This financial strategy is appropriate for the Canada and United States economies.

The suggested annual clothing investment for all clothing items (including inner wear, outerwear, and accessories) is 5 – 10% of the gross annual salary, or 5 – 10% of the desired gross annual salary.

To have an idea of the cost and quality of each item, we can use the example of a business suit.  If a business suit is worn only occasionally, it would cost about 1% of the gross annual salary.  If it is worn on a regular basis, it would cost about 1½% of the gross annual salary.  The cost and quality of other items would then fall in line accordingly.

Joann is vice president of a bank and wears a suit every day. Her suit would be 1.2 percent – 1.5 percent of her gross annual income. Leslie is a consultant and wears a suit once a month for meetings. Her suit is 0.8 percent – 1.2 percent of her gross annual income. Gordon is a farmer and rarely wears a suit. His suit would be 0.5 percent – 0.8 percent of his gross annual income.

A Professional Wardrobe Module (excluding outerwear and underwear) would cost about 3% of the total annual salary.   For a person with an income of $50,000, the price breakdown could look like this:

•     1 Jacket @ $450             =  $450
•     2 Bottoms @ $175 each =  $350
•     3 Tops @ $80 each         =  $240
•     1 Shoes @ $200              =  $200
•     1 Belt @ $75                    =     $75
•     2 pairs socks @ $20        =     $40
•     Ties or scarf                     =  $145
•     TOTAL                              = $1,500 (3% of $50,000)

The typical duration of a garment is five years.  The higher the refinement and quality of the clothing, the longer it will last.  Cold weather’s heavier weight clothing costs more and lasts longer than hot weather’s lighter weight clothing.

Karen Brunger, holistic image consultant, is President of International Image Institute Inc. and a Past-President of the Association of Image Consultants International.

Create Efficient Space

Whether your closet is walk-in or reach-in, make use of every inch:  from floor to ceiling and from wall to wall.  Ensure you have sufficient hanging rods, shelves, hooks, etc.  If your closet was not built-in, you can use hanging canvas shelves, hanging pockets, portable clear organizing drawers, baskets, sturdy wardrobe boxes, and pull-out racks.

You may explore different closet organizing companies for ideas:

• www.californiaclosets.com/closet-organization-systems
• www.closetmaid.com/
• www.houzz.com/photos/closet-organizers
• www.containerstore.com/shop/closet

Set Up Zones

Organize your closet space to have a section for your current season’s clothing, and for your alternate season’s clothing.  If your closet is not able to handle clothing for all seasons, you can use an alternate closet and/or a storage trunk. Move the current season’s clothing to your working closet, and the alternate season’s clothing to your storage space.

Use an eye-level rod for dresses, trousers, and other long garments; high and low rods can be used for short-hanging garments:  jackets, shirts, and skirts.

Higher shelves can be used for less-used items; accessible shelves are reserved for items that are used regularly.

ORGANIZE THE ITEMS

Garments

Organize your wardrobe by item, and hang ‘like’ items together.  For example, you can hang your clothes in this order:

1. Dresses
2. Jackets
3. Skirts
4. Trousers
5. Tops

Allow space between hangers for clothes to “breathe”.

Use padded, wooden or plastic hangers to maintain the shape of clothes.  Use one type of hangar for consistency.

Sweaters or loose-knits

Fold sweaters neatly in drawers or on shelves; they can lose their shape if hung.

Store heavy items on the bottom, lighter ones on top.

Items to be fixed

Keep clothes that require repair in a separate place, perhaps on a hook on the inside of the closet door.

Ties

Hang ties unknotted on a tie rack; fold knitted ties.

Shoes and Boots

Store shoes neatly off the floor in any of these systems:

1. on a shoe rack
2. on a shelf
3. in a shoe cubby
4. in shoe drawers
5. in shoe boxes with a label or photograph on the outside
6. in a shoe caddy

Use shoe and boot trees to maintain the shape of your good shoes and boots.

Socks and Hosiery

Fold socks together in pairs and store in a drawer.

Fold hosiery into balls and place in any of the following:

1. drawer organizer
2. see-through hanging pocket organizer
3. shallow box with cubby holes

Handbags

Line bags on a shelf with vertical dividers between; if soft-sided, keeping them filled will help keep the leather from cracking.

Belts

Hang belts by the buckle on hooks or a belt hanger.

Scarves

Hang scarves on any of the following:

1. scarf holder
2. hanger with clothes pins attached
3. skirt hanger

Fold scarves on shelves or in drawers.

