• slips down, pulls, gaps, wrinkles or bunches up as you move and needs to be constantly tucked back into place
Often, solving a fit issue is as easy as moving up or down a size. If a coat bunches at the shoulders and makes you look like the Hulk, it may simply be too big for you. If a skirt stretches and wrinkles across the top of your thighs and cuts into your stomach, grab one size up and see if that improves things.
But sometimes, switching sizes fixes one issue but creates another, and that’s where it gets a littler tricker. If you are busty, a bigger-size blazer may allow you to button it up, but not without simultaneously hanging off you like a tent from the waist down. And size 29 jeans may accommodate your butt and thighs better than a size 28, but now the waistband is free-floating an inch away from your actual waist, and when you bend over your backside is on full display.
In that case, size isn’t the issue. It’s the basic construction of the garment.
There are two reasons why a piece may not fit your body, no matter what size you try on.
THE PIECE IS BADLY CONSTRUCTED IN GENERAL
Strange proportions and poorly placed darts, zips and armholes: These are all basic manufacturing issues that happen when a brand does not take the time to make sure their pieces are properly tailored, functional and comfortable. If you suspect a piece might not be well-constructed, just move on. A crafty tailor might be able to fix some basic construction mistakes, but it’s usually not worth it.
YOUR BODY’S PROPORTIONS DON’T MATCH THOSE OF THE BRAND’S FIT MODEL
Most brands employ fit models to create their patterns and optimise the fit of their pieces. Besides a ton of patience, fit models must also have proportions that are as close as possible to ‘average’ for their particular size. And in general, that approach is a good one, because it means that the clothes are designed for real bodies (as opposed to mannequins) and the final collection will fit the biggest possible number of people. The trouble is that brands have different views about what they consider to be ‘average’. One brand may design its clothes based on a model with slightly broader shoulders, another on a model that’s a little more pear-shaped. And again, these differences are tiny but they matter.
The essential two-step fit check
Here’s how to assess the fit of a potential new wardrobe addition in two easy steps.
STEP 1 MIRROR CHECK
Try on your piece in front of a full-length mirror and inspect it top to bottom. Does it look as it should? Or could your crop top be mistaken for a baggy tank top? Is there any creasing, pulling on the seams or sagging? Pay special attention to the shoulders of tops, jackets and dresses and the waistband and crotch area of trousers and skirts. Does the waistband fit snugly around your body? Or is it too tight, loose or unsupportive?
✗ If you spot any issues, refer to the next few pages for pointers on what to try on next and whether to get this piece tailored or drop it entirely.
✓ If you didn’t spot any issues, your piece has passed the mirror check. Yay! On to step 2.
STEP 2 MOVEMENT CHECK
Trousers that slip down a good two inches (resulting in the dreaded ‘saggy-bum syndrome’), blazers that give you T-rex arms and skirts that spin around your waist as soon as you take a step – some fit issues become apparent only when you move.
Check how your piece feels and looks during these four basic movements:
1. Hug someone (or pretend to).
2. Sit down.
3. Walk.
4. Bend over (as if your were tying your shoes).
If you like, you can also do some lunges or a little chicken dance. If you are trying on shoes, walk across the room a couple of times.
✗ The piece feels too tight in the shoulders when you raise your arms? You can hardly breathe when you sit down in those trousers? Refer to the next few pages for advice.
✓ All good? Then your item is a keeper!
A word on alterations
For a small amount of money, a good tailor can improve the fit of many pieces with just a few tweaks and stitches.
One thing to note here is that some alterations are far trickier and therefore also more expensive than others. As a rule of thumb, taking something in is usually easier than letting it out. That’s why the typical recommendation is that you buy the size that fits the larger part of your body well (your bust or hips for example), and get the rest taken in, either by having darts put in or the side seam adjusted. Also, shoulders and armholes are tricky in general, so it’s best to go the extra mile and find pieces that fit you well in those areas and get the rest of the piece adjusted as necessary.
These are the top three easy alterations:
1. Shortening the hemlines of trousers, skirts, dresses, tops and sleeves.
2. Adding darts to make a top, dress or pair of trousers slightly more fitted around the waist or bust.
3. Taking in the side seams of skirts, dresses, tops and sleeves (as long as you have enough room in the armhole).
Here’s a quick and easy guide to keeping your closet in great shape all year long and preparing your wardrobe for every new season through regular updates.
If you have worked through all the steps in this book until this point, you deserve a big pat on the back! You’ve discovered your personal style, you have built your dream wardrobe, and you have mastered the art of shopping (or at least you are well on your way!).
You’ve successfully completed closet bootcamp, so feel free to relish in that achievement and take your favourite new looks out to celebrate!
