Making the Space Monday

14: Color Analysis and Closet Declutter with Guest Amy Casey

• Jackie • Episode 14

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My closet declutter was one of the most popular things I shared during my 30 Days of Decluttering series on Instagram! But here's what nobody tells you, decluttering doesn't automatically fix decision fatigue. I brought my dear friend Amy Casey, a color and style consultant with House of Colour, on to talk about what actually did.

In this episode we talk about:

  • Why I'd already had my colors done years before my closet declutter, and still ended up overwhelmed and over-consuming
  • The moment I found out I'm an autumn (and was a little devastated about it)
  • The real math behind my closet: 152 pieces, 90 tops, 32 bottoms, and 2,980 possible outfit combinations
  • Why 80% of people only wear 20% of what's in their closet
  • How color analysis becomes a filter that stops you from buying the wrong things
  • The difference between dressing to perform and dressing in alignment with who you actually are
  • Amy's advice on where to start if your closet feels like too much
  • Why this whole thing is really about values alignment, not vanity

Next step:
Curious about color analysis? Learn more at houseofcolour.com. And if you need a kickstart to declutter your closet, the One Space Reset Kit walks you through it step by step.

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Grab your FREE One Space Reset Kit here!

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Speaker 3

Okay, so out of my whole 30 days of decluttering, the closet was hands down one of my favorites, and also so many of the viewers. But here's the thing that nobody tells you. I had already had my colors done years before that closet declutter, and I still ended up overwhelmed, over-consuming, and standing there some mornings just staring at a closet full of clothes that all technically worked, but I couldn't figure out what to wear. Turns out color analysis has been such an evolution for me, so much more than just knowing what looks best on you. So today we're talking about all things color analysis, what it actually is, and what happens after you know your colors.

Speaker 4

I've brought on my dear friend Amy Casey from House of Color Waxhaw, North Carolina, because it turns out this whole thing is way more about values alignment than anyone tells you Welcome back to Making the Space Monday. I'm Jackie Peeke, and this is your Monday reset, helping overwhelmed moms make space for what matters most. And around here, that means making space in your home, your head, and your life So I'm really excited today to present one of my next guests, who's a very, very special friend of mine. Her name is Amy Casey, and she is from House of Color Waxhaw in North Carolina. And this is a really special episode for me because Amy has been one of my dearest friends for a very, very, very long time, and we actually have an interesting and I think kind of funny story to share about color analysis. If you know me, you know that I talk about color analysis probably all the time, to perfect strangers in the grocery store, to my closest friends and family. I've convinced anyone and everyone around me to do a color analysis. So this is gonna be a fun and very special episode. So Amy, I would love for you to introduce yourself and tell our listeners how you got started in color analysis and maybe even how you know me.

Amy (2)

Of course. Well, thank you first of all, Jackie, for having me on today. Um, gosh, we go way back. So, our kids brought us together, but certainly kept us together as friends over all of these years, I will say that although I had been aware of color analysis and I had something very similar done many, many years ago, many more years than I wanna admit, like 30 years ago you actually convinced me to have my colors done again about four years ago, so three or four years ago. So that experience, just like you, I kind of became a little bit addicted and very chatty about it and very excited about it, to the point where it kind of sparked a career change for me and led me to become a stylist and open my own business. and so I'm really happy to be on here to- today to help share some of my knowledge and some important tips and tidbits that I think can hopefully help your listeners.

Jackie

I love this, I wish people knew how much you and I actually talk about this. I feel like it's all the time. It is all the time.

Amy (2)

It's every

Jackie

We never get tired of it, because I think it has been that impactful. And so I, I like that you mentioned that about four years ago, right? Like, I had done my color analysis I think about three or four years ago now, and that was during a big life change for me. I had relocated. There was a lot happening in my life. I think I was shedding a lot of old parts of me and wanting to start anew. And also just being in my 40s, I really wanted something to make me feel myself again. And so a friend of mine had actually told me about this thing called color analysis, and of course, I went down the Google rabbit hole, and I found House of Color. And I could not have been more excited. I actually gave it to myself as a birthday gift, and it really was life-changing. And I say that every time I share this with someone, that doing your colors, having it done, understanding about what looks best on you, not just your colors, but also what you're wearing, is truly life-changing

Amy (2)

100%. That's, people think, "Oh, it's just because, I wanna look good," or, "I, I need to know what to wear for a certain event." But it's really something that as we know and as we experience talking about it literally every day, what are you wearing today? What accessories are you wearing with this? It's that just makes daily life so much easier. And, and honestly, it truly does impact so many areas of, of our lives that we don't even realize as we are just starting the journey, as we get further along in our own personal style journey and really figure out what feels natural and authentic to us, especially as we do get older, especially as we focus a little bit less maybe on fads. Fads are very short-lived. Trends are slightly longer. Like the skinny jean, that was a trend. That was, like, five to seven years.

Jackie

Yes.

