A closet full of clothes, but nothing to wear. Just imagine that frustration is a thing of the past! That’s fine, says stylist and TikTok favorite Allison Bornsteinwho breaks patterns with her style system. She writes in her book how that works.
Allison Bornstein about her book Wear It Well
Stylist and closet therapist Allison Bornstein got the idea for her book Wear It Well. Reclaim Your Closet & Rediscover the Joy of Getting Dressed through a simple observation: Although her clients’ challenges were unique, they shared many of the same wardrobe dilemmas. Dilemmas that many of us struggle with. With thousands of individual sessions (you can also book a FaceTime session with her), and collaborations with celebrities such as Katie Holmes, she knows better than anyone the struggles surrounding putting together an outfit. ‘I think dressing yourself is not always an easy task, while what you wear determines how you feel for the rest of the day. In my book I wanted to share practical tips and tools to make putting together outfits fun and inspiring again.’
Find your personal style with the Three Word Method
A central theme in Wear It Well is rediscovering joy in dressing yourself and putting together an outfit. A tool for this is Bornstein’s viral Three Word Methoda concept that is central to her work. By choosing three key words that describe your style, you create an idea of who you are when it comes to fashion. This not only helps you make conscious clothing choices, but also develop a deeper understanding of your own style.
‘You really have to take the time to think about yourself Three Word Style to identify,” says Bornstein. ‘Once you have an idea of who you are and what you want to express, it becomes easier to filter trends and know what works for you and what doesn’t. We often forget that we can like and appreciate something on someone else, but that we don’t necessarily have to copy the exact same look. I think fashion goes deeper than people think; you really have to know yourself well to be able to express who you are. Shopping and consuming doesn’t necessarily take you to that place, you need introspection for that.’
The idea is that you choose three adjectives – one realistic, one aspirational and one emotional – that best reflect who you want to be. Start with the realistic word that reflects your current wardrobe by looking at the clothes you reach for often. Then you choose an aspiration word that represents your desired style direction, based on the styles you are attracted to. Finally, select an emotional word that describes how you want to feel when you wear your clothes. General terms such as ‘oversized’, ‘classic’, ‘casual’ and ‘chic’ are examples that fit this. Bornstein’s own three words, for example, are ‘1970’, ‘classic’ and ‘elegant’.
Another refreshing concept from Bornstein is hair Wrong Shoe Theory. It means that a contrasting shoe makes an outfit more interesting. Think of a classic ballerina with oversized jeans or a chunky boot with a mini dress. ‘Such a “wrong shoe” is often the secret ingredient that is still missing, the accessory that makes your outfit suit you more. It’s about combining what you already have in your wardrobe in a new way,” says Bornstein.
With these tips you can tidy up your wardrobe
Bornstein’s approach to fashion goes hand in hand with practical exercises and tips to become more aware of your wardrobe. It is one of her smartest methods AB Closet Editing Systemintended not only to clean out your closet, but also to gain insight into your own style and purchasing behavior. ‘You find your style by looking at what you already have. Ideally, your wardrobe should be a reflection of who you are. After all, you made the decision to buy everything in your closet.” However, this system shows that this is not always the case. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what items you have in your closet – if you never wear them, they aren’t part of your style. ‘You find your style by eliminating items that don’t suit you, creating an inspiring space filled with clothes that give you confidence and make you feel comfortable and empowered.’
What this method looks like? Step 1 is identifying yourself Regularsthe items you wear most often. These are not necessarily the clothes you like most, but the items you reach for again and again – for example, jeans and white T-shirts. You can then organize your clothes by category. This way you immediately get a clear picture of items that resonate most with your style. This way you discover whether your style is casual because you have a lot of T-shirts and jeans or chic because you often wear elegant dresses and trousers.
Step 2 consists of recognizing you Nevers – the items you never wear (anymore), regardless of whether you like them or not. Step 3 is to categorize these items into three sections: No (I never want to wear this again – this will not return to your closet), Not Now (I’m not ready to get rid of it yet, often clothing that has a special memory attached to it – these items also don’t go in your closet but are stored somewhere else), and How (you like it, but you don’t know how to wear it).
Step 4, called The Revivalis where you combine your favorite items with the pieces from the How category to breathe new life into them. Pairing these tricky pieces with clothes you wear often is the best way to make them feel like a regular part of your style. If you often wear jeans, combine a difficult item – for example a white blazer – with your favorite jeans.
Finally step 5, Organize: organize the remaining clothing items in your closet (often the neutral items, which you don’t necessarily wear all the time but often) by category and color and see if anything can be thrown away. Then you add your favorite Regulars and the pieces from the Howcategory, in the correct category and color section. This overview provides a source of inspiration for wearing your clothes in new and creative ways, allowing you to shop your own wardrobe, so to speak. You do this, among other things, by linking your three words to items from your wardrobe, in order to put together new outfits that strike the unique balance of your style.
Break your own shopping behavior
Bornstein’s work goes beyond just giving people advice about their wardrobe. Her system is a call to develop a deeper and meaningful relationship with your clothes. ‘It is inspiring to be able to express yourself through clothing and that is why it can be so difficult. By using my methods, you will regain control of your style and therefore of the clothes you like to wear because they give you a positive feeling. It Closet Editing System helps people not only to clean out their closet, but also to better understand their own style and purchasing behavior,” says Bornstein.
‘One of the most enlightening aspects of the system is looking at the items you never wear and finding a common denominator for them. That is not meant as a moment to judge yourself,” Bornstein emphasizes. ‘Seeing clearly which things you like to buy but never wear can really help to break purchasing habits. I’ve had clients realize they bought tons of floral dresses and then put them all on the Never– stack layers. This shows that they are attracted to a floral dress in the store, but that it is not something they actually like to wear. This way you are confronted with what you never attract. And that makes it clear that there is no point in buying more of it. With all those floral dresses in the closet, it only becomes more confusing when you get dressed. The nice thing is that clients are often relieved when their closet is emptier. This gives them a renewed interest in their beloved pieces, which ultimately means they shop much less often.’
That said, there is nothing wrong with trends and experimenting, says Bornstein. ‘I like trends. I think once you know your three words and understand your style, it’s easier to figure out how to incorporate trends into your style without looking trendy. A clear understanding of your style allows you to create a trend that suits you. Fashion is a way to express yourself. And that definitely includes a good dose of fun.’
