Fash-Inspiration Friday!

This is from Relic Vintage on Haight St. in San Francisco.  Words to live by from a man who dressed A LOT of women...

Fash-Inspiration Friday!

This Herve Leger dress stopped me in my tracks on a recent client shopping trip.  

It makes me so happy.  

It renews my faith in... EVERYTHING - art, humanity, fashion, joy, possibility... LIFE!

Clearing Closets for Success

Shoes that I have purged from my life!

It’s Spring and I am taking the idea of spring cleaning to a new level this year.  I am on a mission to get rid of everything in my home that doesn’t work in my life anymore.  I began by giving a few household items to Goodwill last month (Did you know they accept electronics whether they are working or not?) and then I edited my closet last week.  I do it for clients all the time but I was overdue for a wardrobe purge.  I have a huge walk-in closet so it was quite an undertaking.  But it’s amazing how easy it was to decide what needed to go.  I hardly even tried anything on.  I went by the notion of – Does this still reflect who I am and how I want to be perceived?  Of course, there’s also the simple guideline of things being out of style (although I defy anyone to try to define the style of the 2010s – every current trend is recycled from a previous decade) but I went deeper than this. 

Clothes hold energy and often it is impossible to separate an item from a time in one’s life.  I found a few previously adored, well-worn pieces and thought “I’m not that person anymore – they need to go.”  I’m also going for more simplicity in my life these days, so I got rid of A LOT.  I’d rather have 5 pairs of pants I really love than 25 I feel so-so about.  And I am no longer holding onto things because of “one day/then I…” thinking.  One day if I become an accountant then I might need these Anne Klein suits from 1995.  Never gonna happen.  I’m horrible at math.  It is all about what works right now.

Organizing clothes in piles on a bed helps to see everything at once.

Here’s my process.  I went through my closet and made piles on my bed of stuff I haven’t worn in a long time.  One was for consignment, one for charity, one maybe (not sure if I’m ready to part with it yet) pile and one these-have-seen-better-days pile.  Right now, I feel a fierceness in my approach to expand my brand, so my wardrobe reflects that.  I am wearing a lot of dark colors with sharp lines and zippers and studs.  I call it the “rock & roll” edge.  That was another guideline I used to decide what needed to go.

I have practiced Feng Shui for many years and have had amazing results from it.  The basic principle is that item placement in specific areas of the home brings about specific results - like love, health and abundance.  Another is if you clear out a space, you make room for something new to occupy that space.  My home is on its way to being a haven of ushering in the immediate future.

{For more about Feng Shui, check out this website: http://www.jennahuntconsulting.com.  Jenna Hunt is my Feng Shui & Astrology consultant and she is wise, compassionate and wonderful.}

5 Tips for Clearing out a Closet:

1. DO it when you are ready – emotionally & physically.
2. DO NOT ever get rid of a piece if you are not 100% sure about.  You will be sad and it will haunt you.  Hence, the maybe pile.  You can revisit that pile at the end.
3. DO pay it forward & get paid.  Consignment is a great way to recycle fashions and get a little money in return, especially if they are designer and/or in great condition.
4. DO be realistic and gentle with yourself, especially if your weight fluctuates or if you have a hard time letting go of things.  Take your time and take breaks.
5. DO ask a friend to help but only if they can be objective.  DO NOT let anyone force their style agenda on you.   

Or… hire me for a Closet Consult and I will make it fun and create a new style for you in the process!     

The A List - Back in Business

As you can see, I haven't blogged here on The A List for almost 2 years.  For a long time, I just didn't want to blog.  I didn't get it, I resisted it, I didn't want to be bothered.  But time heals all foolishness and the spring feels like the perfect time to re-design The A List and blog away!  I am excited to share photos & stories about fashion & style and will do it here asap.  Stay tuned!