What will the consumer world do without Oprah's Favorite Things??  Last week, Oprah taped her last episode of Oprah's Favorite Things, where she selects her favorite items that holiday and gifts ALL of them to her audience.  This year's crowd got a gift, perfect for a visit from the Closet Editor.Click here to read more about the maven's Christmas picks.  

Allison from San Francisco wrote in to ask me what to do with her old school twin sweater sets from the 90's.  Yikes!  It seems like so long ago, but I must confess, I have a few myself.  CLICK HERE to read up on my advice.

One piece from work to weekend? Sounds like an urban style myth, but it's not. With a few simple tips and tweaks, mastering work to weekend style is a cinch. CLICK HERE to read about how you, too, can make your work wardrobe work for you.

One Piece from Work to Weekend by The Closet Editor featuring Christian Louboutin shoes

If there is one thing I’ve learned from my years in the fashion industry it’s how to keep my closet edited.  Each season new collections become available, but for people in the fashion industry, we’ve been watching these collections for months.  We watch them develop, we embrace new trends before they get introduced to the public eye, and we grow attached.  Factor in the perks of working for a fashion house: designer clothing allowances, employee discounts, employee only sample sales (to name a few).  All these opportunities sound great, but they can pose a threat to the tiny closets of Manhattan fashionistas.  I have had to channel all the teachings of my beloved mother (a pro at the binging and purging cycles of closets) to deal with this dilemna.  I have mastered the art of editing closets down to the individual needs of the closet owner. I blog about the process of editing my own closet, to give people tips and tricks of the trade.  As a lover of all things fashionable and stylish, I’ve extended my blog range into other categories, but always with the goal of providing “insider information,” to my readers.

Your wardrobe staples should be based on your career, your lifestyle, and your personal taste and aesthetic.  To everyone who sees you, you are what you wear.  Let what you wear speak volumes about who you are.  There are basics every woman needs, but closets need updating based on the weather, the most recent fashion week, your social calendar.  When new styles come into your closet, you have to make a decision.  It’s time to closet edit.  First off, always look at your existing wardrobe and think about what you have that can be re-purposed.  When re-purposing just won’t do, think about what your new clothes replace, and what they complement (new and old).   How to make these calls, and how to build out a beautiful and functional wardrobe – that’s where I come in.

CLOSETS ACCORDING TO ME:

1. Edit, edit, edit. Edit your wardrobe down based on your life.  You need a work wardrobe, a lifestyle wardrobe, and a few pieces that are just plain fun – you may not be trendy, and that’s ok, but everyone needs a little something to elevate their looks.  This little something doesn’t have to be for everyday, but it should be that perfect finishing touch that you pull out when you want to take your look to the next level.  Work and life can often blend together so easily, you still need specific styles that give distinction to each.  You may be able to wear jeans to work every day, but that doesn’t mean wearing a t-shirt (even if that’s allowed) is a stylish choice.  Give your denim a boost with a flouncy silk top, and save the tees for Saturday.
2. Time.  There are some pieces in your closet that you haven’t worn for at least 2 years.  Take them out.  They were either ultra trendy 2 years ago, and they simply don’t work for the style moment.  If you can’t let them go, then figure out how they can work with your current clothes.  It’s time to get creative with how to style them.  Look at your everyday staples.  Look at what’s missing in your closet.  How can that piece work with those looks?  If it can’t, it’s time to give it a new home.
3. Basics vs. Event Dressing.  There are styles that you need, and once you have them you’ll wear over and over again.  Then there are the styles you buy for your calendar.  First dates, fundraisers, cocktail parties, the first day at a new job, you name it, you wear it.  You need outfits for all of these times in your life because your outfit tells the world a little bit about who you are.  For some of these, you’ll buy a one time wear dress, for others you’ll buy a basic.  I can teach you how to cut loose the pieces you don’t need any longer, and how to leverage the more versatile pieces.
4. Keep a skinny corner.  Every woman holds onto pieces that they hope, hope, hope they will eventually fit back into.  KEEP THEM!  There’s nothing wrong with hope, or the perfect leather jacket.  These styles might even give you the extra push you need to lose that extra 5 pounds.  However, even this selection needs to be carefully edited.  There’s no point in keeping a $40 pair of jeans that didn’t even look that great when they did fit.  This assortment should be about key items, luxe items, that have an element of being irreplaceable.

