What exactly IS a wardrobe analysis, anyway?  It’s the way I like to start my clients off for two reasons:

1) you may not know what you need to complete your wardrobe (that’s why you hired me) and I want to see all your clothes, all at once, right at the beginning.

2) It’s a nice way to start the image consulting process: in your home where you’re comfortable, rather than out in the world where shopping can be overwhelming.

Recently I did a wardrobe analysis for my friend Lavonne who has just moved into a new house and wanted to address her closet situation right away (brave woman).She agreed to let me document the whole thing to show YOU!  This is gonna be fun 🙂

 

So Lavonne just needed some help sorting through the many pieces she’d kept over the years and direction for outfitting herself for her grownup life.  After our chat, we got right to it:

So there you have it: the inside workings of a wardrobe analysis.  The next day I dropped Lavonne’s castoff clothes at a local thrift shop, and emailed her a list of clothes she needs to buy to complete her wardrobe and where to get them.  Here’s the list:

 

Wardrobe Analysis: Lavonne S.

Summary: Lavonne is in very good shape with her basic wardrobe. Simple work dresses in solid colours, work skirts, workout clothes, cardigans and shoes are all there, so not many staple pieces are needed.  Lavonne will be purchasing boots for fall first, and then deciding where her greatest needs lie in the following months and years.  All shops listed in parentheses are local, online or her preferred stores.

*All items to be represented on “Lavonne” Pinterest Board

Outerwear: Leather or vegan leather jacket (blazer, bomber, moto or waterfall) for casual/dressy casual evenings (Winners, H&M, Forever 21, Le Chateau), Herringbone vest (Old Navy, J. Crew), and a jean jacket for spring/summer to wear with skirts, dresses, and coloured jeans (Gap, H&M, Plum), casual blazer in black/grey/hunter green/wine to wear with button-up shirts or tanks and scarves in Fall and Spring.

Shoes: Low heeled riding boots with no or few adornments (Aldo, Towne Shoes, Duo Boots [online or in UK], Winners, Nine West)

Pants: Cropped cigarette pants for work in black and maybe grey or navy, possibly with a matching jacket. No iron, stretchy.  (Mexx, Plum, RW & co., Banana Republic)

Dresses: 1-2 patterned/coloured dresses in a wrap or shift style to be bought when convenient (Winners, anthropologie.com, Modcloth.com, Plum)

Tops: 3-4 patterned work tops in bright or deep colours (Primark, Mexx, Banana Republic Factory, Plum)

Accessories: 2 Statement necklaces: 1 “diamond”, 1 colour (Old Navy, H&M, Smart Set)

Actions: Wardrobe staging area in bedroom, clothes to be taken to the tailor and shoes to the cobbler. Try wearing a brooch at least once a week to work, and follow the recipe: Solid + colour + pattern + adornment for every outfit.

 

What Would Audrey Wear?

~Brianna

PSSST!  Want to see an after shot?  Here’s Lavonne the next day at work, wearing an outfit she’d never worn before from the pieces she already had!  She got a ton of compliments that day and felt A-MAZING.

 It just goes to show: you never know what you’ve got until an

image consultant comes over and tells you 😉