Men! Check out these stylist tips for preparing your closet for Fall…

The fall preview collections have arrived in many stores. Before I give my recommended fall shopping list next week, I wanted to talk about getting your closet ready for the cold weather season. Don’t get me wrong, you will still need those sun bleached shorts a little longer for summer, but right now is the perfect time to audit your fall and winter clothing options. The money you save on not buying another argyle v-neck sweater could  go to purchasing a statement leather jacket. 🙂

Most stylists offer the service of auditing your closet, and then creating a personalized shopping list. I always recommend choosing a stylist to personally assist in the process. Since the majority of people don’t have a stylist in their contact list, I will give you a very general process to get you started.

STEP ONE:

Mentally prepare that you will need to get rid of some things. There is no point in wasting your time cleaning your closet if you are going to just keep everything. That is why it is important to find a stylist to help in the process. I have worked with some people who were not prepared to get rid of items. The client basically paid me to comment on their closet. Men appear to be much better at holding onto old clothes than women; Trust me guys, that graphic t-shirt that is being held together by one little thread can be thrown out and that sweater that your mom got from the Walmart sale bin that you never wear will make a great donation. 

STEP TWO:

Get your space set up. You will need space for three piles of clothes. It is also a good idea to have a pad of paper, laptop, or smartphone to keep a shopping list. A full length mirror is also a key item to have. Everyone should have a full length mirror anyway when getting ready, so purchase one if you don’t have one already.

The most important step is creating the space for three piles of clothes:

+ Pile one will be for the gently used clothing that you will donate. I recommend a box or a trash bag. It makes it easier to transport to a donation location. This is a good pile for the garments that you haven’t worn in the past six months or even a year. Resist the urge to try and talk yourself into the fact that you will wear the garments again.

+ Pile two is for the garments that have holes and stains and need to be tossed. Stop and think if the garments can be re-purposed somehow, for example, rags for cleaning.

+ Pile three are the seasonal items that can be put in storage for next year. If you store items in the garage or basement, make sure you pack them properly. Some of my past clients have used another closet in their house to store the opposite season’s garments. Keeping the garments separate will help in not buying items you don’t need, so you can splurge on more fun seasonal items.

Taking notes is important in the process of cleaning your closet. You will find that you have the same style of shirt in different colors, but only one pant that you can wear them with. You need to take notes so you know what items to keep an eye out for when shopping. This will help in not wasting money on what you already have multiples of. Guys are bad at this because we like specific things. Once a guy finds a brand of a shirt he like, he will probably buy it in multiple amounts and wear it until it falls apart.

STEP THREE: 

A good rule is to touch every item. Don’t skim through your closet. If you just skim through you won’t throw anything out. Actually look at each piece of clothing. Pull it out and try it on if you are questioning if it still fits. Ask yourself, “Is it age appropriate to wear the Hollister graphic shirt.” Be realistic about sizing. For example if you are on a work-out plan to loose weight, are you going to be reaching your goal size before the garment goes out of style?

Organize your closet as you are going through your garments. Start moving like items together. For example:

  1. Short sleeve shirts
  2. Long sleeve shirts
  3. Button down/Dress shirts
  4. Cardigans/Sweaters/Hoodies
  5. Pants

Keeping your closet organized will help you identify what items you need to purchase as well as giving you many more options when you get dressed because you’ll know exactly what you have available to you. Also don’t forget your three piles. Be honest if you are ever going to wear that shirt you got as a gift. If you have never worn it and know you never will, donate it to someone who could use it.

STEP FOUR:

Giving is always in style. Now that you have de-hoarded your closet and made your shopping list, I hope that yoru pile of garments to donate is stacked high. I encourage you to partner with an organization that you feel passionately about supporting. You can find a lot of good places just by using Google. If you don’t have an organization to donate too, there is a local organization that is in deep need of Men’s clothing:

The Organization is called The Pour House and it was started by a lady name Andrea De Mink.

The PourHouse focuses on establishing relationships and a sense of community with individuals experiencing homelessness here in Indianapolis. Through partnerships with service providers, sponsors, IMPD and the City of Indianapolis, it’s the goal of The PourHouse to provide for practical needs and to help people move beyond daily survival to recognize and realize their dreams, talents and desires.

– The Pour House website

The Pour House is a resource offered to the homeless men of Indianapolis. On a Sunday night you might have noticed a crowd of men on the step of the memorial on Vermont Street. Many people would avoid such a crowd. However if you walked closer, you might see a lady in the back of a van passing out donated clothing. Right now they are in desperate need of Summer items in sizes medium to 3XL, but also taking donations for fall garments. You can check the website for items needed. So as you are purging your closet, think about where you are going to donate. You can donate by emailing Andrea De Mink to set up dropping off your donations.

City Community Church, a local downtown church that meets at the central library, will also accept donations on Sundays between 11am – 12:15pm.

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