Closet Review: Pre-Shopping Checklist
Before you hit the stores, take stock of your
closet. This will help you keep from buying things you don't need, duplicating
purchases unnecessarily (Oh. Wait. I already had a pair of black ankle
boots with buckles. Oops.), or forgetting to look for items you need.
Take Stock
Try on and critically assess everything, and put it into one of two piles: Absolutely Fabulous and Over.
Take the clothing in the Absolutely Fabulous pile and see what needs repairs or alterations. Make sure things are current.
Button Up
Change buttons that look dated, or use button covers to update them.
Re-tool
Work the pieces of a older suit separately--wear the jacket with jeans, the pants with a cute sweater. But only if the pieces are cute on their own--if they're just dated, lose them. Wearing them with your distressed jeans isn't going to make you look cool.
Alter
OK, you should have done this in the first place--a good wardrobe is a well-fitting wardrobe, and that quarter inch in the sleeve really does make a difference.A good tailor can taper an oversized shirt, peg wide-legged pants, or make other transformations to update special pieces. (Don't bother unless they are really special, because tailoring can get expensive in a hurry. Make sure you'll wear the newly updated piece. Otherwise, you're better off buying something new)