Amy (2)

and go, right? And, they all come back, right? Bell-bottom... these things all come back. But as we focus on, what's really going to honor our body, our skin tone, all of those things right now at every point in our lives as we go through changes. You and I both experienced having our colors done kind of as we were coming out of that post-COVID lull of, living in leggings and T-shirts and staying home and not seeing people and, maybe not really even wearing makeup, just not focusing on those things as much. And as we reentered society and kind of emerged from

Jackie

Yes.

Amy (2)

caves of our houses and things like that, it, it all of a sudden became and not just important, but exciting to focus on ourselves again. And so whether that's because of something like COVID or early motherhood, we focus a lot on our children and not ourselves. We give so much of ourselves to other people. We spend so much time on everyone else and less time on ourselves that, this experience for me and, and for a lot of my clients, and I'm pretty sure for you too, Jackie, has, reminded ours- all of us that we can spend those extra five minutes get ready, to put on a few minutes of makeup, one minute of jewelry or accessories, and we can take that time and look put together and just really help ourselves feel more confident about how we present ourselves and, and, how we face our day. So, I think that's something that's really empowering for a lot of, just women, a lot of people who do go through this process. Men too, and children.

Jackie

Yes. I love, love, love everything that you just said, and we're gonna talk about so many of these points in today's episode. But really this whole idea of doing the color analysis, I didn't even realize that it would actually create space in my life for me to focus on the things that are truly, really important to me. So it is a values driven, I guess, activity that someone can do for themselves. So we're talking about being, at this age and stage with our kiddos and our lives that we're actually making space for our self-care in a different type of way, and doing color analysis, style analysis really has been a way for me to, like, kind of find myself again and take care of myself in a different way. And to your point, coming out of the, the COVID era, is that I was living in T-shirts, leggings, and no makeup, and my hair was just pulled up or under a baseball cap, and now I feel so much more put together and like me again, like I've arrived, right? So I know a lot of my listeners are probably wondering, what is color analysis? It's a buzzword. We see a lot of things online. So if you can tell us a little bit more about just the process. What can people expect with a color analysis?

Amy (2)

Sure. Well, color analysis is based in color theory and color science, and the very short version of an answer is that we look at a, a client's skin tone in the mirror with natural light, no false lighting, and we compare different colors, swatches, drapes on them to determine essentially the undertones in their skin and what colors will support their undertones and help them look their absolute best. So that relates to not just clothing but makeup, jewelry, accessories to help support their natural skin tone, but also so that then everything can harmonize and work well together. So, for example, if, if once you figure out your season and you're, you're told your color palette, if you begin to wear... and it takes time, it is a process, but as you begin to wear most of the colors in your specific seasonal palette, then everything within that palette will harmonize and will work together. So you can easily mix and match items so you can save not just time and energy getting ready, but save money and save time shopping because it takes all of that guesswork out of the experience. And then anything from not just getting ready, in the morning to face your day or go to work or whatever it is, but ready to go on a long weekend, a trip, something like that. When everything in your closet can mix and match, you can just easily grab five tops, five bottoms, and you have 25 potential outfits to go for a long weekend, bring it in a carry-on, and who would imagine? I was the overpacker queen. I was the person buying extra suitcases, right? I was the one at the airport taking stuff out and loading it into carry-ons that I was buying at the gift shop in the airport. I was that person, I am not that person anymore, and it's-- that's a really good feeling. There are lots

Jackie

It truly is

Amy (2)

and really good results, but that is... that's a really good one. Not like being scared when they put it on the scale at the airport yeah.

Jackie

Yes. Actually, it's funny that you mention that because I actually really enjoy packing now, and I think anybody that's had a color analysis or style analysis done can agree with this, that packing is actually so much fun to go on vacation because everything does work together. And to lay it all out and see the colors harmonize, oh, it is like There's nothing like it.

Amy (2)

It's the best. It is the best.

Jackie

It really is

Amy (2)

jewelry, your jewelry, your, your bags, your accessories, your shoes, like all of it, there's no "Oh, what should I, what should I bring to, to wear with that outfit?" You can still do that for fun, but you know you can grab any of your jewelry, you can grab any of your shoes. Like it, it, it, it will all work, right? And it's not to say it doesn't matter, but it makes it easy, right? Because

Jackie

It does

Amy (2)

you're just confident in the fact that it can all work together.

Jackie

So funny story here. I thought for sure that I was a particular color season when I went in for my color analysis, but at the same time, for 20-plus years, I never felt good in what I was wearing. Like, I was convinced that these were the right colors and the right styles for me, but yet I would have the darndest time trying to pick out clothes and matching things. I just never felt right. Like, something just always felt off, so when I went in to have my colors done, I actually found out that I am an autumn, and I was slightly devastated because I never thought that I would ever have been an autumn. And kind of sad to break up with black, gray, and white because I think that's just what I leaned into. I think what a lot of people lean into, right? When you walk into the stores, it's just,, I don't know, sometimes kind of boring, right? I, today I'm wearing my autumn athleisure outfit, and I can go into my closet and pick out top and bottoms, and I know they are always going to work no matter what it is, and I love that feeling. Do you get the same feeling when you go into your closet?

