Spring Cleaning: The Closet Cleanse!

                                          photo courtesy of: picapp
 
Alas! Spring is here! 

Although, the weather lately has left me thinking otherwise, it is now the perfect time to clean out your closets to make room for all the amazing warm weather clothing that awaits you! Being addicted to clothing and shoes, I know how hard it is to sometimes let things go, but I promise you will feel such a grand sense of self fulfillment. Especially, if you donate to people or charity like me, giving back is so gratifying in itself that I can guarantee you will want to seasonally clean out your closet for a good cause. 


I have been getting a lot of phone calls lately to clean out my client's closets and I just cleaned out mine, which was SO exhausting, so I figured I would share a few tips so you can all clean out your own closets with ease to simplify your lives...guaranteed!


1. Ask yourself 3 important questions!
a. When was the last time I wore this?
b. Will I wear this any time soon?
c. Can it be replaced with something else?


Whenever I am getting rid of ANYTHING, these 3 questions arise and it really does make the process easier. I have literally teared over giving away designer shoes and clothes BUT the truth of the matter is..if they aren't being worn, toss 'em!


2. Color code!
Color coding is something I do with shoes! Having an addictive shoe personality, I own a ton of shoes. It gets overwhelming when I am getting dressed! Do I wear this one? Do I wear that one? Where are the purple ones? Sigh. It can become a serious headache! Color coding allows you to go straight to the color row and choose from that line. You will notice a difference in what your eyes zoom in on once you color code. Your eyes aren't glancing in every direction for which color would go with a certain piece. After color coding, you will notice your outfit will be chosen BEFORE you choose the shoes, as opposed to many other situations, where we pick our outfit AFTER the shoes.


3. Separate the likes!
I can't stress enough how much this will change the way you get dressed! Separating dresses, skirts, t-shirts, jeans, jackets, etc, allows for a stress free dress-up experience. Before my own personal closet cleanse, my t-shirts were scattered in my drawers and I literally couldn't find anything I was looking for. Now, I have folded everything neatly, hung the necessary clothing that would wrinkle, and I have a different section for each and every genre of clothing in my closet. My shoes however, have their own separate home ;)


4. Bathroom cabinets NOT excluded!
I am as much a product hoarder as I am clothing and shoes...as many girls are! Spring cleaning pertains to those cabinets too! DO NOT FORGET TO CLEAN OUT YOUR BATHROOM CABINETS! I went on a bathroom binge yesterday and threw out an entire garbage bag filled with makeup and old products I never use anymore! I never felt so good! I literally broke a sweat doing it! Of course, the entire time I was thinking to myself, "now what new products can I get tomorrow!? What new makeup do I need!?..." Ahhhh the mind of a glamour girl...works in mysterious ways, doesn't it?


xoLindsi

My Interview with Nina Garcia, Fashion Director of Marie Claire Magazine!

Hello Fashionistas!

Girls! Get excited...and jealous! I had the opportunity of a lifetime to interview fashion icon Nina Garcia, Fashion Director of Marie Claire Magazine and judge on Project Runway! Upon arriving to the Marie Claire offices in the Hearst building I was for the first time in a long time very nervous. "I am actually going to be sitting down with THE Nina Garcia", I thought to myself! "Will she like my outfit, will she like me..." (funny that the outfit came before me-haha!). I took a deep breath as I heard her coming towards the waiting room and as she said, "Lindsi", an instant calm took over me. She was not only so naturally beautiful and soft spoken, but there was a calm to her that made me feel like I had known her for years. Probably because I admitted to Nina that the day I interviewed to be the Stylist Intern at ELLE magazine four years ago, that SAME day I had seen her three times...once at the ELLE offices, once in a store not long after, and that same night at Il Buco restaurant. I had waited four years to tell her that and in some weird way I felt that life's forces had brought us back together in this moment.

She confirmed everything that I believed she'd be. Nina Garcia is a strong, classy, passionate woman who has made it to the top with her driven work ethic and killer style. And on a side note, I obviously had to tell her that I loved her INSANELY AMAZING Givenchy sandals ;) she shot me a huge smile and we both giggled.

LL: Nina, when did you become to passionate about fashion?

NG: I was always passionate. I think since, you know...I have memory or recollection of childhood. I was always in awe and fascinated by clothes and fascinated by designers so it was always something I took interest in.

LL: Did growing up in Colombia have anything to do with this passion of yours? Were you around fashion a lot?

NG: I think...my mother was very interested in fashion and she always had somebody come in and work on clothes for her. She was a big shopper and she cared very much about what she wore so I think that kind of rubbed off when I was little. I was fascinated with her closet and (chuckles) she kept that closet under lock and key. It was a big walk in so I think the more I couldn't get into the closet, the more that I wanted to get into the closet so it just fueled that curiosity.

