CLOSET CURATION

WHAT EXACTLY IS CLOSET CURATION?

Think of it in terms of a museum, a fashion show, or a boutique. Curators, designers and store owners only put up work that they feel reflects their brand. It is the same with your closet; you should only have stuff in there that represents you.

Before you can begin curating your closet, here are a few questions you should ask yourself:

1.     Who am I? Okay I know this may sound deep but I promise it is not. This question deals with your age, sex, finances, fashion likes and dislikes, colour choices, body shape, religion etc.

2.     What is my lifestyle? This refers to your job and social habits. For example, do you work behind a desk or are you more in the limelight? Do you work on television, does your job require meetings with clients or are you working on a computer all day? Does your office have a dress code, do hang out a lot with friends and  have a popping social life or are you more of a Netflix and chill/read a novel person?

By answering these questions, you would have an idea about what your closet should look like. For instance, a fifteen-year-old American girl’s closet would be different from that of a 30-year-old Nigerian woman who works as cashier at a bank.

When curating your closet here are a few things to note:

a.     Your closet does not have to follow fashion seasons or trends. This is because:

·        They are too fleeting

·        You will own clothes that you will only wear once

·        You will become broke

However if you have loads of money and/or are a celebrity, you may not follow the above steps although it is in your best interest.

b.     It is okay to mix and match different styles and trends to curate a closet that is unique to you

c.      You do not need a lot of money to have a curated closet. Chances are you already have more than enough and need to sieve through what you already own to find and keep what you really want.

Six Reasons Why You Should Curate Your Closet Today.

If your overflowing closet coupled with your repetition of the phrase “I have nothing to wear” has not convinced you yet, below are some more reasons to curate.

a.     You will be relieved. Something about decluttering your closet is very therapeutic and it pushes us to declutter other areas of our lives.

b.     You will have your dream closet. We all know someone who always looks great no matter the occasion and we often think to ourselves “why can’t I look like that?” Here is the thing, you absolutely can (insert your excited face). A curated closet helps you see all the clothes you have that:

1.     Fit properly

2.     Are your style and colour palette

3.     Work great for various occasions.

c.      It brings out your inner stylist (hello Vogue Africa whenever they decide to start). With a curated closet, every day is a fashion show and the walk from your car, taxi or bus stop is your runway (somebody please call Tyra Banks).

d.     A curated closet lends itself to fluidity and no this has nothing to do with water. Fluidity in your closet means that each item of clothing can work with several other items to provide unlimited options when it comes to outfits. A closet that is not fluid is rigid and a rigid closet leads to limited outfit choices.

e.     You get to give clothes to family or donate them to charity. You can also host a clothes swapping party with family and friends (is there anything better than shopping with no money?) or sell the clothes if they are in good condition (might as well make some money).

f.       You save the planet in your own little way. The waste from the fashion industry is second only to the plastics industry in terms of environmental pollution. A huge amount of clothing items are wasted or disposed of each year. By curating your closet, donating or swapping with others, and buying intentionally, you not only save money but also reduce your carbon footprint.  If every fashion lover did this, the world would be a more eco-friendly place.

Now that you know what curating a closet entails, would you do it?