New Year, Fresh Start, Time to get organized!

Photo by thecorereader.com

Jump out of bed, time to get ready for work.  Facing your closet you feel 

a) it’s a dark disastrous mess that is too daunting to tackle so you put on the first thing you find. Or

b) it’s a showcase of your carefully selected fashion finds allowing you to create your perfect look.

Much as it can be a daunting challenge, we’ve created some tips to help you move from A to B! 

Keep in mind whether you're dedicating a few hours at a time or an entire weekend, have a plan. Otherwise find yourself drowning in a pile of cardigans and jeans. Start with item type or a section of your closet. Breaking it up will make it more manageable and you'll feel more productive.

Donate, Sell, Keep

Ultimately your closet should only be filled with items you love and love wearing. We are all guilty of keeping things we may wear, that may fit that we may like. Anything that you do not LOVE is clutter. It is taking up valuable closet real estate and making it difficult for you to navigate through your true wardrobe treasures. 

Donate: anything that is not in great condition. Stains, torn hems, broken zippers etc do not make the cut and must be let go.

Sell: anything that you bought with the best of intentions but still has store tags, doesn’t fit properly or doesn’t fit comfortably. Ebay, Kijiji and consignment stores are a great way to move these space stealers along.

Keep: anything that looks good and feels great.  Be critical. Double check your ‘keeps’ to be sure they do not need any touch ups, minor alterations or repairs. Hems, buttons, cuffs and collars should be kept looking their best. If you haven’t worn an item for an entire season, ask yourself why. There’s a reason you pass it over. Keep in mind your style changes and evolves and not every piece will fit with every change.  

Put it all back together. 

Wipe down shelves and vacuum the floor. Start with a clean slate! Generally keeping items together by group is best: shirts and blouses are better on hangers so they don't wrinkle, jeans and sweaters may be better folded.

Some experts recommend hanging everything so it's visible and stays tidy, others are big into folding in drawers and on shelves. Your choice should be based on what works best for you keeping things organized in the space you have. When it comes to hangers pick one style/type. Plastic, wood or velvet all work well. Using all the same kind will keep your clothes hanging evenly and avoid tangled messes. Skip wire hangers all together. They are best left for dry cleaning! 


There are lots of great tips out there on closet organization from the types of hangers, folding techniques, and storage options. Find motivation and inspiration great sites like Better Homes and Gardens, In Style and of course Pinterest!

Ultimately the goal is a closet that makes getting dressed easy and fun with clothes you love and love wearing!

Happy Cleaning!

Vintage is In

Winter Warm up!

Does the windchill have you feeling so low your style factor is numb? Use these ideas to bring back the heat in your winter wardrobe!

Colour

Last fall we were really keen on colour blocking bold solid pieces mixed with neutrals and blazers. As winter has set in these colours are still hot but we recommend adding an element of elegance and femininity using soft pink and blush tones.

Get away from grey and get cozy with new colours. Add in forest greens, royal blues, and rich reds.

Texture

White hot for this season are the elements. Mix in faux-fur, a metallic piece, a chunky necklace, or wooden heels to bring fashion back down to earth. Mix and match with care. No head-to-toe sequins please! 

Leather may possibly be the best way to add interest and drama when hiding all your layers. Belts draw a lovely line across your narrowest part, boots (heels or flats) make a statement and can definitely determine tone.Bright leather gloves add a ray of warmth to even the darkest deep freeze!

Always remember: In the battle between frigid and fashionable you don’t have to sacrifice your style!

Get Fashionably Organized for 2012

2012 is here and it’s time to get yourself fashionably organized! How do you get fashionably organized? It’s all about multi tasking. The only way to be successful as a “multi tasker” is to be efficient in the use of both your purse and your closet.  

To  start, I highly recommend purchasing a day planner to keep track of all those tasks! If you write it down in a planner then it can’t get lost in the shuffle. Long gone are the days of writing your events, to do list, and appointments on little pieces of paper. Thankfully designers such as Kate Spade have taken on this common problem and created stylish organizers that can get you fashionably organized allowing all your thoughts, meetings, and exciting plans to be contained in one spot. Which eliminates the frustration of purse digging.

Next is your closet. Take a look at your entire inventory and free yourself of everything that has not been worn in a year.  If you haven’t worn it this season, or last season, it’s time to pass it along and make room for new clothes! Bodies change shape and and what looked good then may not look good now. It’s okay! You shouldn’t feel pressured to keep wearing a size 5 if you are really a 7. Plus, if you consign last year’s, unworn clothes, you could gain a little pocket money to pay off those Christmas credit card bills.

With your closet sorted, and your purse arranged you are on your way to having a productive and successful 2012!

Show those toes?

Hooray to the holidays! A two-week stretch filled with coffee dates, dinners, dancing and endless opportunities to play dress up! This year was a great one and even the weather cooperated for the most part.

Despite many hits there were a few near misses when faced with one big challenge: footwear. Casual boots are a snap but is it okay to wear tights with open toe shoes?

The answer seems to be: it depends. It depends on many factors including the time of day, the location the tone (casual, semi or formal) and of course the shoes!

S.P.

Footwear food for thought:

Without stockings your legs are completely bare. Seems obvious but it's worth saying because naked legs need to be: 

1. Clean shaven. That's right ladies, formal dresses and fancy parties are not the time to take a stand and make statements about women's liberation.
2. Slightly tanned (either salon or spray will do) and
3. Toes must be polished (do-it-yourself pedicure is perfectly fine).

Don't think you can get off easy by covering up. Selecting the right tights can make or break your look.

Keep in mind the more open the toe, the less coverage you need. Dainty and delicate strappy shoes will be weighed down and frumped up by heavy hosiery. If it's coverage you need, opt for a peep toe is better suited for the occasion. Whenever you choose to wear tights, never:

1. 

   S.P.

   Use a reinforced toe. The seam is unsightly and often uncomfortable.
2. Always select a sheer toe and invisible heels. You don't want a darker toe drawing attention away from your pretty shoes.

Wish there was a super shoe that would fit all occasions? No way! That would eliminate the need to collect more!

LBD, Little Boring Dress?

The Little Black Dress has been recognized as such an important fashion necessity, it's been given its own acronym (LBD). Ever since ever since its debut in Breakfast at Tiffany's, this stand alone piece has continued to show its wardrobe worthiness.

S.P.

 In fashion the LBD is your rock; your go-to, no fail, always appropriate, always look good, always feel good outfit of choice. (Not to be confused with the rock one would wear on one's finger). But just because this piece is solid, doesn't mean you can get lazy. Don't let your little black dress become your little boring dress.

The foundation is solid and sophisticated but to really add style bear in mind two A's: Architecture and Accessories. (Yes, double A's know how to have fun too!)

Architecture: The fabric: stiff wool vs cozy knit, the cut: full length up to mini, the hem, the neckline, the buttons the sleeves the zippers and on and on and on! All of the essential elements that allow a 'simple' LBD to be so varied and unique.

Accessories: Earrings, Necklace, Bracelets choose one or many! They are  the decor, the finishing touches, that take your dress  to the next level, add your personality and make your dress so memorable. Don't limit yourself. Remember you can really mix it up with belts, bags and boots too.

S.P.

Your Little Black Dress: Feel free to wear it many times, and many ways. They say every woman's wardrobe should have an LBD. No one ever said you can't have more than one!

Special thanks to Sylvie Prud'Homme for her fabulous illustrations. We love your work and look forward to seeing more of it!