Do you ever have days where you wish you had your own stylist to help you out? Because I do. Because I know the struggle of not knowing what to wear (and when), and how to style a piece, I wanted to share some tips that I wish someone would have shared with me. 

1. Clean out and organise that closet. 

Maintaining a clean and organised workstation allows you to use all of your tools and get better results. Well, your closet is no different. If you don't know what pieces you own, are you really styling to the max of your abilities? Making your clothes visible will make it easier for you to pick out an outfit and optimise the use of your clothes! So: 

Step 1: Get rid of clothes you don't use and don't plan on using. Anything damaged has to go. Anything stained has got to go. Anything that has not been worn for years, has got to go.  Don't be scared to recycle or give away clothes, even the ones that you feel you need to keep. And if you are unsure about getting rid of something, use the 'Maybe Box' technique. Put the clothes that you are unsure whether you want to keep or not in a box and put it away. In the next months, if you never seek any of the clothing items that are in this box, then you know it's time to throw them away. 

Step 2: Organise your closet. After you are done decluttering your closet, it's time to organise it. Personally, I like to organise my clothes by colour. I also use one way of folding my clothes so that it looks clean and consistent. However, organising is a personal matter so I believe you should do what works for you. 

2. Being Stylish does not take money.

It only takes wise choices. In the past, I would make impulsive purchases that I only ended up wearing once and then forgetting about them. That, however, is a waste of money and the highway to a cluttered closet. So here are a few things to consider before buying something new:  

1. Think of your closet as a collection. Before buying a piece of clothing think of how it can be incorporated in your collection and in how many ways it can be styled. I'm not saying to stay away from statement pieces. It's nice to have a few unique things in your closet, but solid colours are more versatile and easier to style.

2. The Simpler, the better. Clean-cut edges and geometric shapes flatter everyone and can make a piece of clothing or accessory look high-end. 

3. Always consider the fit. If the garment is not fitting well, do not buy it. If it's stretchy in all the wrong places, if it's baggy in areas that don't make sense, if the length is weird etc, put it back and save yourself some coins.

 4. You don't need many of the same. If you already own a similar version of that shirt (or any other garment), put it down. You don't need it. Trust. Owning 5 denim skirts won't offer variety, but it will offer you a stuffed closet. 

3. Get Inspired.

It's very important to keep yourself inspired. I like to spend some of my free time looking at fashion icons and stylists to see how they style certain pieces and what accessories they like to use. I draw my inspiration from them and create outfits of my own. I usually draw most of my inspiration from Pinterest and Instagram, so every time I'm about to put together an outfit I go back to my boards to get some references. 

4. Don't hesitate.

Feel like your choice of outfit might be too bold? Wear it anyway! We take fashion choices way too seriously these days. People desperately try to be appropriate and as a result, all the creativity and fun is taken out. Fashion is a form of art and you should use it to express yourself. Dress in a way that makes YOU feel good. 

Credits

Photography

 Shayen Papakosta