Closet Case

So, I started reading Nina Garcia's most recent book, The Style Strategy: A Less-is-More Approach to Staying Chic and Shopping Smart. It's a bit of fluff, and there isn't much in it I don't already know from Tim Gunn and countless episodes of What Not to Wear. And while I've become increasingly impatient with people whose idea of tightening one's belt means spending $100 on a new bag instead of $1000, I do appreciate her emphasis on showing restraint in both style sensibility and spending. She highlights a number of style innovations that arose from necessity, and even embraces consignment shopping. She has a somewhat narrow sense of what's stylish, but she is no snob when it comes to labels, at least.

One of the great things about me reading this book right now is that she's really into cleaning out the unnecessary junk from your closet and taking stock of what you have and what you need. So I started a little spring cleaning project, one that was long overdue. Observe:



That, my friends, is not pretty, and it's no way to show your clothes a bit of respect. That is what grad school and full-time mommery do to you, especially if you are already inclined toward slatternly behavior.

So I did some culling and tossing and donating (and hopefully a little selling!), and now it looks like this:



Best makeover I have ever had.

Oh, and it turns out the closet is now perfect for peekaboo: