Closet Inventory. What are you missing?

 

Around this time last year, I went to Jen’s house to give her closet a little love.  

Jen was perplexed.  Even though she had a closet full of beautiful clothes, she couldn’t seem to get herself dressed in the morning.  The constant struggle was making her feel anxious.

She was missing something.

When we dug in together and started organizing her closet I was looking for specific signs of why getting ready each morning might be difficult, when it became really clear to me.

We all have items of clothing that are easy to shop for and we have a tendency to focus our attention on those items (if you’re not fond of shopping that’s cool too, stick with me here).

As those favourite items pile up, they start to crowd out the pieces we don’t like to shop for, causing imbalance in our closets.

Our closets get filled with clothes, but we still have nothing to wear.

So let’s take a peak at what I was looking for in Jen’s closet.

Were there at least ten shirts in Jen’s closet to get her through the work week?
This is super key!  So many women don’t have enough shirts to go with the rest of the amazingness they have in their closets.  If you don’t have all the basics you won’t be able to pull an outfit together… period.

Did she have at least three bottoms to match all of those shirts?
It’s really important that the shirts and the bottoms go together.  If you’ve purchased a fantastic pair of pants that only go with one shirt you own, don’t count these as one of the three.  They are wonderful, but we only want to count the versatile basics here.

Did Jen have at least four casual outfits that made her feel beautiful on weekends?
I know so many women who have their “uniform” for work all figured out, and spend weekends slouching around.  There is a time and place to relax in clothes that feel like a great big hug, but if all you have to wear on the weekends is sloppy, then you will feel like a slouch.  A few go-to weekend outfits that are super comfy and make you feel beautiful is key.

What did Jen’s accessory drawer hold?
From a most basic level, I want to see that a wardrobe has at least a few accessories to complete an outfit.  This could be a set of pearl earrings and a matching necklace (either real or fake), or the same in silver or gold.  If you have more than that… awesome! 

Were the basic shoe categories covered in Jen’s closet?
Shoes are complex. Whether you love them or hate them, there are a few basics you absolutely need.  A pair that are versatile, comfortable and look great for your weekday endeavours.  A casual walking shoe for the weekend that are also stylish and not too clunky.  One pair of versatile evening shoes.  It’s amazing how often I see women who love shoes, but still don’t have these three categories covered.  Often these shoe-lovers buy beautiful heels they rarely have occasion to wear and forget the (less-exciting-for-them) practical pairs.

For Jen, I identified that she was in desperate need of shirts.  There were only three in her closet that actually worked for her, which was making it impossible for her to create enough outfits to get through the week.

She felt enlightened, and relieved.  There was a solution to her morning anxiety.  A shopping trip focused on shirts that worked for her and went well with the rest of her wardrobe.

Is there something popping out in your head that you think might be missing from your wardrobe?  Let’s start a discussion in the comments below.