Cull through your closet like a pro

Note from Steve: Yeah, I needed this too. One of thoese days I might actually do it.

ROBIN JOHNSTON
Staff Writer

My closet wasn't user-friendly. I'd waste time every morning, combing through hand-me-downs, blue-light specials and suits my mother bought me 13 years ago for my first job interviews.

Enter Tracy Zampella. In her job at Belk's SouthPark store, personal shopper Zampella helps women and men of all shapes and sizes find clothes that suit their bodies and lifestyles. In her own time, she helps clients organize their closets.

She arrives at my house armed with three things: tips for organizing a closet, knowledge of what fashion trends are currently on store racks and a lack of preconceived notions. We get to work.

Three hours later:

41 Number of unemployed hangers

31.5 Pounds of clothes purged from closet

8-20 Size range of items discarded

5 Number of items I kept against Zampella's advice.

I bemoan having nothing left to wear. But Zampella rightly points out that I hadn't been wearing most of the stuff in the pile, anyway. Now it's obvious what's needed to complete my wardrobe.

Looking for a reason to clear out some space in your closet? Here are two: Fall fashions are hitting the racks, and you can donate the clothes you no longer wear.

Here are tips to help you tackle your closet. Personal shopper Tracy Zampella walked me through the process in my own home. She advises men and women to cull through their clothes at the start of each season using the following steps. Zampella says that when finished, most of her clients have a pile of rejected clothes that's 3 feet high.

Surely you can find a better home for those clothes than the back of your closet.

The tips: get ready
Things you'll need to clean out your closet, according to Zampella.

• Time: Set aside half a day.

• Space to maneuver.

• A full-length mirror.

• Wooden or plastic hangers. Metal hangers can rust or tarnish and damage clothing, but plastic and wood keep garments in their best condition.

• A friend whose advice you can trust. (Think twice before enlisting your husband or boyfriend. Chances are he's not impartial and is wary of telling you that something isn't flattering. )

Get to it
1 Pull everything out so you can see it.

2 Try on each item (keep water and an energy bar handy). Use your full-length mirror and your trustworthy advisor liberally at this point. Divide clothes into three piles:

Yes
Zampella suggests using the three `Fs': Does it fit you? Does it flatter your shape? Does it make you feel fabulous?

No
Put aside anything utterly out of date, in bad condition or that you're keeping "until I lose the weight." This is also the place for garments you haven't worn in at least a year that are not seasonal or of sentimental value. But look for confirmation from your advisor. (There were clothes I hadn't worn since 1999 that Zampella assured me were still functional and flattering, so they escaped this pile.)

Maybe
Set aside items that could be brought up-to-date with some tweaks and those that could be altered to fit your current shape.

3 Evaluate shoes and accessories using same process.

4 Put the clothes you're keeping back in the closet, organized by category and color. Put tops with tops, pants with pants, etc.

5 Create separate sections for special occasions or infrequent needs (formalwear, costumes, maternity).

6 Make sure everything is oriented in the same direction and hanging so that you can see it at a glance (Zampella hung my jeans on skirt hangers so that I could see the label, waistband and cut). Your goal is a "current working wardrobe" that allows quick decision-making each day.

7 The current season's clothes should be accessible; clothing for other seasons should be toward the back or stored properly elsewhere. Rotate clothes at the start of every season.

8 Find a good alterations specialist to help you with your "maybe" pile. Determine whether alterations are more cost-effective than replacements.

9 Donate unwanted items in good condition to charity. If a gently used item is in pristine condition, consider a consignment shop.

10 Now make a list of what you require for a functional wardrobe. Take the list, plus any items needing coordinates, when you go shopping.

Help With Shopping
I thought I was much too lowly to enlist the aid of a personal shopper. Not so, Zampella says. Her clients at Belk at SouthPark mall range in age from 30 to 70, and she helps them select clothes based on their body type, color preferences, lifestyle and specific needs (she's also able to work within a budget). To reach Zampella, call (704) 364-4251, ext. 8399. You'll make an appointment to try on clothes she has set aside for you, and won't be obligated to buy anything.Some other department stores and boutiques offer a personal shopping service at little or no charge. Call your favorite store to find out what its policy is.