"I've got nothing to wear!!!" is most likely what I (and the rest of the style-conscious fashionista) scream when we get stuck not knowing what to wear as we stand in our boutique-like closet facing piles and lines of clothes we've been collecting since the late 90's.
While our response my seem dramatic, this is a common mistake made by people who in fact have plenty to wear. The problem is either you can't find anything appropriate to wear for the occasion, you have gained weight so your clothes don't fit any more, or you get yourself into a cosmopolitan "style competition" and you expect more up-to-date items in your wardrobe with practicality and suitability to serve your vanity.
The solution to cases two and three is for you to torture yourself at the gym or hire a stylist to keep you looking "five stars" all the time. But why bother spending so much effort and money when you can do a little "stylexcercise" yourself, requiring just a little common sense, a good eye, a reasonable budget, creativity, and a plan?
Ladies and gentlemen, use this lazy Sunday to raid that closet with these little tips to reorganize your wardrobe. Easy, cheap, and fun guaranteed!
As normal fashion beings, undoubtedly we get confused about what to wear simply because we have too many choices right in front of us, so first let's get rid of the clothes we really don't need any more. Be ruthless. Divide your clothing into three piles;
The "keep" pile, for your most used items, that are easy to mix and match, have correct colors and styles, reflect your image and they make you feel great when you wear them.
The "maybe" pile, comprising items that make you feel fashionable at times, with correct colors but styles that are incorrect, or vice versa. If you're feeling "sadistic", get rid of these altogether, but if there's "emotional" value, keep them for a while and see if they still serve to maintain your style, or else, sell them through a secondhand shop (Archive Consignment Store, Kemang, ph: *021* 715 3545). Your junk could become another person's treasure.
The "reject" pile is for clothes you haven't been worn in more than six months; that are outdated; the wrong colors and styles; and need repairs or that are unwearable for any reason; are too tight, torn, discolored. Two words: donate them!
Now that you have cleared out your unwanted clothes, you can get down to making a shopping plan. But first, make a "time plan" to decide what clothes your wardrobe should consist of. List your activities over a month and work out an estimated time for each activity.
If you spend 60 percent of your time at work then 60 percent of your wardrobe should consist of office wear. If you spend 20 percent sweating out at the gym, then 20 percent of the clothing should be sportswear. And if you spend 80 percent partying at night, make sure your credit cards are unlimited and your health insurance covers your liver.
Once you work out the percentage of your activities, you can list the types of clothing you're going to shop for. If you have a big budget you can freely romp through those luxurious Jakarta malls, but for me the adventure of treasure hunting is much more fun. Take a trip to Bandung, get some fresh air while exploring factory outlets there.
They have a lot of choices of good "keepable" outfits, and most importantly, they're cheap and cheerful. Dive into fashion houses around Setiabudi, Riau, Dago and Cihampelas areas.
However, do pay attention to the details because often they're reject goods.
Try everything you're going to buy. Garment fitting is important. If you need to make minor alterations, do it there, otherwise they may take another century to get them done.
When you buy jacket or shirt, pay attention to the shoulders and sleeves - where major problems occur most often. The armholes allow you to move your arms with ease, and there should be no diagonal creases around the top of your sleeve. Besides being uncomfortable, this just looks f-ugly!
When you buy a skirt or pants, don't forget to try them sitting down. If the clothing bunches up below tummy area, eating your crotch, or pulls out at the back showing your panty line, put it back on its rack.
Hemlines must hang even and straight; edges must be properly finished and stitching should not be wavy.
Seams must not pucker or pull, garments should have no loose threads, and different colored thread is a big No-No unless it has been designed to provide a contrast (such as in denim).
All fasteners and openings must work properly - button holes should fit the buttons and make sure zippers aren't stuck.
Lining should be made of breathable fabric that won't make you feel too warm. It should never hang below the sleeves or hemline and should not be sewn into the seam of the garment.
Don't forget to spice-up your shopping basket with new accessories as well. Shoes, scarves, bags and jewelry will never fail to refresh your look.
Once you get home, happy with your new fashion-find, take this opportunity to reorganize your closet. Get a new wooden hanger from Ace Hardware or Carrefour -you can buy them inexpensively and they always look good and function better than those colorful cheap plastic ones.
Hang one piece of clothing per hanger, and place each at least one inch apart from the next to prevent creasing and to allow ease of access.
Arrange them from left to right, from jackets to dresses, trousers, skirts and then shirts. And you can even grade the colors from darkest to lightest in each category.
Now feel the difference. Dressing up could never be more fun than this. Fashion serves you to look good, and when standing in your closet makes you feel good, you'll dress funtastic!
- Diaz
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