Spring Cleaning | How to Simplify Your Closet & Space With Vanchic

Spring is FINALLY here Couture Beauties! This is a great time to clean out our closets and get organized. I recently interviewed the beautiful Kim Clark (Mastermind behind Vanchic) on how we can simplify our closets and stay fashion forward. Kim is an experienced stylist and organizational guru and her "top priority is to inspire you to de-clutter all aspects of your life and think glam!" You can learn more about Kim & Vanchic by subscribing to her VanchicOrganization YouTube channel. So beauties let's find out from Kim on how we can simplify our closets and space so that we can be organized fashionistas!

Nicole - Keeping it simple is what a lot of us women are striving to do in today’s times. What are some ways to simplify our closets and stay fashion forward?  

Kim - The best way to live simpler but still be a fashionista is to buy staple pieces. Staple items are basics that will fit in with your style and can be integrated into multiple outfit combinations. Most importantly staple pieces should transcend from season to season...my basics are lace bras, dark skinny jeans, flats, tank tops, silk ruffle neck blouses and black leggings.  These are clothes I remember loving 10 years ago, right now in 2013 and hopefully 10 more years from now. Keep your fashions classy and don't always jump to buy the newest trend...once the trend goes out of style you'll be stuck with clothes that don't interest you anymore nor will it relate to your other closet pieces.  Think of classic, timeless and transcendent outfit elements...blazers, little black dress, sweaters, pearl studs... The greatest way to simplify is prioritize the projects in your house and purge.  If you have a list of projects that never seem to get done, take a lazy Sunday and knock them out.  Purge your clutter, un-used items and things that have no value (like stupid knick-knacks that take up counters and valuable home space!)

Nicole -How often should the clothes and shoes in our closets be revamped?  

Kim - Your style should be revamped and sorted through every season.  That sounds like a lot of maintenance, but it will help you get to know what you already have...it's like taking inventory!  Optimize what you already own and shop your own closet before you hit the mall.  Sometimes us girls like to buy the same thing over and over...we like what we like!  Sorting through the closet is a great way to look at what truly fits, what's worn-out and what staple items are needed! Make sure each season you are revamping by adding in one or two statement pieces; printed dress, drop-dead gorgeous beaded blouse, chandelier earrings, spiked heel, printed pants, floral button down...It's all about balance, plus you don't want to look boring!  I also love revamping my style by swapping clothes with a friend the same size as me...it's free :)

Nicole - Are there any rules to certain clothing items in our closets? 

Kim - If you haven't worn it in 3 years...ditch it.  Make a donate pile, sell pile, fix up pile and trash pile when sorting through your closet. Purge time! Donate pile is for clothes or accessories that you've neglected and could be good use to someone that actually needs it.  Sell pile is for clothes with tags still on or great conditioned items you no longer want to wear...(but beware, if the clothes are not a decent sell value, it will be a waste of time trying to sell it in eBay )  A fix up pile is for all the clothes with holes, missing buttons and issues (take it to a tailor!). I love taking ancient out-of-date dresses to the tailor...I recently hemmed up an old high school dress of mine, added some sequins...looks brand spankin' new!

Nicole - How can a collection of garments have a positive and negative effect on a woman’s style? 

Kim - Having a large collection of material items in a closet is only wonderful if you use it to your advantage...mixing and matching, layers, experimenting, up-cycling  having options... Yet having an excess amount of garments can also take up too much space, larger laundry loads, hard to sort through, limited space, not easy to get dressed in the morning and difficult to physically see it all.  When you have clothes buried low in a drawer or in the back of a closet- that item will never get its full value used.  Put your favorite go-to closet pieces up in the fore-front of your racks, hooks and drawers.  Any items that are special occasion like fancy ball gowns, Christmas sweaters and business suits can go in a hidden area.  Also, observe your shopping habits! Decades ago people used to collect just one or two prized interests like limoges, poetry books or pearls. But in 2013, all I see is hoarders galore!  Us ladies have this need to buy and buy and buy without thinking "do I really need this?".  Instead of having two wonderful high quality necklaces, our society wants 40 necklaces, 30 rings and 20 bracelets.  The collector-consumer mentality is unhealthy and hard on your bank account! Have a little respect for your wallet...be a collector of just a few special things because collecting 40 dollar store necklaces doesn't make you richer, or cooler...it just makes your jewelry box cluttered and cheap.  Respect the items you spend hard earned money on...I'd never leave clothes lying on the floor, dangling off a hanger improperly, machine wash incorrectly, stained or damaged.  Take care of the things you own...being organized and in-control of your home and wallet is empowering...and sexy

Nicole - Do you agree that being organized creates an environment that helps a woman bring out her best? 

Kim - Being organized means that you know exactly what you have and exactly where it is!  If there is a place for everything and a home for each of your belongings- you'll never lose them, accidentally buy duplicates or let stuff expire.  Being organized saves you money, time, keeps a space glam, clears your head and de-stresses the process of rushing out the door in the morning.  There is a sense of system and function when a house is orderly and it also promotes a healthy living space and consistent maintenance habits.  Being organized takes effort and patience, but it also has a lot to do with what kind of storage pieces, furniture and decor you own.  Cheap, plastic, unsturdy and useless "organizational tools" and furniture can actually make you more UNorganized.  Furniture that doesn't fit a room can hinder progress and promote clutter.  Measure and evaluate your space.  Come up with better solutions to store your items.  Get creative...instead of buying a shoe rack- what about a glass curio, antique armoire, vintage lobster trap box to store flip flops, leaning floor ladder, bookshelf, pull out shoe cabinet, lazy susan shoe tree or cubbies.

To learn more about Vanchic visit www.vanchic.com, YouTube.com/VanchicOrganization, Twitter.com/VanchicDC, Facebook.com/VanchicDC, & Instagram.com/Vanchic

Beauties Stay Organized & Glam!