Pocket Squares

Hang pocket squares on a pocket square hanger or on a hanger with clothes pins attached.

Jewellery

Store jewellery according to your preference:

1. in a jewellery box
2. in an organizer
3. on a jewellery tree
4. on hooks

Hats

Store using one of these methods:

1. in hat boxes
2. stacked one inside the other and the inside of each lined with tissue paper

Karen Brunger, BHEc, AICI CIP, is President of International Image Institute Inc. and Past-President of the Association of Image Consultants International.

Create maximum efficiency in your wardrobe, and have something for every occasion.

After your closet inventory and purge, it’s time to organize your clothing into modules.  To facilitate this, create module charts like the following.  Notice that the ratio of 3^rd layer to bottoms to tops is 1 – 2 – 3.  This is the real secret to an extensive wardrobe.  The more your clothing can mix and match, the more choices you will have.  Within each box, write a description of the item.  You will probably have items that can fit in more than one module, so it may take some creative and systematic thinking to create the most effective modules.

Your module, in illustration form, could look like this:

You could repeat the above charts for as many times as you need.  Any box that’s empty becomes your shopping list.  You can also photograph your module.

One module is good for about 20 hours in a week.  Since you are awake approximately 100 hours in a week, you would need at least 5 modules.  If you have more than 10 modules, you could probably be using your money for other things!

Here are some ideas of the number of outfits you can get using the module system:

• 5 modules:  30 – 950 outfits
• Add one more item to each module (a jacket or top), and from 5 modules you can get 60 to 1,750 outfits

For more detailed information, checkhttps://www.imageinstitute.com/files/Capsule%20Dressing%20for%20Men%20and%20Women.pdf.

Karen Brunger, BHEc, AICI CIP is President of International Image Institute Inc., and a Past-President of the Association of Image Consultants International

Auditing your wardrobe is the first action to a more efficient, effective, and workable wardrobe.

To start, set up five ‘stations’ – these are areas to place clothing into categories.  You can place a sign at each station to indicate the category.  You will probably need the following stations:

• Keep
• Alter
• Charity
• Sell
• Trash / Other

Apply the following steps for each item in your closet, in the following order:

• Dresses
• Jackets / blazers / cardigans
• Skirts
• Trousers
• Tops
• Shoes, boots
• Outerwear

1.       Is it in good condition:

• Yes – continue
• No – assign to Trash

2.       Is the quality level appropriate for your position?

• Yes – continue
• No – assign to Charity or Sell

3.       Does the colour suit you? If you’re not sure, hold it up to you in daylight, and check if it works for you or against you.

• Yes – continue
• No – assign to Charity or Sell

4.       Does the style suit you? Try it on to know for sure.

• Yes – continue
• No – can it be altered to suit you?

• Yes, it can be altered to suit – assign to Alter
• No, it cannot be altered to suit – assign to Charity or Sell

5.       Does it fit?

• Yes – assign to Keep
• No – assign to Alter

Now it’s time to follow through!

• Keep:       Put the items back in your closet.
• Alter:       Take the items to your alterationist.
• Charity:  Bag the items and take them to a charity drop-off.
• Sell:         Dry-clean the items and take them to a consignment shop, or make other preferred arrangements.
• Trash:     Items may be used for rags, crafts, or just put in the trash.

Karen Brunger, BHEc, AICI CIP is President of International Image Institute Inc. and Past-President of the Association of Image Consultants International.

The final installment in our friend of Wardrobe911′s guest appearances is her final dress shape. Don’t forget to check out her kickstarter campaign and give any feedback. Enjoy!:

“The DRES brand is currently in their final days of campaigning to build a revolutionary new line of clothing that is actually designed for women’s different shapes—and they need our help! If you have ever felt that clothes simply weren’t made for your body shape, this is a revolution you can stand behind.

We’ve now broken down three of the four DRES brand dresses! If you’ve missed the first three dresses, check out the Diamond, Ruby and Emerald styles in the previous posts. Lastly, we’ll take a look at the Sapphire dress.

The Sapphire dress is designed for women with fuller hips and thighs, who also have a smaller bust and/or shoulders. To balance her brilliance, this dress enhances the shoulders, defines the waist, and slims the hips and thighs.

If you want to see more clothing designed for your body shape, please back this project. Only a few dresses are left at the early supporter discount.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1635539719/dres-clothing-for-your-body-shape ”

Another fabulous installment from DRES, a friend of Wardrobe911. See some of our previous posts for more information!:

“Over this week, we’re breaking down the new DRES brand dresses, each of which is designed to balance and enhance the differing shapes of women’s bodies. The DRES brand is currently campaigning on Kickstarter to build this revolutionary line of clothing, and they need our help! If you have ever felt that clothes simply weren’t made for your body shape, this is a clothing line you should definitely get behind.