Amy (2)

most of the time. And here's why. I give people advice on managing their closets all the time. I can help clients by going into their closets, but I will be honest with you, just like you are honest with your listeners and on your Instagram, that sometimes we don't always practice what we preach. And sometimes my closet is too overcrowded, not organized in a way that's gonna help me find everything that I wanna find, and that has been my experience this summer, because there were a few days when I don't know if it was April, May, like the weather here is insane. So there are days when I was having the heat on in the morning, the air conditioning on in the daytime, and the heat on at night. So I was like, "Well, when do I put all my sweaters and my sweatshirts away?" Like when do I put the kind of winter stuff aside? Like that's, that's my best practice for keeping my closet organized.

Jackie

Yeah

Amy (2)

it-- things were so crazy and then it didn't happen and now in my closet and I'm like, "I know better than this. I, I help people with this and I need to, follow my own guidance right now." So sometimes we are our own worst clients I guess, if I can say that. But it is amazing 'cause I, I love what you said also that, it's-- it doesn't have to be just because you're dressing up to go out for a dinner out or a date night or to a special event, like it can be your athleisure. Took me a while, but now even my pajamas are like all in my season because when I

Jackie

Yes, me too.

Amy (2)

right? Like you can't unsee it and when I'm wearing colors I shouldn't be wearing, I still have a couple T-shirts and things that just are like for hanging out, cleaning the house, cooking because I don't wanna get my newer things in my season, kind of grungy. But look at myself in a color that's not one of my colors and I don't like what I see. Like I can tell that I don't look my best. I don't look healthy. depending on the color I look like I kinda got punched in the eye, so I'm like, "Okay. Well, is just reminding me that when I do want to feel better about myself, more confident," if I'm leaving the house for whatever reason, like I'm gonna put on something that does work for my in my skin, that does help me feel better and look better.

Jackie

So I also feel like the closet got a little overwhelming for me this spring, and mine was just I got really excited. I'll be honest. Even though I was devastated to be an autumn, I have grown to love being an autumn, and I will walk into stores and almost over-consume. I really do think I went through a season of over-consumption. I just got so excited when I'd find something that was one of my best colors. I would buy it, even if it wasn't something that I loved the style, it didn't fit me great, and these things just started to add up in my closet. And so this spring when I walked in there, it's man, there is so much stuff in here that I am not wearing. And I started to feel really guilty about it. So this is why we're having this episode. This is definitely the sequel to The Closet Declutter, 'cause I did a 30-day journey. Some of you may remember this if you're listening, that days one through 30 I went through all of the nagging spaces in my home and I decluttered every single area in about 15 minutes or so. And the closet was the one that had the most views, the most responses, and people just loved it. I think it really speaks to so many of us that we're overwhelmed. We walk in there and we're not sure what to do, which leads me to this part about decision fatigue. I think that's what I was experiencing.

Amy (2)

Mm-hmm.

Jackie

think about making space in my life for the things that are most important to me, I don't wanna stand staring in my closet. Sometimes, I'm not kidding you, Amy, I would stand there and look at my clothes for 10 to 15 minutes straight. And the crazy thing is I knew every color worked, everything fit, right? But I was still so overwhelmed with the decision that I would get frustrated and then just grab another pair of leggings and top, in my colors of course,

Amy (2)

Right

Jackie

and just go back to the same template that I had been so used to. So I really do feel like knowing your colors and actually shaving it down to what works best really helps cut back on that decision fatigue so that in the morning We're busy moms. We don't wanna spend, 45 minutes, an hour getting ready. At least I don't. I want a quick, easy routine so that I can start my day and do the things I really want to enjoy doing

Amy (2)

Absolutely. And you are truly not alone in that experience and that struggle. We all have been there at certain points or are there to certain degrees a lot of the time. Even when you go through a lot of this journey into your own personal style, it is still a journey and it's a work in progress. I tell people all the time, and I remind myself of this all the time because my closet still is a work in progress. And we all go at different paces, and that's okay. And it's fine that this is truly a work in progress, because what are we trying to achieve? First of all, in my opinion we're trying to figure out what is true and authentic to ourself. We are not trying to be anyone else anymore, especially as you reach a certain age. And it's all about figuring out how do we make our closet reflect who we are and who we are right now. Maybe not who we were there are still times when I go back and I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I've had this since college." College was in the '90s. Those days are over. I know it doesn't fit, or if it does, it's because it was way too oversized back then. There's no need for me to have that, I don't... It's not serving me anymore. I don't need to keep it. I can take a picture or I can try to find a picture of me wearing it from college and I can be happy to say, "Okay, this is moving on."

Jackie

Yes

Amy (2)

I think the other thing about what happens when we look in our closet or when we're buying new items, because you mentioned that whole idea of overconsumption, and this is common. People get very excited when they start this type of journey, whether they have their colors done or not. could just be that they're deciding and making kind of their own executive decision of, "Hey, I'm gonna clean out my closet. This is gonna be my focus for this next month," or whatever it is. I'm gonna really pay some attention and put some time into this." We can look great on the outside and people get compliments. You find a nice outfit and it might look amazing, that doesn't mean that it feels amazing or that we feel great in it, right? Because the feeling feeling really good in something And not just because someone gives us a compliment and says, "Oh, you look amazing," 'cause that maybe doesn't matter. The true feeling of feeling good is from that sense of authenticity because your clothes and your style starts to reflect who you are on the inside, and because it works for you and your lifestyle. And our lifestyles are always changing. Just like we mentioned, we all had a different lifestyle during COVID.

