My closet would tell a variety of tales about me. First, that I hide organization behind what at first glance would seem disorganized. Second, that I have an exotic taste in clothing. Third, that I either expect to lose weight and get back into shape (I was a Ballerina years ago) or that I can’t release garments I have a history with.

All of these traits are part of what makes me the individualist that I am. The fact that I am semi-organized but not fanatical about my closet probably reflects my taste for non-symmetry, neat but fluid and opulent design, and garments that are anything but expected.

Does anyone hang their clothing alphabetically? In some stores one sees garments of any given type segregated by color. I wonder if any personal closets are set up the same way.

Which brings me to color. Stores, naturally, have a wide range of colors, but do you? In another post Your Tastes Over Time: Color and Texture I wrote about color preferences and how they might or might not evolve as time passes. If your closet houses clothing from your younger years you can determine this. If you haven’t thought about your color preferences in a long time and are feeling uninspired and unhappy with your wardrobe and environment, try looking at the colors surrounding you. It might be time for a change.

If you follow fashion trends (rather than setting your own trends), this, too, is evident in your closet. Unless, of course, you replace everything in your closet twice a year. Jackets with padded shoulders (are they “in” or “out?” Wait long enough and the trend will be whichever of those you prefer,) and a peplum might hang next to minimalist hip-length unpadded jackets. Cuffs or no cuffs on men’s dress trausers. Pinstripe jeans and cigarette pants. When was the last time you wore that backless black dress and does it still fit?

Or do you actively seek vintage clothing from the 20s (that’s almost antique!), 30s, 40s, (etc)? One of my favorite shops when I lived in NYC and they were still on B’way between 13th and 14th, was Cheap Jack’s Vintage Clothing, where I purchased a beautiful antique silk brocade cheongsam, two white blouses from the 1940s and yearned for the Victorian dresses in his window.

If you don’t know what’s in your closet, it’s past time you took an inventory. You might be pleasantly surprised. Or you might decide it’s time to sell a few things and replace them with pieces more in tune with your present needs and desires. In any case, I encourage you to go take some time to see what treasures await in the dark recesses of your bedroom closet.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 26th, 2010 at 12:54 AM and is filed under Style Mastery Series. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.