chico's or Magellan's. Chico's Travelers line is made from 95% acetate and 5% spandex. Two basics you'll want are the rib knit tank top with a scoop neck and the knit pants with an easy fit stretch waist that doesn't look baggy. If you build a strong foundation with a strategic selection of such basics that will work well with almost everything in your closet.

Make the tank top a black one that can be worn with everything from khakis to a cocktail skirt. Not only can black go from daytime to night time, black becomes invisible and no one can recognize that you are wearing the same component--tank, skirt, pants, sweater--twice in a week. Stay with neutral colors. If black is not for you, then try taupe or beige for your pieces of mix and match basics.

Casual

A T-shirt just screams "Casual" and your collection must have both a short-sleeve white and a short-sleeve black T-shirt. The best short-sleeve length is about 1/2 to 1 inch longer than a typical cap sleeve as it has a flattering appearance. Also include a crew-neck sweater and other flattering knit tops, but opt for thin knits in cotton or wool that layer easily.

In regards to pants, in addition to the black knit pants in your Basics collection, you must have jeans but it's worth paying extra for pairs that actually fit and flatter. Throw those out that no longer fit you or that are too worn. If buying new jeans, look into stretch denim with no more than 2 percent Lycra so the denim blend fabric will follow your curves and keep its shape. If you like Khakis, then forget the pleats since a flat front is more flattering, and forgo the front crease, too. After all, these are meant to be casual pants. Cargo pants are a great addition since those deep pockets are so handy and the look is so relaxed and informal. All these pair well with sandals, boots and athletic shoes.

Business

Your Business collection must include some jackets, skirt suits and pant suits, dresses, skirts, shirts, as well as under-tees, accent scarves, nice jewelry and comfortable pumps and open-toe heels. For your basic business look, include a black cashmere turtleneck. There is less bulk with cashmere and it feels so good!

Also, make sure you have a fitted white button-down shirt. A fitted shirt is easier to tuck in and looks neater when left out. And a long-sleeve black T-shirt works well under a dress shirt--or even a dress. You likely have a nice pair of black pants but if you are buying another, choose an all-season fabric, like viscose or tropical wool.

Have several jackets and, depending on the season, make them denim, light wool, silk or linen. A slimmer fit and good cut will look more polished. In addition, a neutral colored cardigan or knit sweater jacket is nice for layering and choose a longer style that hits just below the hip as it's a more flattering look for any height or any weight.

Dressy

Depending upon your career, "business attire" can be dressed up with scarves or jewelry or a formal hairdo for many a dressy occasion. However, your Dressy collection should include a long skirt, long and short evening dresses, wraps for warmth, jewelry, a small purse, strappy heels and dressy sandals. Most common is the velvet jacket and ruffled shirt with jeans. Denim is a rugged fabric but Jeans can be dressed up or down and the look is classic.

For those sleeveless dresses and strapless gowns, you need an elegant shawl and a lightweight cashmere and silk wrap is a perfect accent. You can drape shawls and tie them in interesting ways. If you get tired of them slipping off your shoulders, you can try the "Shoul." It is the smart shoulder wrap designed to look like a perfectly draped shawl--but it won't slip off your shoulders. The shoul is a new fashion staple that works with many parts of your collection, blending with everything from dresses to jeans.

Find something like Magellan's Crinkle Jacket as an anchor piece of evening wear for your Dressy collection. It can be dressed up and dressed down. The elegant style makes it useful for wearing with the matching trouser, silky pants, skirts, capris or jeans. It is well designed with a zip-front, mandarin collar, and two zippered princess seam pockets. The crinkly fabric resists wrinkles and is made of a rayon/polyester/spandex blend.

Workout Apparel

We easily overlook that our workout apparel is a part of our total wardrobe and forms its own collection. Check your wardrobe inventory for sports bras, racer-back and spaghetti-strap exercise tops with support, leggings, capris, shorts, and good athletic shoes. Make sure that you have a white tank top that looks right at the gym as well as for biking and hiking, The zip hoodies and sweater jackets we wear over our workout gear can be the opportunity for a workout collection statement. It should not be patterned but leave that for those wonderful T-shirts that announce you've completed colorful Zumba or hard-edge, black-and-white P90X or Insanity training. Don't forget your swimsuit, swimsuit coverup and sandals.

Outerwear

It's a good idea to have a light jacket, a heavy jacket, a full length dress coat, a rain coat, gloves, wool hats to pull down over your ears and an umbrella. The practical thing for your Outerwear collection is to consider where you live and make sure you have the warmth, the water resistance and the head coverage you need. Hats, hoodies and deep jacket pockets all keep you warm. The standard trench coat is a great look and you can get one with a zip-in fleece lining for cold regions or cold seasons. Hats are important for sun and wind protection and these can vary from baseball caps to felt or straw types that give your overall appearance a very individual appeal.

While you sort through clothes you already have and buy new items to fill in the gaps, keep in mind the principles of your basics and stay within your mix-and-match color scheme. Be careful about choosing patterns and bright colors but add in some variety by the cut and shape of the pieces. And indulge in one or two trendy, colorful or patterned items (a scarf or a jacket) that you can easily trade-out in the next year or two for the next latest trend. That will be your showstopper for special occasions. Follow these guidelines to the wardrobe essentials you need and streamline your daily dressing requirements. Now when you ask yourself "What should I wear?," you can answer effortlessly. You've got something comfortable and stylish to wear for every occasion.

(c) 2012 Elizabeth McMillian

Elizabeth McMillian enjoys writing about her personal interests, including travel, exercise and cycling. She is an architectural historian, a former editor at Architectural Digest and the author of five books and numerous articles. Learn more about the designs and variety of denim jeans for your clothes collection at http://www.Designer-Womens-Jeans.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_McMillian

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6913462

Posted in: Project Wardrobe