How to Dress Well, Efficiently

Feb. 23, 2004 -- It's another Monday morning and it's getting late. You're drying off after a shower, looking at an overflowing closet and still can't find a thing to wear to work.

You don't have time for sartorial indecision, not with kids who need breakfast (which you hope they won't spill on whatever clothes you do choose), can't find their backpacks and have to get off to school.

Closet conundrum is bad. It wastes your time, and, when you make do with something that doesn't really work, can detract from whatever image you're trying to project to clients, bosses and colleagues.

There is a solution. It takes some time, planning and money, but it is possible to put together an efficient, stylish wardrobe.

The first step is to make a date with your closet. Put it on your calendar for two hours on a Saturday morning while the kids hop on your bed, says Cari Waldman, a Detroit-based fashion and trend writer. That means pulling everything out and dividing it into three piles: what to keep, what may be salvageable by mending or altering and things you never wear to be given or thrown away. You should have poorly fitting clothes altered, or give them away. Anything you haven't worn for two years should go.

This is not for women only. Men need to get rid of ties, toss dress shirts, replace jeans and T-shirts, says Mike Milligan, a Washington, D.C.-based reporter who decided years ago to take on the project of making sure that he dressed himself in a presentable way.

Guys also have to take a hard look at their favorite T-shirts, football jerseys and sweaters and get rid of those that are too worn, frayed or ripped to be presentable. And, when you put what you're going to keep back in the closet, organize it. Pants, including jeans, should go together, one place for dark shirts, one place for whites, and so on.

"Make sure you can see everything," says Waldman. Out-of-season clothing should go on top shelves, to the side or back of the closet.

When you've done that, there should be nothing in your closet but clothing you can wear right now, says Waldman. For some, that might be four things, for others, it might be 20 pieces. The two basic criteria: The clothes must fit and they must look good on you.

Then, if possible, invest in one great piece each season.

"We are on budgets, we have priorities like basketball camp and ballet lessons. That pair of shoes we're looking at on Sex and The City just aren't realistic, but every year, invest in one piece," says Waldman.

And that article of clothing, be it three-season black wool crepe pants, a beautiful blouse or jacket or blazer, or (especially for men) an entire suit, has to fit well and look good. Buy multiples of basics, such as three white shirts or three black body suits, says Brandace Berger-Bruning, author of the upcoming The Look For Less, due out next Christmas. You can often get them on sale (Victoria's Secret sales are a good source for women's shirts), and they're good for those days that a child spills cereal on you or simply because you wear them often and therefore need a few. She suggests picking a wardrobe color theme that has a complementary "kicker" color. One example would be a black-and-white theme with red as the kicker color.

Find a Fit

For both men and women, good fit is key.

"From this point onward, everything should fit like a million bucks," says Waldman. While sales are good, she thinks it's worth it to pay full price for a core piece of your wardrobe to get clothing that fits well and looks good on you. It means you don't waste time combing through piles of sales items or waiting for end-of-season sales. And it means that you have it and you can wear it — often.

If your lifestyle is casual, your wardrobe might be as simple as jeans and T-shirts that fit you beautifully. Waldman advises against investing too much in trends — those pieces just won't serve you beyond a season or two. Instead, she opts for disposable trends. That is, buying cute knock-offs at chain stores — designer earrings at Target, tops in hot colors like pink or citron at Wal-Mart.

"Never spend money on trends, only on the basics," she says.

The Web can be a major time and money saver for parents says Michelle Madhok, onetime online beauty and fashion adviser for AOL and founder of shefinds.com (www.shefinds.com), a fashion and shopping recommendations site.

But, since fit is so key, you have to commit to a certain amount of brick-and-mortar shopping or expect to return some items while you learn what stores and brands produce clothes that fit you. And there will be some inevitable returns. Fortunately, online retailers are making returns much easier. Some, like Joseph Banks, the menswear catalog, has UPS pick up your return items. Other online retailers provide ready-to-print return labels on their Web sites, enabling you to simply drop off the package at UPS. Others let you return online purchases at their stores. True, it means you have to physically shop — but you also have a chance to try on other clothes that might fit.

Once you've culled the contents of your closet and have a list in mind of what you'll add as time and budget permit, you've got to move on to weekly planning. That means taking a look at your schedule and your closet, so you know what you need to wear when and where the clothes you need are — in your closet or dresser, or perhaps in the laundry or at the dry cleaners.

"Take the time for yourself just as you would take the time to make sure there's a snack in your son's backpack," says Waldman.

Worth the Time and Cost

Providing yourself with a stylish and efficient wardrobe takes time, money and work. But it can be worth it.

'It's a huge undertaking," says Milligan. "And it's important because that's your billboard."

Thinking about how you want to look isn't an exercise in superficiality or vanity. It's a matter of self-respect, adds Waldman.

"I can't stress enough that looking good and feeling put together isn't about what you wear, it's how you feel about yourself from the inside out," says Waldman. "It's really about confidence from within."

Tips for the Perfect Working Wardrobe

The Web can be a time and money-saver, says Madhok. Use Froogle, Google's sale search engine. Sign up for the e-mail newsletters from your favorite retailers for advance notice of sales and coupons. Do a Google search for coupons (type in "coupon code" and the name of your favorite retailers) and get still more. EBay will e-mail you when items you're searching for are available. Overstock.com and smartbargains.com are both good Web sites for good deals.

Men who have to deal with the casual workplace look should take care that they don't get too sloppy, says Alison Brodman, president of Alison Brodman Public Relations, which specializes in fashion and lifestyle. "Men cannot and should not really take risks in the workplace if their company is conservative," she says. But inexpensive khakis from the Gap are a good choice. Pair them with a button-down shirt, which these days are easy to find in solid colors, checks and stripes. The shirts work well on weekends. And khakis can work in both the office or for weekend wear as well. If you've got to wear suits every day, have several. And look hard at them to make sure they're still presentable. If you're worried about a body issue, go tailored, says Madhok, who says people often think that if they're overweight they have to wear loose clothing, but she feels that only makes people look even heavier. "Wear good, nicely cut clothing," she says.

Plan your look. Amass as many fashion magazines as you can, both old and new, says Berger-Bruning. Then, over a period of a few weeks, cut out photos of what you like — shoes, pants, suits, etc. Then, get a photo album and label the pages with headings that correlate to the various aspects of your life. Some of her examples: casual, office, cleaning, dressy, making love, formal, etc. Then, with your cutouts, build complete outfits on each page. Voila! It's your look. And she says the place to buy those items is online. One of her clients got a black Armani coat for $83, a black leather embossed crocodile bag for $44 and similar bargains, all online.

Find a good tailor, says Berger-Bruning. Alterations are not expensive and if there's something you love that doesn't fit, it's less expensive to have it altered than to buy a new one.