Do you ever feel like you have a closet overflowing with clothes and yet have nothing to wear?
Or, as a client once told me, “If I got rid of everything I don’t like, I’ll have no clothes!”

Luckily, according to the book The Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees, it’s possible to have a wardrobe that “contains everything you need to feel confident and inspired every day.” The key, says Rees, is to be super clear about how you want to dress based on your own unique style and lifestyle — and then create a functional wardrobe that contains exactly what you need to express that style.

Her book lists a series of steps to help you define your style, then in three words “name” your style, which in turn provides a guide that helps to clarify what you should keep, let go of and shop for.
Here are some of the examples she gives of naming your style:

* Urban minimalism
* New York luxe
* Laid-back street style
* Contemporary mod
* Colorful and cosmopolitan
* Twenty -first century Victorian romantic
* Hitchcock glam with a twist
* Grace Kelly goes to college
* Eclectic high fashion on a budget

This concept has really helped me personally as well as helping me aid my clients.
For example, I had some pieces that I “liked” but somehow never reached for even though there was nothing “wrong” with them. After identifying and naming the style I feel is authentic to me, I realized that I want to wear clothes that are “Updated, Polished, Basic.” The clothes I kept passing over didn’t match that aesthetic. Now I had a reason for why I didn’t want to wear those items!

Prior to helping my clients organize their own closets, I now ask them how they define their desired authentic style. This has been a great paradigm to help them decide what they want to keep, let go of and shop for.

Check out these photos of people I know (including me) who’ve identified and are dressed according to their unique style.

I wish I could claim that my entire wardrobe now matches my style goals — but I’m working on it! I make better choices in determining what to wear when I want to feel my best as well as determining what to buy when I need something new. Most importantly, this concept allows me to let go of items I’m not wearing and helped me understand why I’m not choosing them and that I likely never will.

If you want to learn more, I encourage you to get the book, The Curated Closet, or to listen to the episode about this book on the By The Book podcast. By The Book-Curated Closet Episode