HOW TO: Do a try on night
Shh, here’s a savvy little secret for women, women who want it all – style with money in the bank too! Many women have asked me ‘what is closet confidential and how do you do it?’ To be honest there are many definitions, but for me personally it is a way to stay inspired with the clothes in my wardrobe without falling victim to the pricey lure of the shopping mall.
With a career spanning 14 years working in retail development, I could tell a million mall secrets. There are some very good reasons why we feel the urge to spend more at every turn… it’s called customer research! With this knowledge in mind I won’t go anywhere without a list of things I NEED to buy! So here’s how I spend smarter and have money in the bank for the things I truly want and need.
My ‘Closet Confidential’ involves simply having a try on and organising my closet into sections, for example; day wear, work wear, evening wear and casual. Then I create a list of items to buy so that I purchase smarter and optimise my spending power. To be really honest my ‘try on nights’ mean a lot more to me than finding thrift. I am a creative woman, I always have been, and trying on clothes and feeling fabulous in them is a way for me to express myself.
What I LOVE about these try on nights is that I often get the same HIGH we experience when we buy a new top or outfit, but I get mine for free.
Trying on clothes for me is a form of meditation. It allows me to be in the present, to live in the ‘now’. I love mixing and matching things together, cheap items can look glam when you pair them with a quality piece. I remember moving into my home and furnishing it together with my husband. All I wanted was a MISSONI rug! I found some beautiful Missoni fabric (see picture) and this was my ‘splurge’ piece for our home. We then offset this cost by going to Satwa and buying natural fabrics for our cushions and soft furnishings to match the rug. When you start being mindful of your spending and learn the patience of saving, it gives you the time to invest in pieces you really want and love forever. My MISSONI rug is that piece.
So some of you may wonder, what is on my list of things to buy? Well, I really want a pair of Current Elliot Jeans, preferably in olive green (my favourite colour), and that’s about it! I’m totally in love with Gwyneth Paltrow’s daytime style (she makes simple outfit choices, often wearing a tailored jacket and a good quality comfy cotton t-shirt) and I adore edgy urban rocker accessories. Sometimes just finding a style that you love encourages you to find those pieces and combinations in your very own wardrobe.
Style is so much more than the clothes you wear, for me it is pretty things and clever words. In Paris, your style is your attitude, ‘you’ are more than the brand. Today the modern Parisian women has made ‘Chanel’ punk rocker, yet it still hold its elegance and I am all for that. At the moment it is summer in Dubai. And that means sticky hot hot hot, 50 degrees hot. For me the best way to beat the heat is linen. Pictured are a few of my favorite linen pieces perfect for the at home casual look. If you take the time to work out your wardrobe, you can find inspiration every day, before you know it you’ll be spending smarter and have more money in the bank for the the things you truly want and need. Other women who have starting doing their own ‘Closet Confidential’s’ say it’s their ‘me’ time. Nothing better than making time for a bit of self love… as a busy mum I am all for that!
