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REHAB
5 STEPS TO THE PERFECT CLOSET
B y G e n e v a Va n d e r z e i l
Let’s Wardrobe Rehab!
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WA R D R O B E R E H A B BY G E N E VA
HEY GUYS!
My name is Geneva and I have a confession for how you can not only organise and edit
to make... I used to be a clothes hoarder. your existing wardrobe, but how you can
I used to buy and buy with no concept of also develop your personal style, choose
outfits, my closet was in overflowing but a palette and focus your shopping. All so
weirdly, I always felt I had nothing to wear. you can look and feel your best.
But 6 years ago when I was living in London The goal is a wardrobe that’s easy to
I started writing on the subject of Wardrobe navigate, full of pieces that you absolutely
Rehab… Fast forward and I’ve learnt so love and are able to create infinite outfits
much about maintaining a functional closet with. And so that you never stand in front of
and developing your style, much more than your closet wondering what to wear again!
I understood when I first started. So we’ve
put together this guide to share 5 steps to
perfecting your closet with tips and tricks
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Wardrobe Rehab
The diagram velow shows the steps for
Wardrobe Rehab. Turn to the next page to
read more details about all the steps.
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5 STEPS TO THE PERFECT CLOSET
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An overflowing wardrobe Understanding what you like All those times you stood
filled with mis matched items and what suits you is key to staring at your closet
and impulse purchases is developing a wardrobe that thinking you had nothing
one of the biggest stumbling works really well for you and to wear, chances are it’s
blocks for creating fantastic makes you happy. In this because you didn’t have
personal style and outfits step we help you uncover the key items in your closet
that are easy to put together. your own personal style, that go together and open
In this step we’re going to by looking at the items up unlimited outfit options.
share you how to cull your in your closet, inspiration In this step we’ll help you
wardrobe and edit it down and helping you develop understand what essentials
to your best pieces, creating personal style guidelines. you need in your closet.
room for a better closet.
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COLOURS SHOPPING
Develop a palette. Focus your spending.
Once your closet has the Now that you’ve got that
essentials, it’s time to amazing closet sorted, the
understand more about last thing you want to do is
colours and how they can ruin it with poor shopping
be used to create beautiful choices, so in this step we
outfits. In this step you’ll share a series of tools to help
learn about how to develop you focus your shopping and
a colour palette and use pick items that continue to
colours in your wardrobe. make your wardrobe better
And do it so that your closet and better.
doesn’t date!
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STEP ONE
CULLING
THE MAGIC OF THROWING OUT
T E X T BY G E N E VA VA N D E R Z E I L
P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y B R YA N T L E E
Step 1 - Culling
N O W W H AT ?
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STEP TWO
PERSONAL STYLE
It doesn’t have to be complicated
T E X T BY G E N E VA VA N D E R Z E I L
P H OTO G R A P H Y BY G E N E VA VA N D E R Z E I L
Step 2 - Defining Personal Style
In contrast to fashion, style is your own this pile define you either, but use it as a
unique and individual taste in clothes. foundation to grow and develop.
Collect images of aesthetics you like Now it’s time to play around with your
from magazines, blogs or Pinterest can personal style – because sometimes
help inform you of the styles, shapes what you’re used to doesn’t equate to
and colours that you gravitate towards. what you like or what makes you feel
When doing your research, try to look good. Try these little experiments below
past elements of fashion and trends and and see how they make you feel.
focus more on the clothes themselves:
silhouettes, fabrics, patterns, colour – Go into 3 stores and try on 50 different
and texture, and try to be realistic items. Make a pile of the things that
about looking for outfits that you would work and those that didn’t. Is there a
actually wear. pattern?
2. ANALYSE YOUR ‘KEEP’ PILE FROM – Make outfits out of colours you would
YOUR WARDROBE CULL never usually wear. How do you feel?
The clothes you kept from your wardrobe – Have a friend dress you up in an outfit
cull say a lot about your style as they are they would typically wear. How do you
the clothes you feel comfortable and feel?
confident wearing and look good on
you. Now it’s time to understand why. – Create an outfit with a silhouette
What are their characteristics? What that is the opposite of what you would
do I like about them? What do they say usually wear. Thought?
about my future shopping purchases?
Try to be specific about fabrics, cuts and – Using Pinterest find 5 pieces of
shapes. However, you don’t have to let clothing that you would love to wear
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Understand your body shape
Knowing your body shape and what how to look perfect at the cost of being
looks good on you is a (somewhat) happy in what you are wearing. On the
useful tool to helping understand your contrary, by getting a good feel of what
personal style. However, we believe suits and flatters you most, it gives you
that understanding your body shape the freedom to experiment, and also
isn’t about boxing you into a certain gives you the confidence to know which
formula of dressing or obsessing over rules to break/stick to and when.
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D EV E L O P YO U R ST Y L E G U I D E L I N E S
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certain patterns in the outfits you like or represent who you are. To help, we’ve
the types of fabric and colours you are created a cheat sheet of the above
drawn to. Coupled with a knowledge steps which you can download and print
of what suits your body type, this will out here.
better afirm what your personal style
is and help you direct your wardrobe Once you’ve got a better idea of your
rehab down the right aesthetic path. For style, we suggest doing another review
me, you can see I stick to clean, minimal or cull of your wardrobe, this time
palettes, figure hugging silhouettes and analysing your clothing based on what
simple pops of colour – a classic look. you have learnt about your style.
WORDS
STEP THREE
WA R D R O B E
ESSENTIALS
Classics that go the distance.
