How was everyone’s weekend??  Stress free, I hope!  I don’t think I have ever been so excited to have one ENTIRE day to rest and catch up on work.  SXSW was so much fun this year, but definitely the most exhausting!! This week entailed one of the most fun days EVER and REALLY didn’t want that to end, but overall, I am glad the crowds, drunk people, and traffic are outta here! Until next year!

To start the week off right, I wanted to give some helpful hints for men and women’s wardrobes.

 

First – Let’s get to the 5 Step Closet Makeover

Clear out the clutter and create an organized space!  There are many retailers that offer custom closet building and sell organizational items so you can utilize your space better.  Take it from me, our closets are SMALL… I mean REALLY small.  We share a space that is under a staircase which means there is a massive slant that you can’t use for anything.  A few months ago I decided to completely rebuild our closet and went to the Container Store and had specific parts measured and cut just for our oddly shaped closet.  My gosh, what a difference that made!!  Now, all of my crap doesn’t take over all of our space!! My recommendations for closet organization would definitely be the Container Store, California Closets, and Target – for clear tubs and hangers.

 

Step 1: Edit Your Wardrobe

My main rule of thumb is to ask yourself, “Have I worn this in the last 6 months?” If the answer is no, get rid of it.  Ask yourself, “Would I buy this today?” If the answer is no, get rid of it!  This is what I tell ALL of my clients and they thank me later!  You are left with items you actually wear with no unnecessary clutter.  If you have designer items that you are getting rid of, touch base with me and I can get them ALL sold on eBay or taken to a resale shop like Platos Closet or Buffalo Exchange.  This gives you money in your pocket to replace old items with things you would actually wear.

 

Step 2: Make Your Space Bright and Easy to Use

Paint the inside of your closet ivory, nude or a pale color so that your clothes stand out.  Consider putting a light strip in darker spots so that items will be illuminated and no longer hidden from plain view.  This definitely helps and makes clothes look less drab.

 

Step 3: Arrange Your Items Like A Boutique

Some boutiques arrange clothing by item or color.  Follow their lead and put skirts with skirts, shirts with shirts, etc. If you want to go even further, organize each by color.

 

Step 4: Stick to Your System

Make sure your method suits your lifestyle or you will never keep it up. Also, realize that staying organized is a learned habit, so give it at least three months before making any tweaks.

 

Step 5: Update it Seasonally

Edit your wardrobe quarterly.  It will help you decide what new items you should be shopping for throughout the year.

10 Tools that can keep clothes looking new!

Lint Brush – A good one will remove a lot more than just lint, including tiny food particles that can attract moths.  You can use the type that has rolls of sticky tape or the type that can be rinsed to clean it.

The Right Hangers – Padded hangers are ideal for delicate items such as silk tops and lingerie.  Wood or plastic styles prevent stretching and puckering.  Get the right size; standard sizes might be too small for a jacket or coat.

Horse -hair brush or chemical sponge – These help keep leather and suede clean.

Pencil Eraser – It removes minor scuffs from leather shoes, handbags, and garments.  For patent leather go out at by the Magic Eraser!  It works wonders.

Instant Stain Remover – The Tide-To-Go pen and similar products from Walgreens/CVS are top picks.

Handheld Steamer – When you just need a touch up and not cleaning, grab a steamer and not an iron!

Underarm Shields – They’re an easy and cheap way to prevent pit stains.

Rubbing Alcohol – It gets out ballpoint pen ink.

Hydrogen Peroxide – It removes blood and red wine.

White cotton cloths or napkins – They’re good for blotting (not rubbing) food stains.

5 Biggest Budget Killing Fabrics

Suede

Worst Enemy – Snow and Ice Melting Salt

How to keep it looking new – After each wearing, brush suede shoes and jackets with a horsehair brush or chemical sponge to remove dirt.  Store shoes on a shoe tree in a cedar closet or on a cedar shoe tree to help retain their shape and absord moisture and odors.  You could also place a piece of cedar into your shoe.  On snowy or rainy days, lightly spray shoes with a water-protection formula before stepping out.

Velvet

Worst Enemy – Moisture from rain, perspiration and drink spills

How to keep it looking new – Velvet is vulnerable to fabric-crushing crimps. To prevent them, use a padded hanger for all of your velvet items, including scarves.  NEVER wash velvet!!

Sequined, Beaded, and other embellished garments 

Worst Enemy – Rubbing, rough handling, and steam, which causes the sequins to discolor and/or curl up.

How to keep it looking new – Between wearings, cover the garment in tissue paper and lay it flat in a cool, dry, dark place, such as on a shelf or in a drawer.

Silk

Worst Enemy – Perfume, sweat, Deodorant, and hair spray

How to keep it looking new – Allow fragrance and hair spray to dry completely before you get dressed – the alcohol in them can cause discoloration.  And go light on the deodorant or wear dress shields.  Neglecting a silk garment can ruin it.  If you don’t wear it regularly, protect it by storing it in an opaque, breathable garment bag.  The light in your closet can casuse fading and ruin the color.

Leather

Worst Enemy – Lipstick, ink, body oil and grease

How to keep it looking new – Rub leather shoes with a cotton cloth after each wearing and reseal them regularly.  For garments, after each wearing check the areas that are most vulnerable to soiling – the neck, collar, cuffs, pockets and zipper placket.  A little discoloration is to be expected over time, but don’t wait until the area is several shades darker than the rest of the jacket or skirt to have it cleaned; by then it’s probably too late.  NEVER try to get the stains out yourself – you will probably make them worse.  Take it from me! haha