And when you come back, read through the next few pages to learn how to maintain your closet.
Because here’s the thing: not even the most carefully curated wardrobe is ever 100 per cent done. Your life isn’t static, and neither is your personal style. Even if you love every single piece in your wardrobe right now, chances are that in a year or so you’ll want to express a slightly different angle of your style, switch up one of your outfit formulas, or fall in love with new styles. Or perhaps you’ll get a promotion, move to a new city or take up rock climbing. A great closet is one that can grow and evolve alongside you, your style and your life.
And that’s why every wardrobe needs regular updates throughout the year, ideally at the beginning of every new season. Each update gives you the chance to take care of four basic maintenance tasks:
1. Preparing your wardrobe for the upcoming season
2. Redefining your personal style and incorporating a few new pieces, colours or silhouettes into your look (optional)
3. Making sure your wardrobe is well tailored to your lifestyle and your plans for the next few months
4. Dealing with repairs and replacing broken or worn-out wardrobe essentials
So what exactly does a wardrobe update look like and how often should you do one? Keep reading to find out!
When to update your wardrobe
My recommendation is that twice a year, just before autumn and spring, you do a thorough seasonal overhaul. This is when you put off-season clothes into storage, review your personal style and lifestyle, map out your autumn and spring wardrobe, and shop for a few new pieces if you like (skip here for a full list of steps). Seasonal overhauls are the meat and potatoes of your closet maintenance programme.
In addition to seasonal overhauls, do a mini update twice a year to adjust your autumn and spring wardrobe to the more extreme temperatures of the winter and summer seasons. That could mean checking your stock of scarves, gloves, winter coats and thermal underwear if you live in a cold climate. Or it could mean buying another bikini and some sandals to prep for your summer holiday. Since you’ll have done the bulk of wardrobe planning during your seasonal overhaul, mini updates should be quick and easy and take no more than a single shopping trip to complete.
The graphic below shows you a timeline for a yearly cycle of seasonal overhauls and mini updates. Keep in mind that this is just a sample; the ideal timing for each of your four wardrobe upda
tes depends on the climate of where you live.
Here in Berlin, Germany, where I live, autumn tends to start in October, winter in January, spring in April, and summer in July. I know how long it takes me to complete my seasonal overhauls (about two weeks) and mini updates (one afternoon), and from that I can deduce by what time of the year I should get started with each. The weather here also varies a lot between summer and winter, so for me, cold-weather essentials really does mean thermal underwear and chunky knit jumpers. But if you live in a milder climate, your idea of a winter wardrobe may simply mean switching to long sleeves and wearing tights with your skirts.
If you live in a place where the weather stays relatively constant throughout the year, you may even be able to skip the mini updates entirely as well as the storage steps of the seasonal overhauls. But it’s still a good idea to regularly revisit your wardrobe – at least every six months – to make sure it still fits your style and lifestyle and to deal with repairs.
And, of course, if you’re located in the southern hemisphere, you’ll be doing your autumn overhaul in March or April and your spring overhaul in September or October.
Take a few minutes to sketch out your own cycle of seasonal overhauls and mini updates. When do your autumn and spring wardrobes need to be ready, respectively? And when does winter and summer start where you live?
Seasonal overhauls
PURPOSE: To prep your wardrobe for the upcoming season and keep it well-tailored to your style and lifestyle
WHEN: Twice a year, once just before autumn and once just before spring
STEP 1 Move off season pieces into storage
Pack up everything that you won’t be wearing during the next six months and put it into storage. Move seasonal pieces you had previously stored back into your closet.
STEP 2 Create a seasonal style profile
Collect some fresh new inspiration and list any new colours, specific pieces or styling tricks you want to try out this season. Then write a fall/winter version of your style profile. Optional: Put together a little mood board that matches your updated style profile.
STEP 3 Detox your closet
Go through your closet and put anything that doesn’t work with the style profile you just outlined into storage (or get rid of it entirely if you know you won’t wear it again). Also deal with repairs and replacements.
STEP 4 Review your lifestyle for the next season
Review your lifestyle for the next season. What activities will you need clothes for? Also note down any special occasions or trips. For autumn, think family gatherings, holiday office parties, New Year’s, and so on. For spring, think weddings, summer holidays, and so on.
STEP 5 Give your wardrobe structure
Take a moment to figure out which colour palette and outfit formulas you want to wear this season, as well as which types of key pieces, basics and statement pieces would best reflect the overall look you are going for.
STEP 6 Identify missing pieces
Based on the previous steps, write a detailed shopping list of every piece you still need to buy. Organise your list by priority.
