In Part 1 of this series on wardrobe management, we talked about how to review and edit what you have. That post is here.

This post, Part 2, is where you actually decide what to wear (and what not to wear, as the case may be… resulting in additional discards/donations).

This is something I preferred to undertake when I knew I would be home alone all day. So, I scheduled my date with my closet for after my family had returned to their homes following the holidays, spouse would be at work all day, and when I had no scheduled appointments or deadlines.

It took about four hours and several cups of coffee to get it this part accomplished, but it was surprisingly fun. I recommend you wait until a time of day when you’ll have some good natural lighting and be sure to put on some tunes.

What you’ll need:

• A system of mirrors that allows you 360 degree views of yourself
• A dress form that is configured to your exact measurements (optional)
• Camera and tripod (optional)

What I did:

• Tried on every single item in my closet for fit (using the mirrors - ouch!)
• Planned for disposal of anything that did not fit correctly or was just yukky in color or style
• Tried on new combinations (since I had already edited the contents of my closet, it was easy to see new possible outfits that I had never thought of before)
• Listed new pieces that I need to round out my outfits, or enable me to create others
• Went online to look for sales for the items I need
• Polished shoes as needed
• Polished silver jewelry and belts that needed that attention
• Ironed many of the garments that made the cut

What I didn’t do yet but will next:

• Make a list of these new outfits, including which shoes, scarves, and jewelry went with what
• Use my camera and tripod to take pictures of myself in these outfits, or, alternatively, put them on my dress form (MY virtual assistant) and take pictures of them on “her”
• Finish ironing

What I discovered:

I was surprised at how much fun I had doing this. I anticipated being depressed and feeling all bulgey (the way I usually feel in dressing rooms in stores). Instead, I was excited to discover some great new options hiding right inside my closet.

In Part 1 of this series I mentioned sending some unwearables to my sewing room. After finishing this scrutinizing, I took a second look at those pieces to see what else I could make from them that would compliment my newly updated wardrobe and made a list of some sewing projects to tackle in the coming weeks.

What Else I Recommend:

Get some second opinions on your new outfits. In my case, I will try them out on my “girls,” those being my young and beautiful stepdaughter and daughters-in-law.

I am not a professional style maven, but I suggest you do this process AT LEAST after every milestone: after you have a baby, change jobs, go through menopause, experience a divorce.

Please share YOUR tips. Meanwhile, here are some good resources:

Tips from readers:

Terri Orlowski:
“When I put something on that I realize I no longer like on me, I put it back in the closet for a second opinion another day. Some days, due to mood or the phase of the moon or whatever, I just don’t like stuff. But I can put the same thing back on 2 weeks later and love it. If I still don’t like it 3 months later, it goes to Goodwill or Freecycle.”

Skyla Higgins:
“Again if it hasn’t been worn in a year toss it aside. Styles change too often, I make sure I have the basic black pant and dress, a great pair of jeans and a couple shirts that go with anything. As with all women our sizes do change, so I keep a pair of jeans that I like in 2 sizes, for those “fat” days!

“Since everyone has a different body type, not every current style will work for each individual. Try to adapt it to what will look good on you. Ask someone that you trust if what you are wearing works (make sure this person will tell the truth).” (Editor’s note: Skyla has a ton of sisters, so that part is easy for her!)

Karin Wilson:
“I want to be comfortable, but still be presentable to run out to meet a client (casual meeting). So when the weather is warm I like skirts. I’ve started to follow the outfit rule more now. Buy a whole outfit instead of one piece you have to figure out how to match later. I stick with a basic color palette. This makes it easy to mix and match later.

“I recently took note of what some of my friends were wearing and asked where they shopped. I do a lot of hiking/walking and wanted something better than the old T-shirts I’d been wearing. One friend in particular has all this technical fabric clothing that looks neat and is perfect for being active and then swinging into the pharmacy without looking like a homeless person. She shops at Lucy.com. They have a store in LaJolla and this is my new favorite store. Great designs in all sizes and colors. Most of these clothes will travel really well too.”

Amy:
“When trying to update my wardrobe I go through fashion magazines and then go shopping with some ideas of what I want. From there, I pick out certain unique pieces to add to what I already have and eventually I will accumulate enough pieces to create a totally new outfit by adding new pieces to my old clothes without spending a lot of money…sales are my best friend.”
Other online resources:

Wardrobe Oxygen

Oprah.com’s Beauty and Style section

What Not to Wear (the TV show)

Coming Next: Part 3—How to use your retooled wardrobe to best advantage when traveling will appear on the evening of January 20, 2008.