Today’s post is the beginning of a monthly feature on Executive Chic designed to help us all have a wardrobe that WORKS.
One of the wardrobe challenges that Ms. Incognita faces is that she loves her professional corporate life. It’s complex, challenging and filled with clients and colleagues who are at the top of their game. Who wouldn’t get engaged and absorbed by such a mix?
But the downside of all this enthusiasm is that Ms Incognita can go for months (and, she’s embarrassed to admit, sometimes years) without paying much attention to her wardrobe. That’s OK at the beginning of a big work cycle. However, imagine waking up 6 months later or more and suddenly realizing your wardrobe is down to only 3 wearable professional outfits, despite a relatively full closet. Not a good situation when you’re facing weeks of business meetings in multiple cities. (Years ago, Anna Quindlen had a column in the New York Times where she talked about all the hidden safety pins holding her outfits together. Ms Incognita could relate.)
There are lots of reasons for wardrobe “shrinkage”. For example, life on the road can be particularly hard on clothes. Jackets may have pulls or be missing a button. The only pair of shoes that go with a particular outfit may be irredeemably scuffed. A blouse may have a coffee stain from a bumpy airplane ride.
Another reason for is that we tend to over-wear our go-to outfits. That perfect pair of black pants it took so long to find don’t look so perfect when they’ve gotten so old that they’re shiny. And by relying on the same top with a particular jacket all the time (just because they look so good together), we lose the ability to use that jacket when the top gives out and we don’t have a back-up.
Seems to Ms Incognita that she would be better off investing a small amount of time regularly on her professional outfits than a lot of time scrambling to fix and replace things when things occasionally go off track. Luckily, Ms Incognita has this blog which is forcing her to be a little more on top of wardrobe matters than she might otherwise be! And she’d like to pass those benefits on to you in the form of a monthly post that reminds you of a few things you can do that particular month to keep your professional wardrobe fresh and reliable.
So here we go……..FEBRUARY is a good month to:
1. Review your closet. What’s missing or is worn or outdated? Is your selection of wearable jackets getting low? Has that pinstriped suit that you rely on for occasional formal presentations seen better days? Do you need to replace a top, a pair of pants, or a skirt to keep a particular outfit going? Make a written list so you know what you need to repair or buy in the coming months. You don’t need to go out and buy everything you need. In fact, because retailers can be low on inventory in January and most of February, you probably don’t want to get everything at once. However, you do need a list of your priorities so you don’t get distracted and buy a new spring party dress when in fact what you really need are some good professional pants. (Ms Incognita speaks from experience.)
2. Buy basics. Full spring season merchandise doesn’t really start showing up at retailers until the latter half of February, and winter and resort season inventory is a little picked over at this point. You can still occasionally score a great jacket on sale, but you’re probably better off spending your time replenishing your supply of wardrobe basics that are readily available. Items you might want to target include:
- Simple knit tops to go under jackets
- Lingerie and hosiery
- Shoes (see Ms Incognita’s blog post from January 10, 2010 for some good resources)
- Accessories and outerwear such as belts, scarves, and umbrellas
- Basic items for next winter such as gloves and mufflers
3. Decide what spring trends appeal to you. Although the full selection of spring merchandise is only beginning to show up in stores, the fashion magazines and websites started highlighting the trends back in January. And Ms. Incognita is publishing regular posts on certain trends—what works for professional wardrobes, what doesn’t, and how best to incorporate them. Take a look at what’s coming up and decide which ones work for you. That way you can quickly scoop up what you want rather than figure it out in late spring only to find retailers are sold out of your size or style.
Look for the next round of tips for keeping your wardrobe fresh at the beginning of March. And Ms Incognita apologizes that this first post on the subject is coming out in the middle of February rather than the beginning. The Executive Chic blog has not yet been formally launched (although we still have some readers courtesy of the grapevine), and Ms Incognita is not only posting content but also busily working with the support team to ensure everything works smoothly for our launch in the coming weeks.
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