Closets are one of our most requested spaces to organize – our clients love having their space NEAT and efficient so the mornings are easier. And while we are the masters of organizing, we leave it to the pros to let you know exactly what you should and should not have in your wardrobe. We asked our friend Wendy Pilch at Millie & Main some closet FAQs to get you started!
NM :: Many of our clients (and us) have duplicate items… so tell us… just how many jeans should I own?!
WP :: We recommend having at least 1 casual jean for running around, 1 dressy jean that can be worn with ankle boots and another dressy jean that looks best with pumps or flats. Other colored denim is also essential, so we advise our clients to have a black or grey pair for fall/winter and a white pair for summer.
NM :: What should we do with items that are no longer in style – like an old suit?
WP :: If the blazer from an old suit still fits well but has shoulder pads and could use some cinching, try donating the pants that go with the jacket and have the jacket altered. Have shoulder pads taken out and have the sides taken-in just a pinch to give it an updated look. You can pair a black blazer with an updated grey slack for Fall/Winter and try a tan or white pant for Summer.
NM :: What about items we just don’t wear… how long should we keep items that we haven’t worn in a while?
WP :: Our Millie & Main rule of thumb is that anything you haven’t worn in a full year should be removed from your closet. We have a process for helping our clients determine what can be consigned, donated and tossed. If something holds sentimental value to you, consider boxing it and storing it but, don’t keep it hung in your closet where it is taking up valuable real estate.
NM :: One of the recent closet trends is a capsule wardrobe – what exactly does that mean?
WP :: A capsule wardrobe is 30-40 pieces that you will use interchangeably for an entire season. By having less in your closet, it makes getting dressed easier. You can stay focused on the pieces you need to make your seasonal looks and store the clothing you need for other seasons.
NM :: We all are looking to add time in the day – do you have any tricks to getting ready faster?
WP :: We believe that the trick to getting dressed quickly each day is having your clothing thinned down to the capsule items you need for a season, categorized by clothing type. We recommend keeping photos of looks that you want to create and use those photos to help you as you put looks together. Our clients receive 30+ photos of looks for each season and they tell us that this speeds up the process of figuring out what to wear each day.
NM :: What if we need help and we don’t want to tackle this on our own?
WP :: Getting dressed each day can be a struggle and trying to make outfits can be frustrating. Retailers want you to buy more and more pieces but you don’t really need more, you need to know how to put things together to make complete looks. The stylists at Millie & Main can help. By using our shopping guide, links and looks, you will have the time and money to do the things you enjoy and you will feel great in what you are wearing.
NM :: How can our clients get started?
WP :: In our 3-step system clients will:
1. Use pieces you already own
2. Get shoppable links to the items you actually need – at a price point of your choice
3. Have at least 30 looks that you can wear from day to night all season
A wardrobe stylist will be by your side throughout the process to assist you from closet to shopping to making your looks.
Thank you so much for answering some of our closet FAQs!
xx
the NEAT team
