THE LIBRARY - BOOK REVIEWS - CLOSET CONTROL - DONNE TEMPO
Controlling Our Closet and Wardrobe
by Jacquie KubinWe have all been told the same thing. Your wardrobe must have good pair of slacks, a black dress and a trench coat. And that you should buy those staples at the best quality you can afford because you are going to wear them forever.
“I say invest in real estate and your 401, not your closet,” said Ms. Horowitz from her LA office. “How long are we going to keep pushing the “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” concept that said you need that black dress and trench coat? What you need to do is decide what your wardrobe needs to do for you.”
After reading Ms. Horowitz's book, filled with lots of great tips and ideas that seem impossible but are very motivating, I still wanted to ask “How do I create a great wardrobe?”
Which can be a very difficult task for woman over forty trying to dress for the trends as seen on size 0 runway models. Her first bit of advice is to decode whom the person inside that wardrobe is, which may mean not buying for trends that you can’t personally relate to.
“Regardless of what you are dressing for, remember woman over forty don’t need to be as structured as the younger girl trying to get noticed, you are already there,” said Ms. Horowitz. “When you speak, people listen to you because of you, not because of your clothes.”
One of her first suggestions is to “ease up” your wardrobe. Instead of a slack and suit jacket, wear slacks with a great blouse and interesting sweater or wrap. Outside the office, remember to let your skin breathe by letting a bit of it show.
The there is color. You can do great things with color. Her suggestion “Don’t buy for the trends, dye for the trends.” Put a favorite summer white blouse it into your winter wardrobe as a cover up for a “t” or vest, with a box of Rit dye.
Another color style tip is to work with shades for an architectural look. If you like black, a common fall back of woman, think about adding shades of gray, charcoal grays, which can really help skin tones pop in the winter months.
The big question then becomes, what do I do with the wardrobe I have now? You need to ask, can I retool that dress into a tunic? Demote that jacket from office to jeans? And those pointy hem dresses that have special memories of Disco Days gone by, those belong in a time capsule, not your closet, Move them out of your everyday view and tuck them away.
And then purge. But don’t plan on getting a glass of wine and a candle. This is going to be work and it needs to be done.
“It is funny, but cleaning and organizing, well my mother would say, “That’s not my child,” said Ms. Horowitz, “But it is something we all have to do and you can make it fun.”
Throw out, donate or resell – consignment shop or eBay, those things you no longer should have in your closet. And really, we all know which those things are, don’t we?
Just don’t toss them in the landfill. A major element of Barbra’s philosophy is that by reinventing, reselling and recycling our wardrobe we keep last years styles out of our closet and our landfills.
And then the fun part begins. Rebuilding your wardrobe. Ms. Horowitz is right there with all of us. Offering excellent suggestions, one of which is no matter your size, you can still look fabulous.
One very nice element of Ms. Horowitz’s book, is that though she is diminutive in size and recognizes that most people want to dress for the trends, which are usually designed for those diminutive in size, she does not ignore the reality that many woman are in the 12-18 size range and she offers plenty of common sense ideas for ways to make our wardrobes look better, which makes us feel better.
To quote from her book:
“Being a girl is a blast. Growing and changing into a self-assured, powerful woman is even better. From Cleopatra and Cat Woman to Madonna and Oprah and beyond, our female roles models continually inspire us to do our best, feel our best and look effortlessly stunning while doing it.”
Put this book on your holiday wish list. Even if you don’t become the creative maven that can turn a wedding guest dress into a top perfect for a an afternoon date, you will still find plenty of inspiration on how to address, and dress, the woman you are.
Barbara Horowitz explains