So far in our break down of the DRES dresses we’ve covered the Diamond and Ruby dresses. Next we’ll take a peak at the Emerald dress.

The Emerlad dress is designed for women with equal bust or shoulders and hips, with a proportionally similar waist. To balance this shape, the waist is slimmed while enhancing curves, as well as balancing the shoulders.

If you want to see more clothing designed for your body shape, please back this project. Only a few dresses are left at the early supporter discount.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1635539719/dres-clothing-for-your-body-shape ”

This is the next installment from our friend of Wardrobe911, DRES. Enjoy!:

“The DRES brand wants to revolutionize how clothing is made, creating pieces that are uniquely made to balance and enhance women’s differing shapes. Currently clothing is being made using a system that forces women to wear clothes cut for only one shape, when really our differing proportions require different cuts!

Over this week, we’re breaking down each of our four dresses to show you how they are actually designed to balance and enhance women’s natural shapes! So far we’ve covered the Diamond dress, and next up in the DRES dresses is the Ruby style.

The Ruby dress is designed for women with a fuller bust and/or shoulders and smaller hips and thighs. To bring out her brilliance, this dress slims the shoulders and bust, brings the waist in, and enhances the hips.

If you want to see more clothing designed for your body shape, please back this project. Only a few dresses are left at the early supporter discount.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1635539719/dres-clothing-for-your-body-shape ”

In our last post we told you about an exciting new project we had heard of from one of the friends of Wardrobe 911. Now we’re featuring a few of her different dress shapes, these are great tips for how to dress different body types and why her product is so valuable. Here’s what she sent us:

“Amidst all the labeling of body shapes, something has clearly gone wrong. Even though
the intention to help women learn how to dress for their shape is great, it can be hard for
women to truly embrace this idea if their shape is called something unappealing to begin
with. No one wants to identify as an apple or a pencil!

The DRES Brand takes a different approach by finding in each woman’s shape a precious
gem, and then balancing and accentuating these gems through their designs! Right now
the DRES Brand is kicking off the ground with a Kickstarter campaign to create these
dresses.

Over the next week, we’ll break down each of the four dresses so you can see how they
are designed to make each shape shine! First, let’s look at the Diamond dress.

The Diamond is designed for women with equal bust or shoulder and hip proportions,
and a proportionally smaller waist. To keep the balanced look of this shape, the dress
defines the waist, balances the shoulders, and smoothes curves.

The DRES dresses will come in three colors: Charcoal/Ivory, Navy/Teal and Plum/Lilac.
Each of these combinations are a result of detailed color analysis trends that show these
colors work look great on most people.

If you want to see more clothing designed for your body shape, please back this project.
Only a few dresses are left at the early supporter discount.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1635539719/dres-clothing-for-your-body-shape “

A good friend of Wardrobe911 has been working on something really remarkable. We hope that you can read and enjoy her project as much as we do. A great concept that so many women can truly relate to! Here’s what she sent to us:

“When we browse through racks of clothes at the mall, we’re all looking for something that will make us look amazing. We want to feel good in what we’ll put on for mornings to come. But when major designers only design their clothes from one body shape, how can we expect to find something that fits and flatters our unique proportions?

The new DRES brand wants to revolutionize how clothing is made, creating dresses that are uniquely made to balance and enhance four basic body shapes, rather than pigeonholing women into the failing one-shape-fits-all system. Her vision is for every woman to be able to finally find that dress that makes her look and feel amazing, but can this dream can only become a reality with your help!

Right now the DRES brand is working on raising money to make this dream a reality through a Kickstarter campaign. It’s as easy as taking 2 minutes to donate online to the campaign, where you can also earn rewards for donations, like your very own DRES dress for your shape!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1635539719/dres-clothing-for-your-body-shape

Be a part of the movement—help them fund this mission to revolutionize women’s clothing in a celebration of our shapely diversity!

Margaret Spencer
Founder | DRES
Co-author | The Power of DRES

Please support our kickstarter campaign: http://tinyurl.com/c9enyyv
FREE style tips: http://dressystem.com
Clothes designed for your body shape: http://dreswear.com “

We know it’s only January, but spring is right around the corner! You’re not quite ready to give up your sweaters and jackets but you want to add a punch of color to your outfit. Our solution is finding pieces with fun piping details! You can still be seasonally appropriate but it’s a nice way to get out of your pants and sweaters rut that most of us find ourselves in during the winter.

