by Allison Hamilton-RoheWould you be surprised to know that creating your personal style can actually save you time? Getting dressed becomes easier, your weekly laundry becomes easier, shopping becomes easier, packing becomes easier, saying yes to opportunities becomes easier and saying no to things that drain your energy becomes easier. All significant time saved.

The funny thing is many women cite time as the reason they cannot engage with their personal style.

Women disproportionally shoulder domestic duties, care-giving and often are engaged in full- or part-time paid work on top of it all. Plus, it takes longer for women to feel “put-together” because the grooming standards for women are more time-consuming than they are for men. Add to that equation the fact that women make less than men and often spend more on products and services (even dry cleaning) than men and you have a situation that feels impossible.

You can feel beautiful and confident every day — no matter how time-crunched you are.

Personal style is the silver bullet. Invest your time up-front into creating your personal style and it will pay you the dividend of time and money saved in the long run. It will also lift you from feeling like life is a grind into feeling like you’re leading a life you enjoy.

It is magical!

How? Because when you create a personal style that showcases the amazing things you offer the world, you begin to remind yourself and others you were put on this planet for a reason – and it likely was not to load and unload the dishwasher! My clients have gotten promotions, started new businesses and taken their lives in completely different directions as a result of the work we have done together — all re-energized by the way they are showing up in the world.

Many of my clients come to me with wardrobes full of beautiful pieces with no idea how to put them together or mix them up into new looks. Does this sound familiar?

Do you spend time you don’t have before critical events trying to work pieces together and walk out the door feeling less-than fabulous, ruining your day or evening before it’s even begun?

Do you shop in emergencies for items you need and end up buying something –anything — that fits or “will do” just to tick the box?

Is your wardrobe full of items you never wear, but you don’t feel you can release them because the item is “okay” or even “good” quality?

If you said yes to any of the questions above, I want you to know you are not alone. In fact, guess what?

You don’t have to go through any of that ever again.

Even though I’m currently injured and it takes me much longer than normal to shower or get dressed, I spend no time choosing my looks. All I have to do is reach into my closet, pull out an outfit and get ready to go. I know exactly what goes with what and how to change up the look because I designed my wardrobe that way on the front-end. Everything works easily and efficiently.

This can be true for you, too!

How We Solve It:

• Create your personal style. Get clear on the colors, cuts, fabrication and patterning that work for you. Choose elements that evoke your core values through color, cut and fabrication to prime yourself to show up as the woman you want to become.
• Shop your closet. Give yourself a month to take a mirror selfie of each look. All you need is two weeks’ worth of looks plus looks for events like a funeral, wedding, casual party and night out. As you take your selfie, count how many colors, pieces and style elements exist in your look. Keep your number between 8–15. Note how you feel in each look. Experiment with your pieces. Listen and acknowledge compliments you receive. Release any items that don’t fit, are worn or torn or don’t feel good. Write down which pieces are missing or need replacing.
• Shop your needs. Set aside some time to shop for what you need. Decide on your budget and set your priorities before you go. Bring the pieces you need to match with you. Get to your favorite store when it opens. Take mirror selfies of each look. Once you’ve found your pieces, put them on hold. Take a coffee & snack break, scroll through your selfies and gut-check everything as you refuel. Return to buy only what you love and what is in your budget.
• Set up your wardrobe. Now that you have clear, completed outfits, organize your wardrobe so you can easily see how the pieces work together. You can hang your outfits together or group them by color or category — it just needs to make sense to you. Only hang what you will use. Put other seasons of clothing away. Hang special-occasion wear in a clothing bag to protect it from dust or sunlight.
• Enjoy! Observe how much easier your mornings are now that you have completed outfits to wear. Acknowledge the compliments that will start flowing your way. Note for yourself when an item is starting to show wear & tear and calmly add it to your shopping list. Set aside budget as you pay your bills so you can shop at the end of the season and fully leverage the sales. Celebrate how wonderful it feels to dress for your next event with plenty of time to spare!

Try It Yourself!

Above is the process I use every day with clients (and on myself) to create a wardrobe that works for your life, saves you time and money. There are many elements, tricks and tips we can employ to make this easier for you — these are the major ones. Personal style is a skill set you can learn. Try the above and see it if works for you. Let me know what you do with all the time you save!

READY TO START? TRY THIS:

Style Starts Now! Workshop (ON SALE $39): This is Personal Style 101. Learn everything you need to know about how to create your personal style. In this 90-minute virtual workshop, I will walk you through my personal style formula and how you can launch your personal style journey! Receive a workbook and MP3 Guided Meditation. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO