Last week we featured a guest blog article from Kenna Lee, a Professional Organizer and owner of Calm Spaces Professional Organizing in San Francisco and Atlanta.
Both Kenna and I work closely with clients that are undergoing a significant life change, whether it be a pivot in their careers, with adapting to physical needs, or with starting a family. We know that change can be scary — that’s why we’re here to make sure that your wardrobe is here to support you in your journey.
The Closet Edit
We recently worked with a client who had just started a new job at a company that encouraged a more business-professional dress code. Being in California, she felt nervous about striking the right balance between being overly formal and dressing too casually in the office. When the time came for her Closet Edit appointment, we knew we had some serious work to do. She had decades of memories in her closet for us to sift through: from her previous jobs, from special events in the past, and even from her college days.
During our Closet Edit appointments, we aim to only keep pieces that we know will work with outfits in the future, and to shop with what we kept in her closet in mind. This client, like many that we’ve worked with in the past, felt protective of the clothes that symbolized old memories, even if they no longer served her, and felt reluctant to sort through them herself. I can’t blame her thought process! Clothing holds so much power and significance, and it can be really hard to let go. Even once the clutter has been cleared, it can feel a bit nerve wracking to see so much empty space! Here’s how you can prepare for a complete Closet Edit, and for the empty-closet-syndrome you might feel afterwards.
- Remind yourself that clearing space in your closet will help clear your mind. Having less clutter to have to sort through when finding an outfit will help relieve you of some time and stress in the morning when getting ready.
- Have a box set aside to hold only your most important closet memorabilia! Kenna suggests keeping a “Memory Box” to hold things of irreplaceable value, like family heirlooms or your wedding dress.
- Have faith in the process: after we edit your closet, it might look barren compared to what it used to be. Many of our clients have an instinctive anxiety that they won’t have pieces that can replace what they had, and may feel at a loss with their minimal closet between the Closet Edit appointment and their Fitting. Rest assured, we make note of everything you keep, what you need, and exactly how much of it we should be shopping for. You’re in good hands!
Life Post-Fitting
Colors express a variety of messages themselves, but style can evoke feelings that can help reshape how you see and present yourself. Your wardrobe is an extension of you: with the right pieces, you’re free to create images of your identity that can change depending on how you’re feeling, and how you want to be seen. You have the complete freedom of self expression — and having an all-new wardrobe is like opening a fresh pack of bright acrylic paint.
Once we’ve shopped for you, brought you all the options for clothes, shoes, and accessories to your home, picked out the best-fitting pieces with you during your fitting, and handled any necessary exchanges, tailoring or cobbling, you can expect to live and dress yourself every morning worry-free. We provide you with enough options for all your lifestyle needs, whether it be for work, everyday, special events, vacations, you name it.
We hope this was reassuring and helpful to you wherever you are in your organizational journey! Book a call with Abby Young Styling here, or shoot us a message on IG @abbyyoungstyling or abby@abbyyoungstyling.com to learn more about our services and how we can best support you as you prepare for your life changes.
