The Curated Closet

by Anuschka Rees

  Whether you decide to complete all the exercises in this book or design your own program, I definitely recommend you read through the whole book, because many of the concepts and techniques build upon each other.

  How long will it take me to curate my closet?

  The answer is, it depends. Some of the exercises might be super simple for you, and you’ll be able to whiz through them. Others might be a little tougher, and you’ll be scratching your head for a while. If you already feel confident about your style or have experience when it comes to curating your closet, you’ll have an easier time with certain techniques and can focus on really defining your unique aesthetic and perfecting your wardrobe. If you are a total newbie and have never given much thought to how you dress, it will probably take you a little longer to complete some of the exercises. But you’ll get there, I promise.

  And if you are somewhere in the middle, just take it step by step. Spend as much time as you need on each exercise, and don’t forget to have fun!

  Set up a style file

  What’s a style file? It’s a place where you can collect all your ideas, inspiration material and answers to the different questions and exercises in this book.

  Your style file could be a simple folder on your laptop (or, if you prefer pen and paper or a box or binder), to house your notes, cutouts and other bits and pieces that you’re likely to accumulate throughout this process.

  To let you know when it’s time to add to your style file, every exercise in this book features this little hanger icon to the left.

  The best place to start your style journey is your current closet. What do you already like about the way you dress, what needs changing, and what skills do you want to learn? That’s what we’ll figure out in this chapter!

  Your very first to-do is an easy one: document your outfits for two weeks. Then crack open your style file, put on your thinking cap, and complete the questionnaire below. Try to answer each question in as much detail as possible. Your goal here is to get a complete overview of your current wardrobe and your biggest strengths and weaknesses when it comes to shopping for new pieces, styling outfits and so on.

  Let’s get started!

  STEP 1 Document your outfits

  When it comes to style, details matter. So, rather than writing a loose recap of your day-to-day outfits, do this: take a quick photo of every single outfit you are wearing for two full weeks and keep a log of the occasions or environments where you wore each outfit. For example: school, client meeting, running errands, and so on. To get the most accurate assessment of how you are currently using your wardrobe, try to pick two regular weeks that are a good representation of your typical lifestyle.

  STEP 2 Status quo questionnaire

  Once you have documented two weeks’ worth of outfits, gather all your pictures in front of you and answer the following questions one by one.

  Your style

  • What was your favourite outfit that you wore during the last two weeks and why? How did that outfit make you feel?

  • What was your least favourite outfit and why? How did it make you feel?

  • On a scale of 1 to 10, how happy were you overall with your outfits during these past two weeks?

  • Describe your current style in three adjectives.

  • List your five most-worn colours during the last two weeks. How well do you feel these represent your individual preference for colours?

  • What type of silhouettes and fits did you wear most often (for example, skinny jeans, flared skirts, loose tops, fitted blazers)? Why?

  • Do you tend to follow a specific formula for putting together your outfits?

  • Do you have a uniform?

  • How much variety do you need? Do you enjoy wearing a wide range of different colours, silhouettes and details, or do you like having a signature look that you repeat with only minor variations?

  • Do you prefer being overdressed or underdressed?

  • Do you want people to notice your clothes?

  • How do you usually style your outfits? Do you often tuck in your tops or roll up your sleeves? What type of accessories do you wear most often?

  • Overall, how comfortable were your outfits? What qualities distinguish the most comfortable from the least comfortable pieces in your wardrobe, in terms of fit, material or details?

  • Looking at the pictures of your outfits, how well fitting are your clothes?

  • Subconsciously or not, our clothes send a message about who we are, our values and personality. What message does your current look send? What would you like it to send?

  • Imagine you had total confidence (and unlimited funds to overhaul your wardrobe). Would you keep wearing the same type of outfits as you do now? If not, what would you change?

  Your wardrobe

  • How easy is it for you to choose an outfit in the morning?

  • What percentage of your closet did you wear during the past two weeks?

  • How many different seasons do you have to dress for?

  • What type of occasions do you have to dress for?

  • How well equipped is your wardrobe for each of these occasions?

  • What is your stance on repeating outfits? Are you okay with wearing the same head-to-toe look twice in two weeks? How about individual pieces?

  • What is your typical shopping strategy? Do you prefer spending your budget on fewer, more expensive clothes or do you tend to spread it across lots of cheaper items?

  • What is your typical decision-making process when it comes to buying clothes? Do you often buy things on a whim, or do you tend to make sure you have compared all your options first?

  You and clothes

  • What is your main motivation for spending time on your style? Do you use fashion as a creative outlet or an expression of your values and personality? Does dressing well give you confidence?

  • Which emotions have the biggest impact on how you dress? Do you dress differently when you are very happy or very sad?

