Cleaning Out My Closet

I am actually practicing what I preach today by cleaning out my closet for Fall. It is always easy for me to tell clients what they should eliminate, because I know in my head what is not worth keeping and have no sentimental attachment to anything. However, that is not the case when I am dealing with my own possessions. I somehow feel that retiring my clothing is like giving away a child or divorcing a wife that did not age well. I am notoriously hard on things, especially shoes, so there is even an element of guilt attached as if I beat my wife and children! That being said, I came up with a little strategy for myself. I am getting rid of everything that does not fit or looks old and worn in a bad way. In terms of everything else that is old, I defer to two important TV shows and ask myself, “Is this old in a cool Carrie Bradshaw way, or is this old in a bad Donna Martin way?” I am proud to say that my closet is mostly Carrie. However, It is time to dispose of my favorite jean jacket. Floral print – hot. Floral mixed with a white tee and jean jacket – not.

Winter 15

We have all heard of the “Freshman 15″. Otherwise known as the dreaded weight one tends to put on while embarking on the joy of late night eating and drinking the first year of college. As an adult living in the Midwest, I am beginning to notice a new type of weight gain that I like to refer to as the “Winter 15″. Every year right around this time, Chicago starts to get unbearably cold and windy. We swap out all of our beachwear and cute summer dresses for an array of warm winter duds. No matter how amazing our cold weather wardrobe may be, there is no question that even the coolest knits, leather leggings and furs make us less body conscience. Unfortunately, the lack of skin exposed can lead to weight gain. I adore Fall fashion and almost always find it be the most interesting season. I encourage everyone to embrace the amazing clothing out there right now. I only bring up this horrible topic to help us all avoid the “Winter 15″ this year. I certainly do not want to be hiding under a moo moo compensating liposuction the next time bikini season rolls around!!

Wouldn’t it be great to be ready for the beach any day of the year like this stallion!

Bad Fashion Days

We all have those days when getting dressed does not come as easily as it should. We try on a million tops and nothing looks right with the skirt we want to wear. We cannot figure out which shoe goes with our dress. I don’t feel the need to go on – we have all experienced these days! It is helpful to look at magazines or browse the runways of style.com, but I think net-a-porter is the most useful place for fashion ideas. There is an amazing function where you can click on a specific item and a complete styled look pops up. I find this much more helpful than media images, because you can find a piece that is very similar to one in your closet and see how it should be worn. If you would like to embrace the peplum trend this Fall but are not sure how to wear it, net-a-porter will show you that it needs to be paired with a narrow bottom like a pencil skirt or skinny pant. I suggest taking advantage of this site – it may help you avoid some of those “bad fashion” days….Snooki should take a look!

Bag Rescue

Unless you have a massive closet organized with photos like Kimora Lee Simmons, it is challenging to properly store clothes, bags and shoes. It is especially difficult to organize bags. The most common problem that I constantly see is designer bags loosing their shape. When a bag remains empty and is kept in a pile or even packed in a suitcase, it can easily loose it’s original shape. I saw this happen recently to the most coveted bag of all time. This stunning black Birkin was so messed up that it would barely close! I immediately came to the rescue by stuffing the bag from top to bottom with shoe bags being careful not to go to wide. I then turned the shower on the hottest temperature possible, placed the Birkin on the sink and closed the bathroom door. Two hours later, the humidity had softened the leather enough for me to physically reshape and close the bag. I am proud to say that I saved a Birkin! 

Word to the wise – This trick will only work on leather. Do not attempt to steam suede or any other skin.

Kisses

For the last few seasons, designers have been using various images on tees, sweaters and accessories. My favorite image that is available at multiple price points right now is the lips. The lips first caught my eye many years ago when they were used by Dolce&Gabbana. I was happy to see them back last Spring in the Prada collection, and now they are everywhere!  I have seen lips on clothing and accessories from Top Shop, Betsey Johnson, Sonia Rykiel, Lanvin – the list goes on. This is one of my favorite trends right now. There are so many great novelty pieces available that just make me smile. A few of my top lip picks are the Diane Von Furstenberg clutch, Marc by Marc Jacobs IPad case and tees from Markus Lupfer.