The proliferation of life organizing 'hacks' has become downright manic. This is no more true than for the square-foot-starved, hard-working people of New York City. There are organization gurus and closet 'designers,' there are online how-to's and all manner of books - and we here in NYC eat it up with aplomb. They all proclaim to save your valuable time, to improve your life, but rarely deliver. What I propose is an exception to this pattern of failure. Mine is a system for how to improve your wardrobe, style and life.
Let's face facts - picking the perfect outfit takes time. Most people insist on forcing clothes into in arbitrary, non-functional systems - like colorcoding. If you don't dress exclusively in monochrome, you shouldn't organize by color. In an ideal system, as I see it, I am looking only at the pieces that work for the specific day ahead. I've achieved this by creating two distinct closets: the "A-Game" and the "Everyday." It may sound simple, but I guarantee that this is a distinct and powerful improvement.
Here's how it works: the A-Game closet is where you keep the clothes that you wear to impress. Whether it's for a business meeting or a hot date, if a piece makes you look and feel on top of your game, it's A-Game material. You might think I'm advocating for a separation of formal and casual, a division of the apparel classes, but you would be incorrect.
Imagine this: you are heading for a long weekend this summer - it could be Southhampton, it could be Cape Cod, wherever. You are going to be surrounded by your attractive, successful friends. Picture it. What are you wearing? That makes the cut for the A-Game, too. This is a moment when you need to shine like any other; you must dress accordingly.
Your A-Game closet is full of pieces that, regardless of casual- or formal-ness, make you feel amazing. After all, trends in activewear and casual wear have bred many upscale offerings. Great style combines upscale 'casual' with traditionally formal pieces.
There is an exception that will need a separate home - formalwear. Gentlemen, this means the tuxedos and dinner jackets you would never wear with jeans. For ladies this means evening gowns and over-the-top dresses you would never wear to a business meeting. A baroque metallic skirt, however, is A-Game, as it could be dressed down.
Once we have established the A-Game closet, we face all that remains. First are pieces you would wear on an uneventful day at the office, around the neighborhood. These pieces make up your 'Everyday' closet. They are important but shouldn't distract from your A-Game pieces. Second are the pieces you wouldn't want to be seen wearing, and you need to be honest. You should toss most of these. We cannot expect to clear our closets or our minds if we are burdened by guilt. Guess what - your college orientation tee with a hole? Not even your girlfriend wants to see you in that - toss it! Once you have a tidy pile of 'staying in clothes,' should they be put back in the closet? NO! These do not belong near anything you wear outside. Call it apparel classism if you will, but put those clothes in their place - a drawer.
As a final note we must address basics. The basics of your wardrobe, although perhaps casual in nature, should not be subject to a single closet either. After all, you will need something simple and sharp to balance out that baroque skirt, and it shouldn't be the tee with a lose thread you keep forgetting to cut. Crisp, newer basics go in the 'A-Game;' older, plainer pieces go in the 'Everyday.' Judicious application of basics frees up fancier pieces to enter your rotation more often - and frequency of wear is part of the purchase justification.
These two distinct closets (and they may exist, divided, in one physical closet), will increase your fashion game profoundly. It's a big claim, but this system will make you more successful (i.e., looking good means feeling good).
This isn't a formula, it's a framework. You shouldn't be confined by someone else's definition of casual and formal. Style should be a freeing practice. It should not add stress to your morning and it shouldn't distract from those days when you need to be 'on your game.' The two closet system is like having a personal stylist - she won't inhibit your style, but she also won't lead you astray. Style should be as effortless as a single question - "is today an everyday or an A-Game day?"