T E X T BY G E N E VA VA N D E R Z E I L
P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y B R YA N T L E E
Step 3 - Defining Your Essentials
The main reason for developing an other highlight colours – black, white,
essentials list for your closet is to beige, khaki, tan and navy are great
understand where the gaps lie, as options.
a means of informing your future
shopping choices with the end goal 4. What occasions do you find hard to
being a perfect closet. The key thing dress for?
is understanding what you have and
what you need. To develop this list, we If there are particular times you struggle
suggest you ask yourself the following to decide what to wear, chances are
questions: it’s because you’re missing key pieces
that could cater to those occasions.
1. What could you never live Struggle to dress for a night out with
without? the girls? Maybe a LBD or something
similar would be useful to add? Never
If someone told you could only have feel pulled together when it’s cold out?
30 items in your closet, what would Maybe a chic overcoat or leather jacket 25
they be? Much like the selectiveness is something you desperately need. List
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we have to utilise when we pack for out the times you struggle most and try
travel, understanding those key, can’t to understand what key pieces would fix
live without items is a great process that.
for developing your essentials list. Be
brutal! 5. What pieces do you wish you had but
feel you can’t afford?
2. Which pieces in your closet get worn
the most currently? Don’t avoid including key pieces in your
essentials list just because you think you
This is more about understanding what can’t afford them – a leather jacket is a
you have now, and those pieces that you great example of an expensive piece
get the most wear out of are the starting that is worth budgeting for. It’s worth
point of your essentials list, whether it’s marking down your aspirational pieces.
a maxi skirt or a Breton striped top.
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Knowing your body shape and what looks being happy in what you are wearing. On
good on you is a (somewhat) useful tool the contrary, by getting a good feel of what
to helping understand your personal style. suits and flatters you most, it gives you
However, we believe that understanding the freedom to experiment, and also gives
your body shape isn’t about boxing you into you the confidence to know which rules to
a certain formula of dressing or obsessing break/stick to and when.
over how to look perfect at the cost of
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Filling The Gaps
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We will talk a lot about colours in the When you’re shopping, it’s important to
next step, but in the meantime we would make sure that you’re buying items that
suggest that when buying your essentials, build multiple outfits. Which is why you
you select colours that are foundational in should make sure that you are mentally
your wardrobe. This will ensure they are pairing outfits in your head when you are
wearable for a significant period of time investing in essentials. 4 outfits with any
and also versatile for pairing with other new essential is a great start.
colours.
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STEP FOUR
C O L O U R PA L E T T E
ADDING THAT POP
T E X T BY G E N E VA VA N D E R Z E I L
P H OTO G R A P H Y BY G E N E VA VA N D E R Z E I L
Step 4 - Colour Palette
Because we’re all different, and have various colour preferences, there’s no set rules about
what your colour palette should be. What is key is that you understand how you feel and
look when you are wearing certain colours, and that you integrate them in a strategic way,
rather than buying everything you see. That will ensure that your wardrobe evolves well
towards more and more outfit options. To do this, it’s useful to understand colours as to
whether they are base or highlight colours.
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Its useful to develop an idea about what Whilst base colours are great, chances
your base colours will be – these being the are will want some brighter and more
colours that you choose when buying your individual shades to mix in. That’s where
essentials. What you want are colours that highlight colours come into play, which are
transcend seasons, and are able to be worn essentially any other shade or hue that isn’t
for years on end. Good examples of these one of your base colours. These are great
colours are black, white, khaki, navy, beige, for mixing into your wardrobe seasonally,
tan, camel. That being said, if you wear red and that’s where buying colour wardrobe
everyday you might include that as a base ‘updaters’ comes into play. Once you have
colour. It’s completely up to you and your a smaller wardrobe with lots of well fitting
preferences, but it’s important to be clear base coloured essentials, you can purchase
about what those preferences are. a few coloured items each season to mix
with your basics to give them a refresher. w
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Experimenting With Colours
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Tonal dressing involves choosing a single Prints can seem tricky to pair into your
colour and wearing items that are different outfits. A simple approach is to pick the
shades of that colour in one outfit. It’s easy colours out of your print and match them
to do this, but does rely on lots of different in the other items you are wearing. The
shades of the same colour in your wardrobe. key is to keep the rest of your outfit simple
You can create greater or less contrast by and choose one or two colours out of the
choosing colours that are further or closer print itself to match with another part of
in shade or by adding black or white pieces your outfit (or accessories) which will help
or accessories to the outfit. simplify the palette.
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STEP FIVE
FOCUSED SHOPPING
INVESTING WISELY
T E X T BY G E N E VA VA N D E R Z E I L
P H OTO G R A P H Y BY G E N E VA VA N D E R Z E I L
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Step 5 - Focusing Your Shopping
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1. Does it go with 4 outfits?
black, navy, white or beige increases blazer here – you can see these outfits
their versatility and decreases the cost in action in the video below!
per wear. Keeping it neutral also means
you are more likely to be able to create
a couple of different outfits with pieces
from your existing wardrobe.
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WORKING WITH A SHOPPING LIST
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Before you go shopping whether in person or and be specific with the colour, fabric and fit.
online, have in mind a specific goal you hope To help you, we’ve created a shopping list
to achieve at the end of your shop. Make a printable to help you focus your buying on
mental list of the items you would like to buy your next shopping trip.
– such as any missing from your essentials –
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Enjoy Your New Closet
WA R D R O B E R E H A B C O M P L E T E !