Jackie

Yes

Amy (2)

you

Jackie

know Right

Amy (2)

We're we're all developing and in the years since then if we looked back at every single year and we took the time at least once a year to to really go into our closets and to really say Okay I've gone through an entire year That's four seasons like calendar seasons but it's also an entire year and an entire season so to speak of our of my life right So now it's time to go back through that closet and think about all of these items that I have in here now still Necessary are they still serving me Do they really reflect who I am Do they reflect how I want people to see me reflect how I wanna come across in my daily life again it could be oh you have this beautiful fancy dress or suit or something that looks phenomenal and you might get lots of compliments but if you feel uncomfortable and that is just not you it unless you need that for a specific formal event or a work event or something like that we know when we don't feel like we are in our own skin when we're wearing something when we physically feel uncomfortable but also just feel out of place wearing a certain outfit right And so the idea is looking at the things that we have getting to the point where we can say I'm gonna set a goal for myself I recognize that I don't wanna overcrowd my closet because the reality is if you can't see what you have you can't find it then you're never gonna wear it what's the

Jackie

So true. So true. Yep

Amy (2)

And and truly this is what's gonna make us all feel better when we hear the statistic of people so that's of us right 80 of people wear only 20 of the clothes that they have in their closet

Jackie

Whoa

Amy (2)

20 right And so okay if we're wearing the same 20 of things on repeat like we have to wonder why Is it because we're too lazy to put it away so it's just like sitting in a pile on a chair in the bedroom we just throw it right back on cause we're in a hurry Or is it because rest of our closet the other 80 of everything we own doesn't work for us for whatever reason it causes that decision fatigue that mental overload like you were mentioning It causes us to waste time and stare at things and then feel bad who wants to open their door in their closet or walk into their closet or open their drawers see things Maybe a bunch of the things have tags on them or you know you haven't worn it and you're just looking at it and it's like staring back at you making you feel bad about yourself We don't need that There's no need right We don't need to feel bad about ourselves The idea is that we wanna keep the clothes reflect us but also that fit us in every way like physically fit us right now this season not the person we used to be not the person we hope to be this is something I struggle with personally a lot because with menopause and everything that's going on for it's like something fit me last week and today I'm bloated and now it doesn't fit So right And there's something to be said about giving yourself some room depending on your situation But if something hasn't fit in three years do we really need to keep it So there's a difference right

Jackie

Yes

Amy (2)

And making sure that it really is something is useful to have in there So If you take the time quarterly every six months once a year to purge through and you're finding that you have clothes in there the zipper is broken the hem is torn Oh it was thrown in the back because it needs to be altered and forgot about that and it's been sitting there for a year never got altered are all types of things I constantly am telling people Okay think about why you have this Do you need this You didn't care enough to get it altered right away Do you have something that's serving in the place of this one item if this is your fourth black shirt that is the same kind of style why are you keeping this one right Like

Jackie

Yes

Amy (2)

many things do we really need Let's think about that right Because more is not always better and usually less is more And I feel like that's something you've kind of discovered when you went through your closet purge and do you feel that that you have and you can see what you have that you can use it all in a better way

Jackie

It's been crazy, yes, because not only did I make the physical space, it's always a goal, right? I always wanna have a little bit more room in my closet. So I made the physical space, but just the mental space of knowing I don't have the decision fatigue. It's so much easier to see the things that actually work for me right now, and I'm so glad that we're talking about not just the color season, but the season of life that we're in because I noticed I did have some things in there. I kind of fell into the Sunday pieces or the aspirational purchases. I was buying all these things that were, I don't know, not like dress-up nights, like you were saying, but

Amy (2)

Mmhmm

Jackie

a little bit more elevated than everyday wear. And I was like, "Jackie, what the heck are you doing? You're a busy mom. You're going to see sports, pick up, drop off." I'm not wearing that kind of stuff all the time. I think I wanna wear that all the time.

Amy (2)

Yes

Jackie

I look at pictures and think, "Oh, that would be so cute if I was that put-together mom, buzzing around town," and that's not actually who I am or how I even wanna feel, right? And I was reaching for those same pieces over and over. And I wanna mention some interesting math here about the closet clean-out because I really wanna track this data better, to your point about doing this whether it is quarterly or twice a year, maybe even monthly, whatever it might be. I want to pay attention to what am I actually buying, what do I actually feel my best in, and maybe even come up with a system of the things that I'm not wearing and see when was the last time I wore it.

