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I had a bunch of meetings on a business trip out to Los Angeles last month, and I realized that I had absolutely nothing to wear.  Because the last four years of my life have been spent working at home alone, my wardrobe completely reflected that (read: pajamas and loungewear). It didn’t really help that I’m an introverted homebody and wear jeans everywhere like they’re going out of style.

When you work in a creative profession like weddings, or any creative profession for that matter, people expect you to dress a certain way.  As Weddingbee grows, I’ve found myself taking more meetings, attending more functions, and speaking at more events.  But my wardrobe didn’t reflect that change, and having recently turned 30, I realized it was time for a makeover. Luckily I have a friend, Amy Salinger, who’s a fabulous fashion stylist, so I gave her a call.  

Step 1 is to clean out your closet and assess what you have and can work with.  Amy came over last Friday and we went through every article of clothing, pair of shoes, accessory, and handbag I own.  

Amy laying my jewelry out on my bed

A pattern quickly emerged — dresses that I’d worn once to one of the many weddings I’ve attended, and loungewear galore.  I also held onto certain clothes because they were a gift, because I loved them once upon a time, because I’d never worn them, or because I hoped to fit in them again.

My handbags, two J Crew dresses I need to get altered, and the rest are dresses and coats I’ll give away to friends..

I thought it would be difficult to purge as much as we did, but it actually felt great!  I was ready to make a change, and having Amy there giving me feedback on what I should keep and what I should toss made the entire process so easy.  I felt like I was on an episode of What Not to Wear (Amy has worked on that show!).  It’s embarrassing to think that I held onto so many articles of clothing from high school and college.  

We ended up paring my wardrobe down by at least a good third, and filled 5 garbage bags with clothes, shoes, and handbags that I’ll donate to a local charity.

They say most people wear 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time, and that was definitely true in my case.  With closet space such a premium in Manhattan, I hope to have a much smaller wardrobe filled with pieces that I regularly wear — no more holding onto items that I think I might wear again one day. 

Next up: shopping and pulling together complete outfits!  

How is your wardrobe looking lately?  Does it embody or represent your profession?