Maximizing your wardrobe with a healthey Balance

The Well-Balanced Wardrobe

Fill your closet with wardrobe essentials from five basic "clothing groups” and you'll never again ask "What should I wear?"
Like good nutrition, if you apply variety, moderation, and portion control to what you choose for your closet, you'll have a well-balanced wardrobe that makes the process of getting dressed effortless.
“Load up on your basics, go easy on the patterns, and indulge in one showstopper for special occasions. “
The wardrobe pyramid:

• The Basics: (about 20 pieces) this should be the bulk of your wardrobe including simple cotton tops, jeans, khakis, solid sweaters and shirts. These should all fit and be neutral solid colors. Don’t forget functional accessories like shoes & belts
  



• The Staples: (about 12 pieces) Staples are made up of a suit (or two), good neutral dress pants, quality skirt and basic dress for women, a separate jacket, good business shoes, boots, a practical bag, and a coat. The staples should also fit well, be neutral colors in solids or classic patterns and textures like tweed and herringbone. Of all the pieces in your wardrobe, the Staples should be the highest quality, they should dress up or dress down easily.
  



• The Statement pieces: (about 10 pieces) these are often decorative, they can include an unusual jacket, a creative skirt, unforgettable tops and show stopping pants. Don’t forget great jewelry and accessories like scarves and unusual shoes in this category. For Men a watch can be a real WOW factor. Statement pieces take any plane outfit to something special. These pieces are colorful, have unusual details in the silhouette or pattern.
  



• The Evening Standards: (about 6 pieces) any of the pieces from this category should be able to easily “dress up” a look: a top, skirt/pants, simple cocktail dress, jacket/embellished cardi, shoes, purse, and a cover up. For Men tuxedo like pants and a sport coat of finer fabrics are musts in the category. A cuffed shirt with dressy cuff-links would be a great addition too! These pieces are all made of luxury fabrics like velvet, silk, lace or satin, they may have sparkle or shine to them and are usually darker neutrals but could be any color.
  



• The Show Stoppers: (about 2 pieces) These only need support from the staples: a jaw dropping cocktail dress, an evening suit, shoes to- di –for, an extraordinary wrap. These must fit perfectly, be expensive looking, and ideally are unusual in design and detail.

Maximaize your Wardrobe - One new piece; a range of new looks!

Maximizing your wardrobe while still feeling current and fresh can be hard.

The idea is to use every piece in your wardrobe wisely and to its most diverse potential. So, without abandoning your entire closet every season and buying a completely new wardrobe, you need to be thoughtful about what you are going to add, to stay fresh.
The trick is to find great pieces to add to a current wardrobe that can instantly add a new twist to many looks you already have!
A great jacket with modern detail instantly changes any look: it should work with jeans, dress pants, a skirt or over a dress. Choose a neutral color if you have a lot of color in your current wardrobe but if your current wardrobe is mostly neutrals, be bold and pick something with color for a statement!

An unusual top with updated color or pattern is a great way to update and add to a wardrobe. Wear it under a suit or a separates, with jeans, or tuck it into a skirt and finish the look with a sophisticated belt.
A dress in a chic silhouette can take any wardrobe up a notch or two. A dress can be an easy and a great look all on its own, but paired with pieces you already own it also adds to whole new looks. Add a belted cardigan; put a jacket on over the dress, tights and boots will look completely different than pumps or sandals. Some dresses even work as tunics over skinny jeans or leggings.

Don’t be afraid to add to your wardrobe, just be thoughtful and make sure the piece you choose will work into the wardrobe you already have in numerous looks.