  • How much does a lack of confidence prevent you from wearing what you like?

  • To what extent is what you wear influenced by the people in your life – that is, your close friends, relatives, acquaintances and co-workers? Do people you are closer to have a stronger influence, or is it the other way around?

  STEP 3 Write down your style goals

  Take a moment to reflect on your answers to the questionnaire and then write a little summary about the current status of your style, wardrobe and your goals:

  • What do you like about your style and current wardrobe?

  • Which aspects of your style and wardrobe need work?

  • What new skills do you want to learn?

  Here are some examples of what your summary could look like.

  Astrid, 36, needs a new wardrobe for her new life

  My closet was perfect for my style and life two years ago, when I still lived in the city and worked full time. But a lot has happened since then: we’ve moved to a more rural part of the country (with a much harsher year-round climate), I’ve started working from home … and I’ve got a baby who takes up most of my time and energy. I still love my old clothes, but they just don’t work with my new life anymore.

  What do you like about your style and current wardrobe?

  I own plenty of nice outfits to wear for fancier occasions, like date nights, parties and evening functions. I’ve also got a good selection of work pieces that I still get to wear from time to time for client meetings or conferences.

  Which aspects of your style and wardrobe need work?

  I don’t have any clothes that I can wear during the day and that don’t make me feel like a total slob. Most of my old clothes aren’t comfortable or practical enough for lugging a baby around all day, plus they are hard to clean. My go-to look has been yoga pants and cardigans for the past few months but, honestly, I hate it.

  What new skills do you want to learn?

  How to dr
ess in a way that’s chic but also practical for my day-to-day life.

  Kira, 23, has outgrown her wardrobe

  Answering these questions has made me above all realise that I am at a place in my life where I’ve just outgrown my wardrobe in its current form. I bought most of my clothes while I was still in college, but now that I’m starting my first real job I want to feel more confident, professional. And I want my clothes to say that about me.

  What do you like about your style and current wardrobe?

  I do like many pieces on their own and I remember why I bought them originally, but somehow the way I wear them, they make me look young or even childish. I’ve never been afraid of bright colours and patterns, but I think it’s the way I mix pieces. I want to try to find ways to wear colours like bright green but in a more adult way, if that makes sense.

  Which aspects of your style and wardrobe need work?

  My main problem is that I don’t like how many of my outfits make me look younger and not so professional. One factor is that I pretty much own only statement pieces, so I definitely need more basics and sophisticated key pieces to pair with my fun stuff. It’s also really hot year-round where I live, and I wear a lot of denim shorts with T-shirts but really want to find a better alternative (maybe a chic maxi skirt worn with a linen top), something I can also wear to the office. I’ve also noticed that I don’t really do anything to my outfits in terms of styling, so they look unfinished sometimes.

  Another problem is the way I shop. I buy way too much and often without thinking things through properly. That’s how I ended up with all those frilly tops and wild colours.

  What new skills do you want to learn?

  Learn how to build sharp, sophisticated outfits but with a playful touch. Get better at styling my outfits. Curb impulse shopping and start planning out my wardrobe as a whole.

  Sarah, 28, is playing it too safe

  Compared to my friends, I feel chronically underdressed and just bland, boring and safe. I used to think that’s because I am just not a natural in that area and not particularly interested in fashion anyway, but actually, that’s a total lie. I am interested in fashion. I am a very visual, creative person and love reading fashion blogs and studying other people’s outfits. I just haven’t really spent much thought on my own clothes in recent years, but that’s something I want to change now.

  What do you like about your style and current wardrobe?

  I like the colours in my wardrobe, or rather, the lack thereof. My favourite outfits during the two weeks were anything with my leather jacket and biker boots, and that’s the general direction I think I would like to head in stylewise. Apart from that I also preferred all outfits in which I am wearing skinny jeans. I used to think wearing skirts is a good way to hide my thighs, but actually they look fine in jeans, and A-line skirts just aren’t really my style.

  Which aspects of your style and wardrobe need work?

  Pretty much every aspect, except for the colours. The majority of my wardrobe are basic tops, jeans and plain dark-grey or black skirts. I would love to play around with silhouettes a bit more and just in general add more oomph to everything. I don’t want to dress ‘loud’, because that’s not my thing, but I just want to have more fun with my clothes. I don’t yet know how or in what way, but I would love to have a very clear ‘look’ that people immediately associate with me.

  What new skills do you want to learn?

  So many! I think I already have good taste when it comes to choosing pieces but I’m not brave enough and tend to go for the safe option. I need to figure out what my personal style is and then learn what type of pieces I can use to create that style.

  Here’s a little food for thought about the role our fashion choices play in our everyday lives. Plus: Learn the secret behind great personal style.