Amy (2)

That is a great idea I often encourage clients based on what they have in their closet if they already have a system to know what they're wearing But to figure out a system to know what they are but really what they are not wearing whether that's putting things in a different section of their closet whether it's turning their hangers a different way I do recommend that clients have all uniform hangers it could even be that part of their system is okay once I wear something I'm putting it on my good hangers and then they'll recognize all the old hangers that maybe don't match are the things they haven't worn a really long time for whatever reason Now we have to also think about climate and seasons and when I lived in Arizona there wasn't a huge amount of temperature variation Here where I live now in North Carolina can have four seasons in one day I have to own unfortunately more things than I would probably like to own but You know in your situation with the climate where you live you may not have to have quite as many things so it may not feel like you have as much to kind of with in terms of types of garments But it can be very very overwhelming So I totally agree with you that we need to really be cognizant of what we are and are not wearing and figure out what those things are and kind of like you said keep track of it somehow

Jackie

Yes, and I have some crazy numbers and math here. And I think, Amy, you know what my closet looks like generally, and I shared a bit of this on Instagram when I had done the actual declutter. I like to put everything in a rainbow, so everything is based on color, not necessarily based on the type of clothing, but I have tops and bottoms separated. But I took everything out of my closet, everything out of my drawers, dressers. Anything that was a piece of clothing, I made myself count it. And are you ready for these numbers? 'Cause this is kinda wild. I had 152 pieces of clothing. That might sound like a lot, and it may not sound like a lot to some people, so depending on where you're at, right? So I had 152 pieces of clothing. I had 90 tops and about 32, bottoms that I found, and there's probably more in the laundry, so this number is probably bigger. So because I've had my colors done and everything pretty much does work together, that made 2,980 possible outfit combinations, and that totally blew my mind. Then I thought, oh my gosh, it would take me... doing the math, I was like, "It would take me eight years to wear everything before I actually repeat a outfit if I was really creative and I swapped everything out." But something else I learned from this is that why the heck do I have 90 tops? Like, I over-consumed and had way too many tops and not enough bottoms. And I truly have enough bottoms. I did shave that down. I do not have that many pieces of clothing because I got rid of, I would say, at least a third of it at this point. But I'm still working

Amy (2)

That's amazing Well so something that we haven't really talked about yet and that I think people don't really think of I think there's kind of a almost a sense of fear maybe like um that people may think and I have I've heard this from a few clients before like Well if I pare down what I have if someone recognizes that I'm wearing the same thing

Jackie

that's interesting

Amy (2)

Personally I'm like Who cares But for some people that doesn't feel good for them But here's what I say to that First of all my biggest tip is other people aren't looking that hard and they probably don't care

Jackie

True.

Amy (2)

and that's like an us thing right but the real important thing is that something as small as changing your accessories right Changing your jewelry having a different pop of color with that same shirt that maybe you wore last week having a different color purse with it even changing your makeup having different jewelry a different denim jacket over it a different cardigan something like that can completely change your look And those things will become the focal point not the color shirt you wore with all of that Does that make sense

Jackie

Yeah

Amy (2)

People when they see you they're not just Unless they specifically say Wow I love that shirt That's amazing some of the items that we have are much more obvious Maybe it's a really unique print or a very specific color but we can still wear those things in different ways And who in the world the money or the closet space to wear something different every day who really has 365 tops right

Jackie

So

Amy (2)

you know it's about that combination Like you said like we can mix and match these items but also we can mix and match all of those accessories jewelry everything that goes with it for a completely different look even the shoes what people notice and see is just your general vibe of wow like she really looks put together what

Jackie

Yeah

Amy (2)

the impression versus Oh I think she wore that shirt two weeks ago People are more concerned about if they wear the same shirt themselves last week you know So I just find that all really really interesting and I think that Like you said if if we're considering our lifestyle top of all of these other things we have got to make it work for us So having you know a a hundred tops and 50 bottoms okay well let's look at how those break down into categories So like you mentioned like you're running errands you're going to a sports game you're going to this that Maybe there's an occasional special event or a date night If we can think about those percentages essentially if we're gonna talk numbers and math like we think about okay well of my time is spent the car This is me personally I would say 75 of my time is spent in the car driving kids around or waiting for kids at soccer practice or things like that So am I gonna wear uncomfortable fancy clothes in that situation just like you mentioned No So I want 50 of my wardrobe to be comfortable and to be something that I can still out of the car if I have to run into the grocery store and not be embarrassed if I have to step out of the car to get gas I still need to be able to appear in public but I still wanna be comfortable The reality is if I was going to a job where I was in a highlevel corporate job and I had to be there 900 to 500 seven days a week five days a week whatever it is my percentages would look much much different So I think when we're looking at numbers like you mentioned also thinking about all of those different kinds of categories and those different hats that we wear and the roles that we play in our lives we have to think about that too when we're really trying to figure out how do we pare down numbers of items right Does that make

Jackie

Yes. Yes. And this is why this episode is so, special to my heart, is that this really is about values alignment, right? Because it may seem silly. What do colors and dressing your best have to do with your life values? But truly I value the time with my family and my kids and going to these activities, just like you do, right? And to be in alignment means I wanna be feeling my best. I want to be comfortable. I wanna be able to show up and not feel my worst. And so it is important to dress within values alignment, and that's exactly what happened. It hit me when I went through my closet, and I was like, "I'm in misalignment here." This is literal values misalignment. This does not align with who I am, the season I'm in with my family, and why am I collecting all of this other stuff that is actually making me feel really guilty? So I do think it's, to zoom out a bit, it is a lot about values alignment, right?

