WHAT DOES YOUR WARDROPE SAY ABOUT YOU?
A wardrobe, also known as an armoire from the French, is a standing closet used for storing clothes. The earliest wardrobe was a chest, and it was not until some degree of luxury was attained in regal palaces and the castles of powerful nobles that separate accommodation was provided for the apparel of the great. The name of wardrobe was then given to a room in which the wall-space was filled with cupboards and lockers, the drawer being a comparatively modern invention. From these cupboards and lockers the modern wardrobe, with its hanging spaces, sliding shelves and drawers, evolved slowly.
Throughout the chronological changes in the form of the enclosure, it more or less retained its preset function as a place to retain a king’s robe. The word has gained coinage over successive generations as an independent store for among others, preserving precious items for a ruler like gold, well highlighted in King Edward I's times. It is also a simple patio where clothes are hung from metal bars or tucked inside utility racks running from up to down. The modern wardrobe differs in one respect from the historical one for its triple partitioning: there are two linear compartments on either side with shelves as well as a middle space made up of hanging pegs and drawers, the latter being a latter-day addition, besides a clothes’ press in the higher central space on level with a person’s chest.
1. The last piece of designer clothing you bought was for your niece.
Yes, Diane von Furstenberg's collection for Gap Kids is so adorable and, yes, you just had to buy a teeny-tiny wrap dress for your goddaughter. But you need something that'll make you feel-and look-like a grownup.
2.The last piece of designer clothing you bought could fit your niece.
Hanging onto too-small clothes seems prudent and maybe even motivating, but those size 0 trousers are messing with your head. Do you really want to open your closet every morning and look at clothes you can't wear? (And if you do, have you been to a therapist recently?) Bottom line: Buying clothes that truly fit will make you feel great and look great-and that's the whole point.
3. Your closet is full and you have "nothing to wear."
"Lucy, where's my white collarless shirt from Fred Segal?" If you're one pair of heels away from becoming Cher Horowitz, it's probably time for an overhaul. You want a solid range of stuff you can wear-not a dizzying heap of things you don't love. Before you hit Barneys, make a pact to only buy things that fit your body and your lifestyle -the one you actually have.
4. You're afraid of high heels.
Like sushi or performance art, one bad experience is all you need to swear off stilettos forever. But a pair of well-made, well-balanced high heels shouldn't hurt your feet. Experiment with heel height and structure; you might be more comfortable in a wedge or a platform. Consider newer names like Sophia Webster and Charlotte Olympia, two talented designers who test out their high heels by wearing them around their neighborhoods. And take heart: this is the season of the new mid-heel. So if 6-inch platforms are scaring you off, the chicest choice is a 2- to 3-inch heel that you can actually walk in.
5. You're afraid of flats.
Somewhere along the line, your mother, your boss, or Tyra Banks convinced you that "flat" is a dirty word. It's not, and if the runways of Marc Jacobs and Prada can't convince you, how about style darlings like Alexa Chung or Lana Del Rey, both of whom have worn (gasp!) flats on the red carpet. If they can do it, so can you.
6. All of your jeans have holes in them.
Rick Owens and Balmain have sent ripped jeans down the catwalk, and they're fantastic. But if your only pair of denim is completely destroyed, consider an update. Dark-wash, straight-leg jeans look great with tank tops and blazers, and inject some all-American coolness into your wardrobe-no motorcycle or Blake Shelton CD required
7. You've seen every item in your closet on TV.
Apologies to Scandal, Revenge, and the reruns of Gossip Girl, but if your closet looks like a costume trailer, you might want to rethink your buying strategy. Having the same LBD as Olivia Pope is one thing, but if all your inspiration comes from the cable box, you're missing a key accessory: your own point of view.
8. Every item in your closet has been around since the Bush administration.
Investment pieces are great, but if your entire wardrobe is 10 years old, it's time for a reboot. The White House has new tenants-surely your shoe cubbies would like them, too.
9.You can't fit anything into your "nice purse."
You wanted a status bag, but the smaller size was $200 cheaper. It may have seemed like a bargain at the time, but carrying a canvas tote and a prized Céline mini trapeze bag to work looks messy and feels chaotic. (We've all stood at the gym, frantically searching both bags for a yoga guest pass, and it's neither pleasant nor cute.) If you can afford to get the bigger size, do it. You'll have a go-to accessory for years, and you'll only have to dig through one stash of makeup, magazines, and phone chargers to find your keys.