  Here’s a fun fact for you: the average woman spends more than 1,100 dollars on clothes each year and buys close to seventy new pieces. Now, before you start tallying up your last purchases to see how your own spending measures up, let’s take a step back.

  Why do we care about our clothes at all? Why don’t we all just wear an old, comfy sweatshirt and baggy trousers and be done with it? Why does style play such an essential role in the lives of so many people? And while we are at it, what exactly is personal style anyway?

  Behind the clothes

  Many people love fashion simply because it’s a fun, creative outlet. It’s a chance to experiment with colours, shapes and textures, as an artist would. But there’s also a deeper side to it. Because whether or not you are into fashion, your clothes say something …

  Our clothes tell a story. Our clothes reflect our personality and what’s important to us.

  The dress you wore that day you met your boyfriend, the oversize jumper you love curling up in on cold nights, the ragged pair of denim shorts you wore almost every day when you backpacked through Europe: your wardrobe is a mix of memories, old and new dreams, and a snapshot of your current state of mind. It’s also a toolbox. Because your clothes aren’t just mirrors of yourself, they also have the power to transform: the sleek black blazer that you put on whenever you want to feel extra confident at work; the vintage floral skirt that’s so bright and chirpy it always cheers you up; or your most precious pair of earrings that makes every special occasion feel even more special.

  Of course, that power can also affect you negatively: If you always reach for dark, shapeless clothes to ‘hide’ from the world when you are having a bad day, you are attaching a negative connotation to that type of outfit. And so, instead of making you feel better, your baggy sweats reinforce your bad emotions because you are literally wearing them around all day.

  Clothes can also bring you down when they don’t make you feel like yourself. If you have ever had to wear a uniform for work or school, you’ll know that having to wear clothes you would never in a million years choose to wear yourself can feel strange, uncomfortable even. And that’s because you know that clothes always make a statement. We all use what’s on the outside to make judgements about what’s on the inside, subconsciously or not. And we know other people judge us the same way.

  Having to wear clothes that don’t match our inner selves creates cognitive dissonance, and we feel uncomfortable and ‘dressed up’, even when there’s nothing wrong with the clothes themselves.

  To be comfortable and confident, we need clothes that feel like us.

  It’s like staying at a friend’s house or a hotel. You’re able to appreciate it, but it just doesn’t quite feel like home, where you are surrounded by memories and things you love and that each reflect some small part of you.

  If you are not happy with the clothes in your wardrobe at the moment, chances are it’s because they don’t line up with your personal style just yet. But don’t worry: that’s something we’ll change within the course of this book!

  Where personal style comes from

  Your style is a mix of preferences for different elements – like colours, silhouettes, textures and patterns – that all together create a single visual narrative. Your style isn’t random and it’s also not something you were born with – it’s a reflection of your experiences and the associations you picked up over the years.

  Perhaps at one point you watched a movie, fell in love with its heroine, her confidence and fearlessness, and her go-to look of shift dresses, diamonds and killer heels. Or perhaps you went through a seventies rock music phase a while back and now associate sequinned tunic dresses and leather jackets with a cool, free-spirited attitude. Or maybe your favourite aunt gave you a pretty turquoise dress for your fifth birthday, and you’ve loved that colour ever since. You have probably forgotten why by now though. Associations like these happen subconsciously for the most part, and that’s why they are tricky to trace back. All you know is that you love all things turquoise.

  All great artists have a personal style from filmmakers like Sofia Coppola or Quentin Tarantino to artists like Andy Warhol
or Annie Leibovitz to fashion designers like Alexander Wang or Vivienne Westwood. Their styles run as common threads through their entire bodies of work.

  Take Sofia Coppola for example. Whether her movies are about an aging movie star, a young queen in the eighteenth century, or celebrity-obsessed teenagers, they all share a sense of melancholy; dreamy, pastel settings; and close-up shots and slow camera pans.

  And Annie Leibovitz has photographed hundreds of celebrities since the 1970s. But she always stayed true to her signature style of high contrast, bright lighting, and interesting, often tongue-in-cheek poses.

  Sofia Coppola and Annie Leibovitz figured out what they like and they are sticking with it. And you can do the same.

  That’s not to say personal style can’t evolve.

  As you go through life, you collect new experiences; you read, watch movies, and discover new things. Your values may change, and so may your lifestyle. You continuously build new associations that blend in with your existing associations to create something new and different over time. One winter you may be really into chunky knit jumpers, wide-leg trousers, and ankle boots; the next winter you may prefer a more slim-fitting silhouette and skirts. But once you have truly discovered what you like and what you don’t like, that deep underlying preference for a certain aesthetic is likely going to remain stable for a while, and it will be the baseline for all your future style shifts.