How many times have you looked in your closet and thought, “What should I wear?” or “I don’t have anything to wear” If you’re like most women, the answer is probably, countless!
Of course you probably have many choices! I’m not suggesting that you literally don’t have anything to wear, of course you do, your closet is probably filled with many lovely items, it’s just that there are those days when deciding what to wear seems to become a near impossible chore.
What If on those days you had our own personal stylist? All your problems would be solved! Unfortunately for most of us that’s not a possibility, but not to worry, there are solutions!
Personal Wardrobe Consultant Friend
Maybe you can’t have a personal stylist all the time, but do you have a friend or acquaintance whose style you really admire? Have them over to help you! Choose someone who will be honest and help you be your best self without asking you to compromise your budget, personal style, or comfort.
I often help people with purging, organizing, and filling in their wardrobes and here are some basic steps to getting started:
Step 1 : Sort through the existing clothing in your closet, decide what should stay and what should go, and then reorganize everything. Don’t forget undergarments! Hint: No matter how much you love something if its stained or shabby looking it has to go.
Step 2: Decide what’s missing and fill in. Maybe your white Ts were casualties of step 1 and need to be replaced. Hint: Everyone can use fresh Ts, especially white ones.
Step 3: Maybe you already have great choices in your closet, but aren’t sure how to put them together? Create ready made outfits. Hint: Don’t forget to include accessories and jackets.
Now What?
Completing the steps above is a great start, but making sure you don’t get stuck in a rut and just grab the same old thing over and over can also be a challenge. Here’s a fun idea I came up with to help one my friends remember what to wear, wherever she was going!
The Where? Wear! Board
After completing steps 1 – 3 with a close friend of mine we made a date and I came over and pulled together outfits for all sorts of occasions. I photographed everything with my phone, printed the photos using my portable polaroid instant printer and then hung them on a bulletin board inside her walk-in closet. To help her remember what the different outfits were for I pinned little description cards and reminders next to many of the photos! Fun!
We had so much fun I decided to create a Where? Wear! Board for myself, after all I’m not immune to the “what should I wear?” dilemma.
Want to Make Your Own Where? Wear! Board? Here’s How!
I decided to make my own cork boards, but If you’re not into DIY projects there are no shortage of cork boards at any local craft or home goods type store. I had a tough time deciding which style I wanted, so I made three: a collage with lots of embellishments, a clothesline and finally a smaller initial board for selfies and #ootd ideas. If you have a tiny closet like me, the initial board is perfect for the top of your vanity or dresser.
If you do decide to make your own board, you’ll need the following supplies: a roll of cork, something to attach it to i.e., a piece of wood, a canvas, or a picture frame, craft glue or sticky back foam tape, a ruler, an exacto knife, lots and lots of doodads to decorate your board and of course thumb tacks, washi tape, or another fun way to attach your photos!
I’ve included some photos of my boards in process. For the initial board I used acrylic paint to paint the cork black.
Taking & Printing The Photos!
To complete your board you’ll need photos. If you don’t have time or you’re not comfortable having a friend come over to take your picture in various outfits why not consider using your selfies? Come on! I know you have some… We all take them from time to time and the truth is we take them when we are looking and feeling our best, so why not use them for future inspiration!? Or if you prefer not to be in any of the photos, just hang outfits on the wall and take a photo of them on a hanger.
It might take a while for your board to dry, so use this time to print out the photos you just took. Remember this board is for your personal use, so don’t worry if the photo quality isn’t perfect, just have fun! I printed my mini photos using this fun little bluetooth Polaroid printer. It’s portable and a lot of fun , but any printer will do the trick.
Now, the next time you find yourself wondering, “What should I wear?” just check your new Where? Wear! board for all the answers! xo!