Piping is also a great way to accentuate your figure in a way conservative enough for the office. For example, this Tinley Road dress with windowpane piping would look fabulous under a simple black blazer for a business lunch or meeting. How does this accentuate your figure? It highlights the slimmest point, your waist, and the straight lines along the sides will flatter your curves.

Another great piece highlighting your figure is this Milly dress. You can wear it now with tights while it’s still chilly and later with a fabulous navy pump or even a nude wedge. The way the dress is cut shows off your waist similarly to the Tinley Road dress, but in a more feminine and fun way with the addition of the a-line skirt. Though the hemline may not be business appropriate, it is safe to say this dress would be a big hit at most functions.

Finally, who doesn’t want a fun bright accessory? This Rebecca Minkoff bag is so chic and fun with its neon piping. I happen to have one and it has been my trusty sidekick for many events. Just the right size to fit your phone, camera, lip gloss, and a small wallet. The perfect party bag!

Today is our FINAL day of our 12 days of style. We hope our posts have provided you with a lot of inspiration for what gift to give that special someone!

We wanted to leave you with the HOTTEST boots of the season! Whether  you like a little bit of heel, super heel, flat, bootie, suede, or leather we have some great suggestions that you’re sure to like.

Wenters by Vince Camuto

Studded Ankle Boot by Lola Cruz

Stampede by Wanted

Countess by J Shoes   (Elaine’s favorite) !

Down To Earth by Chinese Laundry

Mandie by Kate Spade New York

Louie by Sam Edelman   (Stefanie’s Favorite) !

Royale by Plenty by Tracy Reese

The winter months are sometimes dreary and drag because of the wet weather, but there are some VERY cheerful products out there to keep you warm and bright all through this season.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Scarf

Kate Spade New York Gloves

Marc by Marc Jacob Beanie

Michael Stars Scarf

Kate Spade New York Glasses

Kate Spade New York Necklace

Milly iPhone Case

Tis the party season! If you’re like me, some of you are planning a spectacular holiday get together for family and friends. Yummy appetizer recipes from Pinterest (check), delicious alcoholic fruity beverages (check), invites sent (check), house clean (on the list), cute and sparkly party dress (check) comfortable shoes to be running around in all night (???).

I did some searching around to find the perfect pair of shoes that will hold me over all night. Of course, I wanted to wear my usual 4 1/2″ platforms, but I know I’ll end of barefoot half way through the night, which is not cute. If you are wondering what shoes to wear, keep in mind that they should be most importantly comfortable and also chic. Below are some ideas.

If you want a little heel, go for a wedge.

Plum Tree by Aerosoles

Plenty by Tracy Reese

Eager Beaver by BC Footwear

If flats are more your forte, check these out.

Bion by Diane Von Furstenberg 

Ashley by Mia

Freesia by Seychelles

If you want to rock a heel, choose something that is not SO high or a heel that has some chunk.

Helene by Rachel Roy

Corso Como by Craven

Veronica by Luxury Rebel

To finish off the last day of Men’s gift advice we’ll share with you some ideas for the Casual and Maverick man.

The casual guy’s style reflects his easy-going, laid-back attitude. Comfort is the key here, but of course he wants to look fresh from head-to-toe. What better way to gift him than with a two layer hooded coat from Reiss. This jacket comes in olive green and navy. It is lightly-padded and zips through both layers, perfect for the comfort factor. The four button-down pockets provide functionality for this active guy.

The maverick man is always a risk-taker and a trend-setter by nature. He deserves something with some serious style that will leave others to question where he got such an awesome gift. This quilted leather bomber jacket from Reiss is very cool. It features a high, shirt-style collar and detachable brown faux fur trim, it has ribbed cuffs and a ruched hem. You can thank us later for him being SO excited!

Continuing with our men’s gift guide posts, today we are featuring the Intellectual and the Sophisticate.

The Intellectual is the guy who perfectly embodies the “cool nerd” look. His look is intellectual, because that reflects who he is. Get him a tie that will spice up his smart, snappy look, like this slim cut Original Penguin striped tie. The herringbone texture and print add another dimension to his look, and the classic pattern of the tie makes it versatile enough to fit in on a variety of different occasions.

The Sophisticate is a man with refined culture and tastes. His look is sleek and modern with just a twist of individual style. He gravitates toward a monochromatic color scheme and minimalist styles. This John Varvatos silk tie is perfect for him. It has a simple style and the texture of the silk is a small detail that he loves and will go perfectly with his suave look.

