Susan Says: Shop Your Closet

Before indulging in yet another shopping excursion, think, "recession-izing" and consider shopping your own closet.

Stylist Tim Gunn, a member of the team on the ABC television show The Revolution, recently discussed how we can shop our own closets. A simple pencil skirt and a white blouse are basic staples in one's wardrobe but mixing it up with a shoe in a contrasting color can refresh the look and renew your spirit.  It is not about making things match, as much as it is making it work, according to Gunn.  Another good tip is not to wait another season to alter anything you love; it can be much less expensive to make the necessary alternations than to replace it with a similar garment.

When shopping your own closet, you can give a new look to an old jacket by rolling back the cuffs (sometimes a contrasting color of the lining of the jacket will give a great new look) and then rolling your blouse sleeve on top of the rolled-back jacket cuff for a double-cuffed effect.  If a jacket has gotten too tight, you can still save the garment by replacing the zipper with hook and eye closures or wrap a belt around the jacket (if you are well endowed, keep the belt slim!!)

You can also recession-proof your wardrobe through accessories.  Accessories can be inexpensive and I love to forage through Forever 21 whenever I am at the mall; they have an amazing selection of fashion jewelry at rock-bottom prices.  If you visit Southwest Florida, a store called The Best of Everything has an amazing selection of fashion jewelry and knock-offs of many famous brands, mostly priced below $25.00. (They also have a location in Kennebunkport, ME.)

Another way to "shop your own closet" is to enlist a friend who has a good eye for fashion as your "style buddy."  Have your friend help you sort through your closet and breathe new life into old garments. Make a list of items you need to purchase, i.e., camisoles for your sheer tops, interesting hose to update a dress or skirt, colors of accessories to update an outfit; then, donate the items which haven't been worn in some years and might have been impulse purchases that do not fit either your frame or lifestyle.

Here are some other tips of the day which can preserve precious clothing: To avoid lost buttons, dot clear nail polish on button threads to prevent loosening.  When a garment comes with extra buttons, I immediately label them and place them in my sewing box because button replacement can be difficult and expensive; you might have to replace all the buttons on a garment if you can't duplicate the missing button.

Finally, you can double your closet space by using "Huggable" hangers or similar hangers (check Costco) which will preserve your garments in pristine condition and which, because they are so thin, will also enlarge closet space.