The handbags:  I have an affinity for handbags.

The situation: 31 handbags

The goal: cutting this obscene number down by at least 1/3

I'm getting started with the handbags in similar shapes and shades.  This is an easy place to cut back.

Black bags.  I'm losing the Michael Kors, the Kate Spade, and the no names.  Why?  The Kate Spade is a rectangular shape that I don't love, and the Michael Kors' lining isn't attached so when I go to pull out my wallet I pull half the bag out with it.   Unless you're lucky enough to find a fantastic generic bag that's high quality enough to pass the test of time and meet all of your handbag needs, these tend to just collect dust and use up space.  This leaves me with my oversized black Marc by Marc Jacobs Tote it's chic and great for errands around the city, but it works overtime as a beach bag and weekend bag too.  I sold the excess bags for a whopping total of $300.

Tans and neutrals.  Perhaps this is  category that not everyone needs.  Personally I adore neutrals because I love to wear white and I love to wear black.  A great neutral bag that goes with either, and adds contrast is never a bad thing in my book.  However, my beloved Chanel bag, which I purchased on a trip to Paris, is the leader of the pack here.  Everything else can go.  How many neutrals does one girl need?  Even I would say keep it to one, maybe two if they serve different purposes (EXAMPLE: mini bag and tote.)

Fun bags.  I can't get rid of my teal Stella McCartney's 2009 summer/pre-fall collection.  It's bright and adds the perfect pop of color to my fairly common uniform of black or white.  Allow me to take a moment here ladies: each and every one of you needs a bag like this.  It's amazing the lift in spirit you can get simply by wearing cheerful colors.  Plus, these bags tend to be unique so you can expect lots of compliments! White bags.  These just don't work for me in any way.  Donating.  Maybe they work for you.  That's fine, but keep it to one perfect white bag.

Clutches.  I pick these things up like I pick up packs of bubble gum waiting in line at CVS.  It's ridiculous.  A few of mine are vintage and I'll never let them go, but there are plenty that I should pass on to new homes.  For starter's I only need one black clutch, so I'm opting for my vintage croc print leather.  I'll sell one, and donate the other.  After I've sorted that out, the only other clutches that I need to keep are my: Old white clutch from Anthropologie a million years ago with coral embellishments.  Why? This works as a neutral right down to the coral embellishments that seem to go with everything summer spring related.  A neutral AND interesting.  It's a keeper. Red suede Tory Burch clutch.  Why?  Every girl needs a little touch of red in their wardrobe. Turquoise vintage pill-box clutch.  Why?  Well, for starters it's vintage... if that weren't reason enough it's a chic shade of turqouise AND it's roomy as far as clutches go. Silver beaded clutch for the holidays.  Why?  Silver goes with just about everything (sometimes even its close cousin gold, sometimes - do not get carried away here!) I can rely on this metallic maven to get me through the monotony winter holiday parties, as well as summertime soirees. This leaves me with 9 clutches that I can either donate or sell.  Impressive right? And with that handbags are done.

T H E  C L O S E T  E D I T O R

Meet My Closet

I edit closets.  It’s not a full time job, at least not yet, but it’s what I love to do.  I call it being a closet editor/stylist/wardrobe consultant and (because I blog about it) /blogger.  People bring me in to assess their closets.  I factor in their lifestyle, their work, and then I help them realize what clothes they have that they don’t need, what clothes they don’t have that they do need, and how to re-purpose existing clothes in new ways that makes their wardrobe feel brand new again.  I offer to take the excess to thrift shops, or sell it on eBay.  I also provide personal shopping services to help people fill in the gaps.

