Alicia's Seasonal Edit

If January is a prompt for new beginnings, then February could be the time to reframe ideas. There has been a concerted effort among the people who have contacted me to pare down the things they own. Often, they become confused between what is worth keeping and what they should purge. Being invited into someone's closet is sometimes like being an appraiser of sartorial value. I am asked to help curate the volume and make sense of the nonsense. I often hear, "How did I accumulate so much?" followed by, "And I still feel I have nothing to wear."

My answer is simple. Stop believing that acquiring more will make getting dressed easier. It's quite the opposite. With more choices in front of us, we cannot process how to make sense of the volume. How many of you would admit that you are only using 20 percent of your wardrobe? Why do we refrain from letting go of what we are not using? 

"Change happens when the pain of holding on becomes greater than the fear of letting go."

Intentional practices are the cornerstone to developing great style. The misconception is that these intentional practices have everything to do with acquisition when it's actually in the edit. By reframing towards a less-is-more relationship with your clothing, you'll find you have exactly what you will use and regain control over mindless spending. There's a lot of time that goes into keeping up with the high turnover of choices surrounding fashion. Fashion is also an industry anxious to correct the losses of 2020, and the rollout of enticing clothing seems greater than the ability to wear it all. A five-day workweek is now down to two or three days a week. Two or three vacations may now be converted into one vacation and a couple of long weekends. With events on the decline, it's time we reconcile that pre-COVID shopping math with a post-COVID correction. Understanding the applications for 2022 dressing and identifying the areas of overlap that are more accessible is a new dynamic for the designer, the retailer, and the consumer.

Volume is out, and edit is in.

The truth is that the edit is the most important part of having great style. Too many choices in a wardrobe become overwhelming to the point of paralytic. The gold standard of the perfect size wardrobe is about 30 pieces a season. So how would you determine what is worthy of your future self in your wardrobe? Declare February as your month to reframe what you own. Cut the pieces that limit you and discover how powerful being decisive feels. 

Alicia's Seasonal Edit - select 30 pieces that establish the future you:

• 1 bag

• 3 denim

• 4 jackets

• 6 tops

• 4 sweaters

• 3 shoes/boots

• 2 camisoles

• 1 coat

• 1 sweatshirt

• 1 jogger

• 1 dress pants/slacks

• 3 dresses

This is the essence of the next 60 days of my style. By assessing my immediate lifestyle, I then map accordingly. By practicing this seasonal reset, you can keep up with how many events you are going to and how often you are working from home versus working in the office. Keeping up with your reality versus perceived lifestyle, you will engage with your style with more meaningful and intentional pieces - pieces that have ways to pivot in various directions and exhibit your essence through color, architecture, and personalized proportion. When you value how you live more than the things you live with, 30 pieces no longer feel limiting but liberating. When chosen strategically, you are manifesting your future existence without sacrificing style. These items become the seeds of growth that will rejuvenate you as you curate an intentional collection, much as an art collector invests in the projected value of an artist - only the artist is you! I'm inviting you to design your future self. 

Don't choose inhibitors in your wardrobe if you want possibilities to exist.

Beware of the inhibitors in your selections for a high-yield wardrobe. Inhibitors can only be worn one way and lack creative license. I have yanked more inhibitors out of a wardrobe than any other category. These are the most challenging category to identify for many since they trigger visual satisfaction. The inhibitors are great for businesses but not so great for the consumer. Inhibitors are the eye candy in retail and trip up an unassuming consumer with their "wow" factor.

Stylist disclaimer: Now and then, we may want the ease of a "one-and-done" to get us out the door, but this is not where endless value exists. There's an alternate model for this type of consumerism - it's called, Buy More, Wear Less!

Prints will have a higher turnover in a wardrobe than solids.

Prints are essential to a wardrobe, whether represented in footwear, blouses, or outerwear, but they shouldn't dominate the wardrobe. In a collection of 30 pieces, five to seven should be prints. The color palette is the other part of establishing your 30 future self pieces. You don't want to be all over the place with too many colors or not enough. I am all for a neutral palette, but you need to identify a color or even a non-color for interest. 

Invite possibilities into 2022 with your own February reframing. Take a look at your wardrobe and pull the inhibitors aside. They may have done their job, and it's time to exit them on the premise of no longer serving your future. Don't allow the guilt of not having used them enough to stand in your way, as they will continue to hold you back. Becoming aware of the limitations will create discerning processes in your consumer behavior, just as avoidance breeds a continuation of dissatisfaction.