Never have a day with nothing to wear. Ever again. I promise, it can happen.  And here’s why it’s important.  What you wear speaks volumes about you.  Your first impression makes a difference and how you present yourself can impact your initial success.  Developing your signature style is easier than you think, in fact, you already know what works – you need to keep doing just that.

Only keep items you love.  Notice I didn’t say like.  If you look at your closet, I bet that you wear 20% of the items 80% of the time.  And you suffer through the other days.  Save yourself.  If it doesn’t fit, it’s worn down, if you don’t love it–don’t save it.  It’s not worth your time or your energy.  You deserve better.  Go through each item in your closet and ask yourself these questions:

• Do I love it? Does it work with other things I love?
• Do I wear it? Have I worn it at least 6 times this year?

I recommend breaking this task down into sections. Can you do shirts one day and pants the next day? Trying to accomplish a little at a time may be less overwhelming.

Make essential pieces you new go-to uniform. Think about your favorite clothes.  Now think about their style.  I’ve noticed when I wear unique, fitted shirts and pencil skirts I feel great.  Guess what my essential pieces are? Unique, fitted shirts and pencil skirts.  My closet is full of these items. It’s not an accident.  I buy multiple colors and styles of essential pieces so my go-to uniform always looks great and makes me feel great.

I recommend starting small, you can’t buy tons of essential pieces immediately – your budget probably isn’t that luxurious.  I spend about $100 per month on alterations or purchasing necessary items.  Set a budget and look for deals so you can stretch your dollar.

Make it work for everything.  I purchase basic items that look polished and appropriate for any occasion.  When I’m shopping, I look at fabrics and brands, think about feels good and looks good, search for complimentary and polished pieces.  I try everything on and if I don’t love it immediately, it goes back on the shelf.  Don’t settle.  There are times that I’ve purchased items that don’t fit well – but I know they’ll work.  It’s why I spend so much money with alterations.  It’s a great investment.  A $10 skirt can look like a million bucks with a great alterations professional.

I recommend starting great.  When you have great pieces that you love, you’re able to make them work in your needed situations.  Remember, expensive doesn’t mean great.  Look for high quality items, no matter what the price.

What you see makes a big difference.  Have the right supplies for storage makes a difference. If you see too much, it’s exhausting and if you don’t see what you need, it can be frustrating.  Think about what works best for your category: Hang some items, fold some in open storage, closed storage.

I recommend folding pants and sweaters, hanging skirts and shirts, using special hangars for jackets and dresses and keeping basics and essentials in closed/contained storage.

Here’s my secret: It’s been many years since I’ve had nothing to wear.  Don’t get mad, just use my tips to make it work for you.  When you look great, you feel great and you work great.  You have a signature style and you deserve to use it to your advantage.