To provide some credibility let’s start with my closet.  For my full time job, and entrance into the wide world of fashion, I work for a lifestyle brand who makes contemporary American sportswear.  It’s a reflection of my personal style, which is a good thing and a bad thing.  I love working for a brand that I’m so inspired by each day.  It’s a bad thing when we have an employee sale.  I could drop an entire paycheck easily, I have enough self control not to, but  I wouldn’t mind it.  So here I am.  Post employee sale.  Broke and with a closet bursting at the seams.  Looks like it’s time for me to edit.  I fling my closet doors open, hide my new purchases in my kitchen, and tackle this monster. Four years of working for designers, I’m a pro at this.  I start with shoes.  They’re so easy.  Shoes are so trend motivated.  There are the classics: ballet flats, espadrilles, tall boots (not to say that the classics can’t be edited, they can and they should!).  Everything outside of that group operates on a trend.  The classic black pump?  One season it’s pointy toed, the next it’s rounded.  One season it’s a 4 inch stiletto.  Next season it’s a 5 inch platform.  Let’s begin editing.

• Booties: Au revoir booties-that-come-up-to-the-ankle.  This season they’re scooping below the ankle, making the original version look clunky and unchic.
• Sandals: well first things first – the adorable tan gladiator flats that got destroyed at the Kenny Chesney lawn concert last summer are clearly never going to have a second life.  Buh Bye.  Next: silver gladiators – why did I EVER buy you in the first place.  Every time I put them on I take them right off.  The guy at the shoe store offered me a 20% discount if I bought them along with the other two pairs of sandals I was definitely taking home.  What can I say?  It seemed like a good idea at the time.
• Pointy toe heels: I bought a pair of Pradas as a college graduation gift to myself a few years ago.  After 3 wears they stretched out.  Now if I wear them I spend the whole time trying not to walk right out of them.  Definitely unchic.  Selling them.  I’m also going to give up on the patent leather grey and purple platforms with a slightly pointed toe.  I found them in a shop window walking home from a bottomless mimosa brunch.  At the time, apparently I couldn’t feel my feet, because these guys are at least a size too small.  I had three out of towners visiting me that weekend, and they were kind enough to help me tidy up my apartment before they left.  Somehow in the mix, someone threw away the shoe box with the receipt, so they’ve been collecting dust since Kim’s 23 birthday.
• Extras: I have 3 pairs of tan ballet flats.  I’ll keep the straw with patent trim, and I’ll keep the Tory Burch Reva Ballerina Flats.  I’ll say sianara to the third pair that has the same color scheme as the straw and patent (they’re just not as cute!)  Riding Boots.  I have a pair of black ones that I’ve just never loved.  Time to let them go.  I have two pairs of brown tall riding boots.  A girl only needs one.  I’m going to keep the classic pair without any hardware (hardware can look so dated when it’s out of season).

What am I leaving myself with?  About 5 pairs of ballet flats (they’re such a lifesaver in Manhattan).  One pair of tall brown riding boots, one pair of light brown high heeled boots, one pair of black high heeled Michael Kors boots, one pair of cowboy boots (specific I know, but sometimes they’re exactly what I’m looking for), two pairs of Havaianas – my flip flop of choice, a pair of black pumps, tan Gucci pumps, tan Jimmy Choo mules, my beloved Coach wooden wedges with brown leather T straps, Tory Burch gladiator pumps, Steve Madden gladiator pumps (which I would absolutely consider giving away if I didn’t always get compliments when I wear them).  I also have one pair of high heeled wedges (for days when I need to look dressed up, but will be on my feet all day) and two pairs of booties.  This gives me a plethora of options for work, weekend, and everything in-between.  I have my classics, I have my trendier pieces, and I have something for every occasion.  I could use a bone colored pair of shoes, but other than that, I’m pretty much covered in the shoe department.  Now it's the handbags' turn.

Handbags are my weakness.  I have a collection that could put the likes of Kate Spade to shame.  Let’s take a look… Back in a few…