Guess what – you are about to become the most fabulous you ever, you know why? Because you are stuck at home. That’s right you finally have the chance to really go deep and become the best version of yourself, you know the one: the version of you where you are effortlessly fashionable, organized and on-time to all your events. The key? Start with your closet!
I talked to celebrity stylist turned tech entrepreneur Felix Mercado about his tips for fine tuning your wardrobe, “I believe your closet should look and feel like you are going shopping every time you step into it to get dressed, otherwise you’re not going to be inspired to turn out your best looks.”
“I, of all people, know it’s not easy to get rid of clothes,” says Mercado, “ but think of cleaning out your closet as a cleanse making space for pieces that fit and flatter, make you feel amazing and fabulously reflect your style goals.”
Think that sounds like a dream? Don’t worry, our “fashion fairy godfather” gave us the exact steps you need, so get to it:
Break Your Closet into Six Piles
Store: Vacuum sealed bags are a great way to store seasonal clothing without taking up a lot of room. “Goodness knows, my Gucci shearling does me no good living in the sunshine state,” quips Mercado, “but she makes an appearance when I’m headed north to Ms. New York during the colder months… Enter… vacuum sealed bags.”
Repair: Anything you need fixed, either do it now, or plop it in the donate/recycle pile.
Sell: “One word: Poshmark!” Mercado points out that rather than wasting space on storage, if you’re not wearing something often or it doesn’t fit, sell it and you’ll have money to buy new clothes!
Keep: This is self-explanatory, but as Mercado points out, it is critical to ask yourself three questions: Does it fit? When did it fit (”ditch delusions of waistlines past”)? And Will I wear this again?
Donate: Mercado cautions, do not confuse this with the trash pile, you MUST clean the clothes first “Donating dirty clothes is the fashion faux pas of all fashion faux pas.” If you’re unclear on whether to donate he suggests looking up Donating Dos and Don’ts from Goodwill Industries.
Ditch: What were these clothes doing in your closet anyhow?
Mercado’s Tips and Hacks for Organizing the Closet
Shower Hooks: “One of my favorite hacks of all time… instead of folding or hanging your jeans, use those shower curtain hooks and hang the jeans from their side belt loops. This gives you much better visibility and access… and the best part is no hanger creases to steam or iron out!”
Wood Hangers: Mercado swears these are worth the investment. Definitely ditch wire hangers, but preferably plastic ones too. He recommends IKEA BUMERANG solid wood white hangers for $5.49 for a bundle of eight.
Group Your Clothing: Group clothing by style, activity and color. “Try to keep the go to items in front,” says Mercado, “it’s all about the grab and go!”
“Color coordinating,” he adds, “will help you see where you are deficient, i.e. not enough black, not enough color, or not enough pattern.”Stay on Task: “Last, but not least, if you take something out to wear, place the empty hanger back in the place you removed the garment. This will help you keep things organized. No sense in putting all this time and effort, only to undo it because you are feeling lazy or forgetful.