STEP 7 Shop as needed
Look for high-quality pieces that fit all your criteria and that you can see yourself wearing for seasons to come.
STEP 8 Come up with some go-to looks
Experiment with your new seasonal wardrobe and put together a few new favourite outfits.
STEP 9 Reorganise your closet
If necessary, rearrange your closet to reflect your new wardrobe structure.
Mini updates
PURPOSE: To adjust your autumn and spring wardrobe for the more extreme temperatures of the winter and summer seasons
WHEN: Twice a year, once just before winter and once just before summer
STEP 1 Check your stock of cold- and warm-weather essentials
For winter: Do you have enough outerwear, gloves, hats, scarves, warm jumpers, winter boots and other weather-appropriate pieces in storage or in your closet already?
For summer: Do you own enough bikinis, tops, shorts, summer dresses, sandals and other summer essentials?
STEP 2 Buy missing pieces
Write a shopping list beforehand.
A final note
I hope this book has helped you explore your relationship to clothes, discover your unique likes and dislikes, and build a wardrobe that makes you feel confident and inspired every day. And I hope you had a ton of fun along the way!
And remember: Even the most perfectly curated closet isn’t meant to be static. Your style is ever evolving, just like you are.
So feel free to re-read this book or repeat your favourite exercises whenever your wardrobe needs a little tweaking.
Index
The page references in this index correspond to the printed edition from which this ebook was created. To find a specific word or phrase from the index, please use the search feature of your ebook reader.
A
accent colours, 133, 134
alterations, 102, 253
B
basic pieces, 127, 138, 127, 138
blogs, 43, 56, 57, 58
body shape, 63, 81, 251
buttons, 243
C
capsule wardrobe:
benefits of, 180–82
building, 183–87
definition of, 179
history of, 178
rebuilding, 182
size of, 179
work-only, 158–59, 183
catalogues, as inspiration sources, 61
closet, see Curated Closet; wardrobe
clothes:
altering, 103, 253
assessing, 74–76
average annual spending on, 48, 200
basics, 121, 127, 138
caring for, 115–16, 151, 216
donating/selling, 101
functional criteria for, 115
keepsakes, 101–2
key pieces, 120, 122, 138
power of, 51
as reflection of personality, 48
repairing, 103
statement pieces, 121, 124, 129, 138
sunk-cost fallacy and, 104
trying on, 74, 190
see also fit; outfit formulas; wardrobe
coats, common fit problems with, 255
colour palettes:
building, 126, 138
function of colours in, 133–34, 138
number of colours in, 133, 139
relationship of, to key pieces, basics and statement pieces, 138
sample, 142–43
using, 139, 141
colours:
accent, 134, 133
individual preferences for, 62, 132
main, 133, 134, 137
neutral, 133, 137
power of, 132
comfort zone, being out of, 80
cotton, 232, see also denim
Curated Closet:
definition of, 7
key principles of, 18–29
minimalism and, 30–31
time needed for, 34
see also wardrobe
D
denim, 236, 236
dresses, common fit problems with, 255
F
fabrics and materials:
individual preferences for, 62–63
list of, 82
personal rules for, 81–82
quality of, 230–31; see also individual fabrics and materials
fashion books, 58
fashion trends, 26–28
fit:
body proportions and, 251–52
checking, 252–53
fixing problems with, 249, 253–55
good vs bad, 249
poor garment construction and, 251
sizing vs, 248, 249, 251–52
fittings, 190–91
G
goals, setting, 41–43
I
impulse buys, avoiding, 203, 205, 217, 225
inspiration search, 56–58, 61<
br />
J
jackets, common fit problems with, 255
K
keepsakes, 101–2
key pieces, 120, 122, 138
L
labels, 244
laundry bottlenecks, 151
leather, 237–38
faux, 238
quality of, 237
lifestyle:
capsule wardrobe size and, 179
changes in, 172
matching wardrobe to, 110–12, 114–15, 215
linen, 233
linings, 242–43
lookbooks, 61
M
magazines, 58
main colours, 133, 134, 137
materials, see fabrics and materials
minimalism, 30
mood board, 89–91
movies, as inspiration sources, 58
N
neutral colours, 133, 137
O
off-season storage, 103, 262
outfit formulas, 146–53
benefits of, 146
definition of, 146
examples of, 146, 150, 152–53
implementing, 149–50
laundry bottlenecks and, 151 selecting, 148
overspending, 222, 225–27
P
paradox of choice, 174
personal style:
colour and, 62
custom-made nature of, 22
discovering, 32–33, 53
evolution of, 52–53, 87, 265
examples of, 52, 94–95
experimenting and fine-tuning, 70–72, 74–75, 77–78, 80–83
The Curated Closet Page 16