10. You're always underdressed.
In college, wearing sneakers with a cocktail dress was cool. In the dive bars of your early twenties, a baseball tee and ripped jean shorts were de rigueur. But alas, even Lily Allen has grown up and found a nice pair of kitten heels. So look in the mirror and repeat the following: "Polished and boring are not the same thing." Then march into your closet and prove it.
Throughout the chronological changes in the form of the enclosure, it more or less retained its preset function as a place to retain a king’s robe. The word has gained coinage over successive generations as an independent store for among others, preserving precious items for a ruler like gold, well highlighted in King Edward I's times. It is also a simple patio where clothes are hung from metal bars or tucked inside utility racks running from up to down. The modern wardrobe differs in one respect from the historical one for its triple partitioning: there are two linear compartments on either side with shelves as well as a middle space made up of hanging pegs and drawers, the latter being a latter-day addition, besides a clothes’ press in the higher central space on level with a person’s chest.
1. The last piece of designer clothing you bought was for your niece.
Yes, Diane von Furstenberg's collection for Gap Kids is so adorable and, yes, you just had to buy a teeny-tiny wrap dress for your goddaughter. But you need something that'll make you feel-and look-like a grownup.
2.The last piece of designer clothing you bought could fit your niece.
Hanging onto too-small clothes seems prudent and maybe even motivating, but those size 0 trousers are messing with your head. Do you really want to open your closet every morning and look at clothes you can't wear? (And if you do, have you been to a therapist recently?) Bottom line: Buying clothes that truly fit will make you feel great and look great-and that's the whole point.
3. Your closet is full and you have "nothing to wear."
"Lucy, where's my white collarless shirt from Fred Segal?" If you're one pair of heels away from becoming Cher Horowitz, it's probably time for an overhaul. You want a solid range of stuff you can wear-not a dizzying heap of things you don't love. Before you hit Barneys, make a pact to only buy things that fit your body and your lifestyle -the one you actually have.
4. You're afraid of high heels.
Like sushi or performance art, one bad experience is all you need to swear off stilettos forever. But a pair of well-made, well-balanced high heels shouldn't hurt your feet. Experiment with heel height and structure; you might be more comfortable in a wedge or a platform. Consider newer names like Sophia Webster and Charlotte Olympia, two talented designers who test out their high heels by wearing them around their neighborhoods. And take heart: this is the season of the new mid-heel. So if 6-inch platforms are scaring you off, the chicest choice is a 2- to 3-inch heel that you can actually walk in.
5. You're afraid of flats.
Somewhere along the line, your mother, your boss, or Tyra Banks convinced you that "flat" is a dirty word. It's not, and if the runways of Marc Jacobs and Prada can't convince you, how about style darlings like Alexa Chung or Lana Del Rey, both of whom have worn (gasp!) flats on the red carpet. If they can do it, so can you.
6. All of your jeans have holes in them.
Rick Owens and Balmain have sent ripped jeans down the catwalk, and they're fantastic. But if your only pair of denim is completely destroyed, consider an update. Dark-wash, straight-leg jeans look great with tank tops and blazers, and inject some all-American coolness into your wardrobe-no motorcycle or Blake Shelton CD required
7. You've seen every item in your closet on TV.
Apologies to Scandal, Revenge, and the reruns of Gossip Girl, but if your closet looks like a costume trailer, you might want to rethink your buying strategy. Having the same LBD as Olivia Pope is one thing, but if all your inspiration comes from the cable box, you're missing a key accessory: your own point of view.
8. Every item in your closet has been around since the Bush administration.
Investment pieces are great, but if your entire wardrobe is 10 years old, it's time for a reboot. The White House has new tenants-surely your shoe cubbies would like them, too.
9.You can't fit anything into your "nice purse."
You wanted a status bag, but the smaller size was $200 cheaper. It may have seemed like a bargain at the time, but carrying a canvas tote and a prized Céline mini trapeze bag to work looks messy and feels chaotic. (We've all stood at the gym, frantically searching both bags for a yoga guest pass, and it's neither pleasant nor cute.) If you can afford to get the bigger size, do it. You'll have a go-to accessory for years, and you'll only have to dig through one stash of makeup, magazines, and phone chargers to find your keys.
10. You're always underdressed.
In college, wearing sneakers with a cocktail dress was cool. In the dive bars of your early twenties, a baseball tee and ripped jean shorts were de rigueur. But alas, even Lily Allen has grown up and found a nice pair of kitten heels. So look in the mirror and repeat the following: "Polished and boring are not the same thing." Then march into your closet and prove it.