Amy (2)

Absolutely And the value could also be there's the excitement of going shopping right And and that can be that can be either fun for a lot of people or it can be miserable for a lot of people And everybody's different However what I try to tell people is to always shop from your closet first because me and everybody's values are Some people they they just want to go s that's what they wanna spend their money on and that is absolutely fine And I'm giving them the tools to spend the money on and the permission okay you're gonna If you buy less you can spend more money on each particular item because it's higher quality it's gonna last longer you're gonna get more wear out of it before it starts to show signs of needing repair or needing to be replaced and that's fine However for some of us who maybe are on a budget or we just don't w that's not where we feel compelled to spend our money right now at this stage in our lives maybe we have kids who are heading to college or we have kids who are into very expensive sports and that's where all of our money goes and so we mean that's where I spend a lot of my money So um I feel like if we teach people to shop first in their own closets but also to value less and using what we have then almost like the the act of shopping becomes because we're simply filling in gaps right We're

Jackie

Yes

Amy (2)

and just mindlessly going through racks at the store even if it's our style or our color or it it feels great on But if if we already have some of those same types of pieces that gonna fill a need Is that gonna fill a gap in our closet No maybe we don't need that the other thing I tell people is to think about the maintenance When we were talking about our own lifestyle we have to also think about the lifespan of a garment right So am not going to go buy items for me that need a lot of maintenance If I cannot wash it if I have to bring it to the dry cleaner and it's something I think I wanna wear often that's just not happening I don't have time in my life and my schedule to be going to the dry cleaner every week So um I don't value that If it works for people great Just be aware of it That's what I always tell people Can you handle the maintenance of those types of clothes If you can go for it all in But if you cannot think about what works best for For your lifestyle because again what are we sacrificing beyond money Our time and our energy right

Jackie

And I totally agree with that, that it really does need to be in alignment. I'm thinking about just being more of a conscious consumer, and so when I was over-consuming, that was out of alignment. The time and energy that you just spoke about, I, I don't have time. I don't have the funds. I just dropped something at the dry cleaner this week 'cause I needed to, and I was mind-blown how much it was for four pieces of clothing. And I thought I can't do this all the time, but they were garments that needed to be sent there. But it does take a lot, more than people actually realize. And then I think the guilt just brews in the background when these things aren't being maintained or managed, and they're just sitting there piling up

Amy (2)

Just like the items in our closet that have tags on them that pile up all of these things signify like it it almost tells us that we've done something wrong We haven't We haven't done anything wrong but we can make better choices going forward So

Jackie

Yes

Amy (2)

a lot like I and this was me before I was like Oh my gosh it's on sale or Oh it's a great price especially if I'm like at Ross or at TJ Maxx or something like that and I'm like It's only 15 or it's only 19 Well that 19 doesn't sound like a lot but if that's one of the items that's sitting in my closet with a tag on it completely wasted that 19 right

Jackie

So

Amy (2)

how good of a deal is that when I've never worn it So I try to remind people like You have to it if you're if you're trying to consume less and you're trying to figure out how you wanna be a little more conscious of your spending habits whatever it is Less is more but also the things that we are gonna spend our our money on we should really make them be like 9 out of 10s or 10 out of 10s maybe if something's an 8 out of 10 and we need it just for a special occasion and we're in a super big hurry we just find out we need something for this weekend okay well an 8 out of 10 might be good enough Are you gonna get a lot of use out of that Maybe not But you know again if something's on sale I always say if you're not gonna pay full price for something be willing to pay even more than full price because it's a 9 or a 10 out of 10 don't buy it if it's on sale because it's not a great deal cause you're probably not gonna wear it right

Jackie

Yeah

Amy (2)

so again that's those are those little things that spark those thoughts of guilt and those the the negative feeling that we get when we open our closet we don't want to have that We don't need to have that So again if we can avoid those like oneoff pieces that we see and I think you kinda alluded to this before when you were like Gosh I want to be that person I wanna wear that cute outfit out all the time I wanna be That's how I wanna look but the reality is my lifestyle doesn't support that So that's great for occasionally date night vacations whatever it is But we have to really be honest with ourselves about how often we're going to wear something because if we're going for some of those items that it's just something that we feel like Oh maybe we'll wear this once how is that gonna work with the rest of what we have in our wardrobe So I always say that something should be really versatile so that it can work many different aspects of our life like when we think about all those parts of our lifestyle and all those roles we wear but that it also should be really flexible in terms of how many things in our closet it will already go with So again the more we can be honest with ourselves and really shop smart and be really specific and targeted when we go shopping we'll be less inclined to just buy anything and everything because we like it or because the color's right for us or whatever the reason may be

Jackie

Gosh, Amy, there's so many good nuggets that we've covered in this episode so far, and I feel like all of them deserve their own separate episode because there, there's a lot under this. It is so much more than just knowing your colors, like I said. This really goes so much deeper, and it's why you and I love talking about it so much and why you've made it your career, right? That this really is life-changing. So if anybody were really thinking about where do I start, what do I do, I think if maybe coming from both seats, right? From somebody that is actually doing the color analysis and for me as a decluttering coach and someone who's worked with clients for over a decade about holding onto stuff and the emotional guilt I would love to hear your perspective, Where would you encourage people to start if they don't even know what to do first?

