Something Old, Something New

A new year is a great time to take stock of what is going on in your life, and well, your closet. If you are like me, by the time the flurry of holiday parties and activities has subsided, things are a bit chaotic. By January I can't even see half of what I own due to the disarray of putting things back in a hurried fashion. The thing is, you always have to make a bit of a mess in order to truly clean things up, so roll up your sleeves, invite a friend you trust over, and get going.

We all have our own system, or maybe you don't, which is easy to remedy. I am a big proponent of nicely made cloth baskets for shelves, made for storing things that will otherswise get messy on the shelf: scarves, belts (rolled up), t-shirts and delicate sweaters that shouldn't be on a hanger. Speaking of hangers, my entire closet is hung with the black velvet hangers. Best invention ever. Not only do they prevent clothes from slipping, they don't damage material, and they streamline your closet to hold more. Hurrah for that! Next, organize by color within item type. For instance, start with white sleeveless tops, then short sleeves, and then long sleeved. It makes it a lot easier to get dressed when you know exactly where to find that favorite long sleeved gray sweater. While you are doing this, toss the dry cleaning hangers and bags and make piles of give away and consignment pieces. This is where that trusted friend of yours comes in handy, and you can ply her with good wine when the task is done.

The bonus of cleaning out one's closet is there is room to see what you have, not to mention that it is incredibly freeing to get rid of the clutter. Once you have your act together in your closet, make a list of what you need...or just want, no judging here. January and early February is a great time for taking advantage of the sales. Those coveted boots or beautiful coat you have been stalking for months can be yours at a fraction of the original cost if you had the patience to wait it out. This time of year I have a couple of personal rules about sale shopping: either it has to be a killer bargain on something I can wear now and will love again in the fall, or it must be a transitional piece that will ease me into spring dressing.

The other bonus about getting yourself organized is you can now "shop" your own closet, because you will actually be able to see what you own. I have been doing that every day for the past week, combining some old favorites with a couple of new purchases, and it has breathed new life into my closet. For this post I chose a combination of something old and something new, and have been inspired to keep mixing it up every day since.

These Sam Edelman over the knee boots, the star of this look, are from Net-A-Porter, and I got them at a whopping 70% off. I noticed that they were also featured this fall on the blog, The Blonde Salad, as one of the favorite over the knee boots for Fall/Winter 2015-16. Anyway, I am feeling super pysched about them because they are perfect for now and will be killer with spring floral dresses and the like. Sweet!

One of the few things I almost never clean out are my cashmere sweaters, which I consider to be a year round closet staple. If you buy good quality cashmere they will last for years to come, they truly are an "investment piece".  I love the J. Crew Collection cashmere sweaters best and mine was paired with another favorite line of mine, Equipment. My friend Mary Bridget gave me the black Quinn silk blouse for Christmas, which has a beautiful lace shoulder and sleeve on it that is completely on trend. While mine is sold out, this Slim Signature Short Sleeve Lace Shirt is so amazing you may not want to cover it up, and the Equipment Lace Panel Tuxedo Shirt is also a big fat WOW.

Add a statement necklace, or in this case, statement earrings. I chose this pair because the pinks in it complimented the color of my sweater and stood out against the black. At the risk of sound like a J. Crew advertisement, they really do jewelry so well. I have seen lots of companies try to copy them, but none have succeeded to my liking. You many find the pair I am wearing in a sale bin in stores, but if you don't here is a similar pair. Wear these babies in the daytime to give your look some real personality.

My skirt is a faux leather poof with pockets that I continue to love, no matter what fashion dictates is the in or out of things with skirts. And finally, the Zara faux fur short sleeved jacket. Several years ago, Kacy and I went to NYC for a long weekend. We met her parents and sister there and had a wonderful time, a memory I will cherish. A memory I won't cherish is realizing at the airport that the coveted faux jacket was so enormous it amounted to the equivalent of one of those giant stuffed animals you never win at the fair. It barely fit in the suitcase and then made my bag over the weight limit and I had to repack mid airport. I ended up having to wear the puffy faux thing layered under my coat onto the plane, which let's just say was not the look I was going for. I was very hot, but not in a good way. Talk about suffering for fashion.

Whether you are closet or internet shopping, may you find many treasures to keep you looking fabulous. Cheers.