The Secret to Simplified Dressing

 I hear from women all of the time some version of the following:

• I don't need new clothes, I don't wear half of what I own.
• It's hard to put together a great outfit in my closet.
• I haven't worn what I bought last season, I don't need something new.
• I bought this piece because I loved it, but I have never figured out how to wear it.

Do any of those statements sound familiar?

GUILTY!

We create so much confusion, chaos, and stress in our closets without even realizing what we are doing. The truth is that most women, when out shopping, tend towards the pretty statement pieces and ignore the basics.  When you do this is when you find that you "have a closet full of clothes with nothing to wear".

Women wear only 20% - 30% of what is in their closet.

In the digital and technological age, we as humans are attracted to shiny things.  We also live in a world of Amazon and want what we want ... and NOW! This contributes to another commonly heard statement that I hear which is "I have so many clothes with the tags still on them." or "I didn't even remember that was in there!" 

Overstuffed closets and wasted money

Photo by Ron Lach via Pexels

Here's the harsh truth: the more chaotic your closet is, the more chaos will be in your mind.  This is where we begin our day and that frustration seeps into how you feel as you step into the day!  We don't have time for this. We need to eliminate the decision fatigue.

In addition to the chaos that an overstuffed closet creates in our mind and in our day, this overconsumption and the prevalence of Fast Fashion, it is contributing not only to waste, but poor quality clothes are made in cheaply made fabrics lead to microplastics in our water and, inevitably, in our food. As you can imagine, this is not good for any of us!

You may be wondering...what is the secret to simplified dressing?

The Secret is called Modules!

Modules is how I refer to what you may have heard of as Capsule Dressing. If you have never heard of capsule dressing, here is what it is, simplified. It is a small group of clothing items that mix and match to create multiple outfit options.

Now, I know what you might be thinking: Gosh, that sounds BORING!  Here's the thing, it does not HAVE to be! What's even more fun about it is that as you create more modules that relate back to your original module, you create a HUGE NUMBER OF OUTFIT OPTIONS.

Capsules (or modules as I will refer to them from now on) can get a bad wrap because often when people don't have fun or get creative with the process, they go for all neutrals.  While you DO need to consider your neutrals, this is not the way that I am talking about creating a module!

A starting module begins with:

• 3 tops
• 2 bottoms
• 1 jacket or topper

Those 6 pieces will create 12 different looks:

• Each Top goes with each bottom (6 looks)
• Add the jacket to each of THOSE looks and you get 12 looks. 

You can make thoughtful purchases of beautiful items that go perfectly back to the rest of your pieces. I am going to tell you one very important piece to creating a versatile wardrobe, however.  That is: Basics are the absolute KEY to being able to create ANY look in your closet.  Not just any basics, but elevated basics that are made of good quality and will wash and wear well for years.  You cannot go cheap here!

Imagine if you didn't have plain white tees or a classic denim jacket in your closet and only had pretty prints and frilly blouses!  It would be REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT to make an outfit. This is a struggle that most women don't realize in their closets. We like to purchase the "pretty things" and barely give a second glance to making sure we have the basics we need to pull the whole look together!

You really can do a lot with a little in the case of a well thought out module!  Check out the module that I created below.

Module 1

You can see that this Module that I created is not boring. Yes, I am using brown and white, but I started by using a printed blouse and building based on what that provided me to have fun with.  As I mentioned earlier, a simple capsule will begin with 3 tops, 2 bottoms, and 1 Topper.  With this module, I have 3 tops, 3 bottoms, and 2 toppers which equates to 27 different outfits!

Okay, so let's add another module in.  Remember, the key is that you want to make sure all the tops and toppers go with all the bottoms so you create a really cohesive wardrobe. Let's take a look:

Module 2

As you can see, I added in some new silhouettes into my bottoms and even more color with my tops.  Everything works and pairs nicely back to the original module.  Let me show you everything together below:

Both Modules Mix and Match perfectly

You can see that you can take this module and mix and match for both dressy and dressed down occasions. These 14 items create 120 Outfits!!

Modules do not include dresses and outerwear, so those would be in addition to what you see above.  You will also want to add some accessories for a bit more personality and, of course, great shoe options for both dressing up and dressing down.

Isn't that so much FUN?!

One thing that can be incredibly helpful when creating modules and a very versatile and wearable wardrobe is knowing your colors. When you know which colors look the best on you, your purchases become completely worth the investment.  In addition, the way that the color seasons (and flows) work is that all of the colors harmonize together making it much easier to mix and match!  If you are interested in having your colors analyzed, I do them for women both in-person (if you live in the Charlotte area) or Virtually with equally accurate results!  Here is the link so you can check it out:

https://www.michelleglassstyling.com/work-with-me/the-glow

The other thing that is invaluable when creating your own modules is having a fully developed signature style and understanding your body type. These things just make your look more "you". As a Personal Stylist, this is something that I work with my clients to develop and understand. Many times people think that when you work with a Personal Stylist, she (or he) will just fill your closet with more stuff, but it's simply not true.  As a Personal Stylist and Image Strategist, I help you to develop your style around your unique person and then we get rid of items that don't fit that image and add items where gaps may exist.  That is the difference between a Personal Stylist and a Personal Shopper!

So, what do you think about modules?  Do you think you want to give them a shot?  I would love if you would leave a comment and let me know!

Until next week, stay stylish!

PS - If you are interested in learning more about my services and what I have to offer (including outside of the Charlotte area), I would love if you would visit my website. And if you are interested in learning my 5 juiciest tips for creating an elevated style, grab my free guide here!