Amy (2)

That's a really great question And I tell people this all the time because I've had clients want me to just come and do a wardrobe edit come into their closets knowing their colors without knowing their style And I will tell them I'm gonna give you tips that you can do before you come see me Because can just tell someone Okay go into your closet If it doesn't fit get rid of it Right Like and and really fit if you haven't worn it in three years and you don't think it's If you had four kids since then and you haven't worn it since before you got married something like that if it's really not gonna fit again let's be honest about it and get rid of it if you wear it you'll put it on and you take it right back off cause something doesn't feel right and it's the thing that always gets tossed back on the floor in the closet and you actually have never worn it out of the house get rid of it You keep trying never makes it so it doesn't need to stay right if it's broken if it's tattered if it's if anything like that and if you're not gonna do the maintenance on it get rid of it and like you can start with those really simple easy things to kind of pare down If you This was my problem If you have 36 pairs of black pants of all different styles and some of them have dust on it like when they they're folded over the hanger and the hanger has the li layer of dust over it

Jackie

Oh yeah, I just found some.

Amy (2)

Yeah exactly I have no idea how long it's been since I took those off the hanger so I don't need them then the elastic's kind of like creaky and breaking as if there's anything like that those are the signs The signs tell you that they are no longer necessary in your life and it doesn't have to be something that is overwhelming I think you give people really great advice And I'm guilty of this myself I'm like I need a whole day to do this whole project cause I need to be able to finish it It doesn't have to be that stressful and it doesn't have to be that large of a project It could be like what you tell people to do spend 15 minutes get done what you can do in 15 minutes all the things that are duplicates in 15 minutes or just go in and find know whatever things you can find that are ripped or broken or haven't need to be altered or whatever in 15 minutes So I think taking it piece by piece and step by step would be a great place to start If you are able to invest in yourself in color analysis style analysis all of these things are investments that really do end up paying for themselves in the long run when you save the money on the over purchasing and things like that

Jackie

Mm-hmm. True.

Amy (2)

the wrong things right

Jackie

Yeah

Amy (2)

that is another great place to start I always tell clients to start with a color analysis because then for me when I had my color analysis done and I know you had a similar experience maybe not as dramatic as mine but I got rid of oh my gosh Jackie I probably got rid of 80 70 of what I had in my closet Like many many huge outdoor garbage bags full of clothes that I had move we had moved so many times and I all of these this clothing around across the country and across the world when we lived internationally because I just didn't know what to keep and what to get rid of and I couldn't make the decisions myself I just I didn't know what to do But the second I knew my season and I had my color fan and I could a tool to be able to tell me yes or no I was like Oh this is easy And in one weekend 80 or so of my stuff was gone It probably would've been more but I would've had no clothes right I had to do a little shopping to have

Jackie

Yeah

Amy (2)

But in that time I did I panic shopped and I bought things that still to this day have clothes on them They are now my examples of what not to do because it turned out they didn't really fit my clothing personality my style and my body type and things like that But um you know having a simple starting point and just giving yourself permission really just say It's okay that I get rid of some of this I don't need to hold onto all of it I am actually not wearing all of this it's that

Jackie

Yes

Amy (2)

honesty that I think really helps right

Jackie

And I think that's the thing, is that we do need to learn how to give ourselves permission to let go. Whatever we are decluttering in our lives, that we have to be really honest. So I wanna invite everybody, go take a walk to your closet. Open it up, walk in your closet if you have a walk-in closet, and just look at what's in there. And really just think about what's before me? What is the feeling that this brings up? Is there a lot of guilt? I think people get emotionally attached to their clothes like they do with other things in their lives. And so just be real honest with yourself. What do I feel like when I look at this? And also then just pare it back to what season am I in right now, right here in my life? What is actually in alignment, and what's in misalignment? Because when we're in misalignment, we're just gonna feel a little clunky from the start in the day. Let's be real. We all get dressed and put clothes on every day, right? So it's a big part of who we are and how we function every single day, so it really does matter. It does matter, and for a lot of people, it is the starting point of your day. And for me, when I say it has been life-changing, I truly mean that. So if you have a closet that is full of all this stuff, you do not know where to begin, I think that color analysis is a great opportunity, because it does give you a framework. And to all the points that we talked about today, right? Is that you know what works for you. It actually does save money, so I know I'm in a season of wanting to save money, and this has actually allowed me to scale back on my spending, because I know what works, right? So there's a lot of benefits of doing this, and it doesn't take a lot of time. I love what Amy shared here. It's just 15 minutes. Everybody knows I kinda swear by this method. Just take 15 minutes and start in small spurts, and at least start decluttering what's in there now. And when you have an opportunity to do your color analysis, your closet will be ready for you

Amy (2)

I love it That's great Absolutely

Jackie

Okay, Amy, so I wanna wrap up today's episode with just a fun little thing here, and I wanna know, what was the best thing that has come out of doing color analysis for you personally?

