Closet organization for the "Clueless"

Getting ready in the morning is a mission and a half. For one, I like to sleep in (don't judge me).Two, I have loads of clothes, but never enough to sort through all of it to find the perfect look. And three, I've got an image to maintain! I'm a firm believer that you must dress for the job you want, not for the job you have. But when you only give yourself an hour to get up, get ready and run out the door, how on earth can expect a flawless look each and every time? Now, we all can't have Cher's closet or her super awesome wardrobe software, but we can take a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, treat a BFF to a home cooked lunch and grab a camera (preferably digital, but Polaroid will suffice) and get to playing dress up!

I'm a huge fan of playing dress up. A few years ago, I gave the coolest toddler on the block the best Christmas gift ever. I gave her a trunk of Disney Princess dresses. Well, they weren't really dresses, they were pretty little tops and skirts, but when put together, they were quite the ensembles. It even had the accessories! Awesome, isn't it? That gift gave me the best idea ever. One skirt, four tops, four different looks. All with five pieces. Such an economical way to perk up your wardrobe, don't you think?

So on this Saturday afternoon, pair tops and bottoms, accessorize, put looks together that you never thought you'd ever wear in public and snap a picture of it. Once you're done, upload the pictures to your PC (or Mac, if you're a cool kid) and take note all the looks you've created. Is it work appropriate? Is it more suited for brunch with the besties? Did you find a killer date outfit? Create folders for each classification (work, weekend, date, party, etc). Don’t have a friend nearby to help with your project? Do it solo! Now I’m not talking about taking MySpace style pictures in the bathroom mirror (FYI, flash and mirrors don’t mix). Take each article of clothing you have in your closet and snap a picture of it. Print them out and put them in a photo album, and put looks together by mixing and matching tops, bottoms, jackets and shoes. I would take it a step further by writing a brief description of each item in the look and the accessories I jazzed up the look with, then tape them to the back of my closet door - well, at least the work looks, since that's what I'm normally rushing to find in the mornings.

The next day, separate your closet into sections (pants, skirts, long sleeved tops, short sleeved tops, cardigans, etc) and, if you're so inclined, color coordinate the sections as well. It makes finding the coral ruffle shirt you wanted to pair with your beige pencil skirt a lot easier. Once you've accomplished this task, you're ready to take on Monday!

Good luck, lovies and make it fab!

- The Sassy Gal