LL: What is a little background on your career before getting into magazine?

NG: I went to college in Boston and did a liberal arts program. I really felt I had to do that to get a proper education. My dad really felt strongly about that and then I really wanted after that to focus on fashion. I went to fashion school. I did a lot of internships. And when young people ask me how to get into the industry I think that's the best advice I can give them is to try a lot of internships. It’s just the foot in the door, it's where you do your networking, and if you do a good job you get a sense of what is happening and it kind of narrows down what you like.

LL: What was the transition like going from being the Fashion Director of ELLE magazine to Marie Claire? Bittersweet, exciting, difficult..?

NG: Well, it actually has been a very happy transition because I had been at ELLE for a very long time and that cycle closed and this one opened. Marie Claire and Hearst have been a wonderful place to work and I have been very happy in this magazine. It kind of goes very much in tune with MY approach to fashion where it's about being smart, its about being savvy, knowing what to spend your money on as opposed to just splurging on things that will then sit in your closet so… it's just a smarter approach to fashion. So I am very happy.

LL: What was your reaction to being asked to be one of the judges for the hit show Project Runway? How has your experience been on the show?

NG: My experience has been fabulous. I love being part of that show. I love the fact that it's been so important in kind of opening up the door, this mystique that fashion has, and I think it has also brought to the attention of people what it really takes to be a designer and how difficult it is and serious this industry is. It's not as frivolous as people may think. It really is very serious and it really does require a lot of talent so…I was very happy to be a part of that show.

LL: You have written 3 books already, New York TImes Bestsellers, The Little Black Book of Style, The One Hundred, and The Style Strategy...more like "Lady Bibles" I like to call them. I love that you wrote The Style Strategy given the economic hardships we are going through. What is the best piece of advice you can give my readers regarding new purchases?

NG: You know...try to think longevity because I know that we are all very impulsive when it comes to fashion, myself included, but try to be a little more strategic when you shop and maybe when you do think about buying the jacket or the pants or the bag, think about what you already have. If you have at least already 3 things in your closet where you can make an outfit with a new purchase, I think then it's versatile enough that you will use it.

LL: Spring is here! What Spring essentials this season will be in YOUR closet?

NG: WOW! (chuckles). Well definitely, cargo pants are the big thing. I really think that will blow up enormous. So, cargo pants, anything military inspired. The jackets, the cargo pant. A lot of color for Spring. And in terms of footwear, I think its still about the flats or clogs.

LL: If you had to choose, which Spring essential should all the ladies own this season if they are on a budget?

NG: I always think that footwear is a good place to splurge because expensive shoes look expensive. If it’s that one thing that you have to buy that will easily get you into the trend of the season or update your look, I do think it has to be an accessory and I have to say footwear is it.

LL: Heidi Klum is on the cover of this months, April's, Marie Claire. She looks so radiant and beautiful! What advice can you give my readers about staying fresh faced and looking their best?

NG: Natural. It's about being natural...the less is more approach. In terms of beauty I really think that's important. Even if you do wear makeup its makeup to look like no makeup. And I think the same in terms of hair. I mean anything related to beauty. I do think that the more natural, the better it is.

LL: What does it feel like to be a fashion icon amongst a sea of so many stylish A-Listers? Who's style do you love?

NG: Oh boy! I don't feel like I am a fashion icon at all! (chuckles). Who do I think is stylish? Well...I hate to sound redundant but I do feel that Kate Moss epitomizes the 21st century woman in terms of her look. It's very eclectic, it's very natural, and it's very…its just very natural. There is a mix about her. The high and low, the vintage with the new. There is so much of that mix that she really exemplifies what is fashionable in the 21st century. She is that "IT" girl!

LL: What is in the future of fashion for Nina Garcia?

NG: Well, more Project Runway, more Marie Claire, more books. More of everything that I love. I am doing more of everything that I love. I love the magazine business, I love doing TV, and I love doing the book so...there will be another book coming out in September.

Is she not the coolest!?

xoLindsi

Lindsi Lane for NYP-Fashion Icon: Ryan Reynolds!

Hey Everyone!

Please check out last weeks NYP Fashion Icon article on Ryan Reynolds!

xoLindsi

Lindsi Lane for NYP-Fashion Icon: Cameron Diaz!

Hi Everyone!

Happy Friday! Please check out this weeks NYP Fashion Icon article on Cameron Diaz! Her style is just as amazing as her baby blues!

Have a great weekend!

xoLindsi