16 WAYS TO GET YOUR WORK WARDROBE TOGETHER: How to Clean Out Your Closet and What to Toss for a Business Chic Wardrobe

With spring/summer comes transitioning wardrobe staples and learning what to toss for classic Business Chic when looking to clean out your closet

And lucky for all of us, the fashion tides have continued to herald minimal, forever-chic heritage dressing which means you can safely reorganize your work wear for the long haul.

>>YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN READING: Work It: Style Guidelines for Women Entrepreneurs

Start by committing to a ritual of cleaning out your closet twice a year to maintain order, refresh favorite looks and survey what could be adding to get the most out of what you’ve got. And if you’ve got the space, consider keeping a section dedicated solely to pieces you wear to work -it will make getting ready that much easier.

>> RELATED: What to wear when you work from home and no one really see you

First, go for what you know works. Stick to those timeless suits, and put those items that need tailoring front and center, no need to wait any longer. So many of  you found our tips on How to Clean Out Your Closet & What to Get Rid Of helpful but wanted some input specifically on what to do for your work wardrobe. Therefore, we created a business appropriate list of what to keep, and what to get rid of. Let’s start with the good stuff to…

KEEP:

  • Properly tailored suiting, and the classics such as sheath dresses, pencil skirts, tunic-length relaxed blazers, schoolboy jackets, fitted flat front slacks, subtle heels
  • Go for a selection of different colored button down blouses in a variety of hues from French blue to white. Don’t worry about cleaning, we have Foolproof Ways to Keep Your White Blouse Bright
  • Silk blouses always add instant polish to any look as do secretary blouses
  • Printed pieces as the mix & match trend is still on top
  • Wide-leg trousers, pleated pants with a narrow leg, and cropped khakis
  • A wide waist cinching belt will always work miracles on just about any figure and never go out of style
  • Layered necklaces keep it interesting with flashes of metallic shine

CLICK the keepers…

GET RID OF:

  • Rayon trousers that were big in the late 90’s but never looked that well made
  • Fussy blouses with bulbous ruffles or over designed embellishments and add-on’s such a zippers and superfluous pockets
  • Those terrible tunic & leggings sets, ladies please save those for at home only! Actually, anything that comes with the word, “set,” is usually a no-no.
  • Wide lapel blazers scream Elaine from Seinfeld and will keep you frozen in time
  • Heavy shoulder pads came back for cocktail hours only
  • Corduroy suiting in wide whales will never come back in style(or at least we hope)
  • Items with logos should be kept for fun times only
  • Same goes for satin, even if its matte
  • Anything with a frump factor (think chenille sweaters with oversized buttons as a start), keep it slender at all times

CLICK to see what’s on our toss list…

These are our 16 highs and lows to clean out your closet for top business chic. What’s on YOUR list? Please share your tips in the comments below.

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