Amy (2)

Well, obviously for me as a client, when I learned my own colors and all of that, like I mentioned, saving time and energy, and it, it really did help instill a sense of confidence, and it truly allowed me to be who I authentically feel that I am. I felt like I was always probably comparing myself to my mother in a sense. And maybe this is a common thing. You could tell me this, Jackie, but, I always felt like if I didn't wear the Talbott suits or the, fancy or more classic clothing, that I didn't deserve to be 50 years old and, and a business owner and all of these things, right? I felt like I didn't look the part, or I had to play a certain part, even though that really felt inauthentic and not like me. It just did not match my personality. It didn't work for my body type. There were just so many different things that impacted that. And then going through this whole process and just starting my business at the same time and beginning to help people and all of my clients and the wonderful women who I met along the way, and a few men and going through this journey with them has really such an amazing blessing, not just to get to know all of them and have them, put that trust in me, but also continue to develop my own sense of style because it is a journey, and realizing that I don't have live in pearls and diamond studs and things like that, that I can have my own fun jewelry and it's okay, and I'm still acting my age, and I can still be professional. All of that just such that sense of permission to really be myself and allow myself to just truly develop in that way and have that sense of confidence. So that has been the best part for me. I'm just gonna say that 50 is the new 30, and so that's gonna help me feel better about all of that. But, we get to these stages in our lives, and we feel like we're supposed to be something specific, and we're supposed to look a certain way or act a certain way, and given me permission to just be myself through all of it, and that is truly the best part for me.

Jackie

I cannot agree with you more, and I feel totally the same. That I have been able to, I think, just discover parts of myself that I knew were in there, and that I'm allowed to express them in a way that feels aligned with me. Right now in my life, if you walk into my closet, it's been fully decluttered for the most part. We're still whittling away at a couple of things. But when you walk in there, it actually, it tells you the story of me, and people that know me well, they know that I have a lot of polka dot pieces because I love Minnie Mouse, right? That I have all my favorite band T-shirts in my greatest colors. That it tells a story, and it feels so good to dress as me and not someone else, as you were saying, right? That I feel put together. I feel, I even feel energized. I remember going through this process, sitting in that chair, getting my colors done, and actually feeling like everything brightened up immediately from the inside out, right? Not just on the outside. I wasn't glowing outside 'cause of the right colors, but I literally felt like it woke something up inside of me, and I do think it is that confidence, that authenticity that we carry every day, and that is contagious. People pick up on it, we're modeling it. I love being able to model that confidence to my children, and it's like the gift that keeps giving, right?

Amy (2)

100%. Oh, absolutely, every day. And we remind ourselves of that every day as we're getting ready. And sometimes still I'm like, "No, I'm just going to soccer. I'm not gonna put on that necklace or those bracelets." And then I'm like, but they're fun and they're me, and that's my fun part of being me, so I'm gonna put on the bracelet. I don't have to not put on the bracelets," right? And so

Jackie

Yeah

Amy (2)

that constant reminder and that evolution of who we are, and we don't ever have to stop evolving in our own personal style journey, because it is truly a journey

Jackie

Yes. And I just wanna thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming on today and sharing with all of my listeners about this journey. It's been so fun to talk with you today. But I just wanna say that I've really enjoyed going through this the last several years with you, that we can talk about this. When we say we talk about it all the time, we really do, and it's so much fun. And all my other friends and family that have done it, you guys know what I'm talking about because it really is so life-changing. And to do it with people that you love and that you're close to, it really is a special experience. So thank you, Amy, for coming on today. I'm so grateful

Amy (2)

Oh, I'm so grateful that you had me. This has been super fun, and I hope that everyone can take away a couple good little bits of information that might be useful. And I'm very happy to be here on your show supporting you, and thank you for having me once again. If today's episode had you nodding along, especially that part about standing in front of your closet for way too long even though everything technically fits, I want you to hear this. It's not about the clothes. It's about whether your closet is actually in alignment with the season of life you're in right now, not the person you used to be or the person who you think you're supposed to be. And if you take one thing away from today, let it be this. Give yourself permission, permission to let go of what isn't serving you, permission to feel confident without needing a compliment to prove it, and permission to figure out what actually feels like you. And if you want a next step, whether that's a color analysis or decluttering your closet, I've linked House of Color in the show notes so you can find a consultant near you. You can also find the One Space Reset kit if you need a kickstart to declutter that closet. It walks you through step by step. And if you enjoy this episode, follow the show so you don't miss your Monday reset. Make it a great week, you guys. A quick note before we close. This podcast is for education and inspiration. It's not a substitute for therapy or medical care. If you're needing mental health support, please reach out to a licensed provider in your area.