5 Things Stylish People Do Behind Closed Doors

I’ve been observing stylish people for years. Stylish women have something in common. They consistently leave the house looking effortlessly put-together. It doesn’t matter whether I run into her at a grocery store, clothing store, or dinner party. She is wearing a seriously interesting outfit that combines great colors, design lines that flatter her body shape, perhaps some layers, and always accessories. Ever wonder how stylish people have such wardrobe success? Easy. They all have a routine and a style point of view that works for them.

Interested in tapping into their style secrets?

Here are 5 things the stylish woman does behind closed doors:

1. She chooses an item to be the signature piece.

When you think about what to wear, first choose your signature piece and build an outfit around it. Your signature piece could be a cashmere sweater, leggings, booties, poncho, a beautiful necklace, scarf, or even a shade of lipstick. Wearing something that excites you will give you a definite uplift all day!

I look through my closet and choose something I haven’t worn in a while because I love rotating my wardrobe. If I haven’t worn a piece in a while, it feels new! That’s my signature piece for the day and I start building around it.

2. She takes photos of complete outfits and stores them on her phone.

Okay, this one requires a smartphone, but we all have them now, don’t we ladies? This is so valuable, it’s worth the upgrade! Do you ever stare at a garment in your closet and forget what you wore with it? All the time you say… Well, an easy solution is to put together outfits on a rainy Sunday and take photos with your phone. Another thing you can do is actually hang the outfit together in your closet, but that may not last very long if you have versatile pieces you wear with different outfits.

When you’re in a creative, relaxed mood, put together several outfits and lay them out on your bed or hang them together. Snap a photo and you have the look captured forever. Don’t forget accessories!

3. She takes one last head-to-toe look at herself before leaving the house.

Stylish people take a minute to have a last look at their outfits from head to toe. That way they can remove or change an item that may not work. If your bedroom is dark (which it should be!) take a look at your outfit in a brightly lit room — you may find colors that don’t quite work together.

4. She takes time to plan outfits ahead of time.

Now this will sound crazy, but it is a real time-saver and panic-saver. Plan the entire week’s worth of outfits ahead of time, especially if you have a particularly busy week. Think about what you have coming up and plan what you’re going to wear each day. I love doing this on Sunday night because it gives me such a sense of peace and positive anticipation for the coming week! You may find that a button is missing on a blouse, or a pair of pants need to be washed or ironed.

I hang complete outfits together in my closet, including bottoms, top, jacket, jewelry (necklaces on the hanger), shoes, etc. When I don’t do this, I end up rushing to get dressed and it’s never pretty…

5. She cleans out her closet several times a year.

Several times a year (usually at the beginning of a new season), go through your closet, and remove anything you know you won’t be wearing that season. Store them in a guestroom closet until you need them. Create a list of items you need to buy, and put together some outfits to make sure you have complete outfits for the next few months.

Once a year, open your closet and remove everything. You can take an armload out one at a time, lay them on your bed or hang them in a spare closet. Try on every piece – if it doesn’t fit, and you haven’t worn it in a year, it’s time to go. Do not put it back! Create donate and sell piles. Only put back in your main closet things that fit you, were worn within the past year, or are special occasion pieces that still fit.