2 / You have dozens of cocktail dresses…and two work tops. The diagnosis: You shop for your fantasy!life, as opposed to the one you live Monday through Friday. “Very rarely do!women look at their lives in categories of fashion—Date-Night Jenny, Work Jenny, Play Jenny—and shop accordingly,” says Baumgartner. “But!it’s important to acknowledge how much time you spend in each mode.” The Rx: “For every item, ask yourself, Do!I have two things I could wear with this, and does it go with two aspects of my!life?” says Kelly. Good investments are pieces that can be worn in lots of settings, like a wrap dress (perfect at the office or a party, says Amy E. Goodman, author of Wear This, Toss That! ).

Own 10 look-alike

black dresses? For fresh

inspiration, create a

fashion file from mags or on Pinterest. Then bring pictures to a clothing

sales associate just as you’d

bring a photo of a celeb’s cut

to your hairstylist,

says Baumgartner.

STYLE FILE

To peel back someone’s layers, tell them to keep their clothes on—and!take a peek inside their closet. Hung up (or lying in piles on the floor) are our emotions, goals, dreams, and fears. Our clothing choices can tell a story, says psychologist Jennifer Baumgartner, Psy.D., author of You Are What You Wear. “Oftentimes, shopping addictions or wardrobe ruts, for example, are symptoms of deeper internal issues,” she says. But no matter how messy (literally) or complicated your relationship with your closet, like any flame, fling,!or friendship, it can always be improved. Here’s how to work through five common wardrobe hang-ups.By Kristen Dold

Closet Therapy

1 / You rotate between black, white, and beige. And sometimes gray. The diagnosis: This may reflect a fear of taking risks or that you’re hoping to fade into the background or blend in with the crowd. “It’s easier to make a fashion error while wearing bold colors, so lots of women stick to neutrals for fear of being criticized or bringing unwanted attention to their body,” says psychologist Vivian Diller, Ph.D. The Rx: If you favor black, start with softer charcoal or navy, colors that are actually more "attering. Then add a small splash of brightness via a tee or shoes. Still wary? “Colors that have red and blue in them, like fuchsia and coral, tend to look good on all skin tones,” says stylist Clinton Kelly, cohost of TLC’s What!Not to Wear and ABC’s The Chew.

Fashion Feed

Flats, from left: Banana Republic, $98, bananarepublic.com; J.Crew, $138, jcrew.com; Boutique 9, $69, ninewest.com

Diane von Furstenberg dress, $425,

dvf.com

60

Are You Take the WH fashion challenge!

Donating clothes to charity is good for the soul—and the ego (no more wish-I-were-still-that-size reminders!).

Give away 10 ill-fitting items, and for those jeans you just can’t part with, use our workout on page 63.

Heck, start a donation movement on Facebook! Tag the post @Women’s Health.

No need to go broke sprucing

up your wardrobe. Find expensive-

looking stuff for less in a few

key places.

Consignment Shops

Now online and easier than ever. Score last

season’s must-haves for a fraction of the cost at

ShopeDropoff.com, ThreadFlip.com, and

ReFashioner.com.

Designer Newsletters

Sign up with big names like Tibi and Steven Alan,

and you’ll often get first pick at their online

sample sales.

Mass-Market Imports

Stores that got their start abroad, like Zara (Spain) and Joe Fresh (Canada), sell timely,

runway-inspired looks at super-affordable

prices.

4 / You can’t bear to!ditch your high school varsity jacket, your ex’s sweatshirt, and those skinny jeans that are three sizes!too small. The diagnosis: You may be clinging to reminders of who you once were, where you’ve been, or what you used to look like, says Diller, author of Face It: What Real Women Feel as Their Looks Change. Hoarding mementos from failed relationships or five!pairs of pants you may never fit into again can!make you feel crummy!and keep you from embarking on new endeavors, she says.

The Rx: Remember that your clothes aren’t symbols of your experiences (the person you’ve become is, silly), then allow yourself a medium-size linen box for special items, says Goodman. Reevaluate your duds once or twice a year. Things that don’t fit perfectly go into one of three piles, says Kelly: too tight, way too big, and sort of loose. The first two go to charity or consignment shops, and the third to a tailor.

5 / You can’t see the clothes you have because your closet is so cluttered. The diagnosis: Some people like to surround themselves with things that comfort them (lots of clothes and memories), but this can actually have the opposite effect. Disorganization is not comforting, says Diller. The Rx: Separate clothes by type (keep sweaters!together, pants together, and so on). If!you’re feeling ambitious, organize by color within those categories. Think vertically to make the most of your space: “Stacking shelves or boxes!are great for shoes and sweaters, and hanging jewelry looks beautiful on the wall,” says Goodman. Try to get anything that’s out!of!season out of sight (like under the bed).

3 / Your closet is filled with sale items that still have the tags on.The diagnosis: You may be trying to fill a void in your personal life with the instant high that comes from spending cash, or you simply aren’t reaching satiety when you shop. “Overloading on sale items you don’t love is like having five fat-free cookies instead of one of the real thing,” says Baumgartner. The Rx: When the shopping urge hits, meet a friend for coffee or take a gym class—the need for a new blouse may pass. Leave your credit cards at home and put anything you want on hold; you’ll go back only for items you love. Finally: The value of a purchase depends more on how much you’ll wear it than!the price; 20 bucks is a bigger waste than $200 if that skirt never gets body time.

Hang Loose Drape necklaces over pushpins on

a corkboard, or over self-adhesive

hooks on the back of your closet door.

CHEAP THRILLS

Designer Capsule Collections In November, find sleek dresses, skirts, and more from Narciso Rodriguez, starting at $30, at Kohl’s.

Maison Martin Margiela’s line for H&M hits stores

on November 15.

October 2012 / W O M E N S H E A L T H M A G . C O M 61

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