For the past 6 days we’ve been posting what to get the ladies in your life this holiday season, now it’s time to show the gents some love! Much like the style personalities we have described for women on our site, we have formulated some men’s style personalities. Over the next 3 days we will be giving you ideas of gifts for each style personality.

Today we will feature the Classic and the Epicurean.

The Classic is that guy who always looks good because his look is timeless. He could be described as defined or formal, but he is this way because his clothing is tailored and traditional, not because of any sort of flamboyant details or designs. This Brooks Brothers shirt is perfect for him because it features the timeless button down style and is such a great cut for any guy. Brooks Brothers is usually a safe bet for a brand to get the classic guy, and this shirt is also awesome because it features no-iron technology, so that no little elves are required to help him look his best!

The Epicurean is a man who finds joy in the luxuries of life. He gravitates toward rich fabrics and enjoys lavish designs in his clothing. He’s not necessarily trendy, he’s just styled in an elegant fashion. This English Laundry shirt will fit right into his closet. The detailed cuffs that show a different pattern when turned up are a detail that you know will impress him and the style is a great modern look without being over the top. This also fits with his own personal style while still remaining appropriate for the workplace, a balance that is always hard to find and important to capture when available.

Being a stylist rocks! I had the amazing opportunity to style for the Miss Universe pageant this week in Las Vegas! I’m still in pinch me mode.

Once I arrived I felt like I stepped into a scene from Miss Congeniality. Just as I had imagined, there was a large area for hair dressers and makeup artists, a section set up for photo shoots and a LARGE area for wardrobe. The wardrobe section included swimsuits, amazing evening gowns and racks on racks of amazing looks for the magazine shoot.

This type of shoot was different from styling regular women with all different body types and sizes. These girls were beyond gorgeous, it just isn’t fair! They looked amazing in everything they tried on. It was important to know how to compliment their coloring so they could really POP in pictures. Also, knowing which neckline would compliment their face shape was extremely beneficial.

It was a 3 day shoot and at the beginning of each day we’d go over the looks that each girl would wear based on their skin and hair coloring,  size and theme of the day. The location on day 1 and 2 was in an awesome suite in the Planet Hollywood hotel that over looked the Paris hotel. We set up shop, which included ALL of the shoes, boxes of jewelry and our rack for the day. Day 3 was shot in an awesome club that had really glamorous locations throughout the club.

I worked with what I’d call “the dream team.” The best hair dressers and make-up artists were flown in from all over the world. The photographer was awesome to work with. He had an incredible vision and great energy. Below are some pictures, enjoy!

More photos coming soon on my personal site fashionableinspirations.com !

Today’s style personality is Stylish Sophisticate!

This is your friend who always has that European sophistication about her. She is trendy and current, but never looks like she’s trying too hard or wanting to appear “young”. This year, get her something you know she won’t be able to wait to rock!

This top is totally her style; streamlined, sophisticated, and timeless. The stark contrast of the black and white is so modern and will surely give anything she wears it with instant sophistication. She will also love that the classic style of the button down has been given this new color-blocking twist!

Another great idea for her is this watch. This is going to be a great piece for her because it will pull any ensemble together instantly and has the chic look that will fit in with all the other great pieces in her closet.

Today’s style is Fashion Maverick!

This is your trendsetter friend. She takes risks and has a unique style that combines the expected with the unexpected. You want to get her something edgy but don’t know where to start. Here’s what we love for the Maverick gal.

This vegan leather peplum top is really edgy. Peplum is so on point with the trends, but making it leather is such a creative spin on a usually sweet look. She can pair it with a pencil skirt for a totally fabulous look.

Another option for your friend would be this faux fur infinity scarf. Not only is this eye catching, like everything else in her closet, but it’s also such a great piece that she can pair with so many things and instantly change a look.

Today’s style personality is Charming Femme!

She’s that friend you suspect most likely to have worked at Disneyland as a princess one summer during college. Always feminine, always cute, she’s the picture of lady-like style.

This top is sure to fit perfectly into her closet with its great lace fabric and the gorgeous fuchsia color. The cut of the top is simple, perfect to go over a pair of dark wash jeans with heels for a night out with friends or paired with a skirt and tights for a more formal occasion. With her taste she’ll be sure to showcase the details at the edges and let the shirt shine.

Another option that we think she would love is this great statement necklace. With the flower and pearl details, pale pink palette and sparkles, this screams Charming Femme. We can already picture all the cute ways she can pair this with her girly wardrobe to make any one of her already fabulous outfits even better!