If Your Closet Had a Personality, What Would It Say About You?

One of the most interesting parts of my job happens before we ever go shopping.

It happens when I walk into a client's closet for the first time.

I can usually learn quite a bit just by looking around. I might see beautiful pieces still hanging with the tags attached, several versions of essentially the same top, clothes from a career or lifestyle that has changed, or a collection of really great things that somehow don't seem to work together.

And inevitably, somewhere during that first conversation, I'll hear something like, "I don't know how my closet got like this."

The funny thing is, our closets rarely get that way overnight.

They're built little by little, purchase by purchase, through all the different seasons of our lives. And if you pay attention, your closet can tell you quite a story.

Curious what your closet might say about you?

I've created a new Closet Personality Quiz to help you uncover some of your shopping and wardrobe patterns. You'll find the quiz at the end of this post—or, if you're already curious, you can take it here.

Your Closet Has Been Keeping Track

Think about everything that's happened since you started buying some of the clothes currently hanging in your closet.

Maybe your career has changed. Your children have grown up. You've retired, started a business, moved somewhere new, started traveling more, or found yourself spending your days very differently than you once did.

Your body may have changed, too. And chances are, your personal style has evolved along the way.

But our closets don't automatically evolve with us.

Instead, they tend to accumulate pieces from all those different versions of our lives.

The blazer you wore constantly when you worked in an office is still hanging beside the blouse you bought for family photos. There's a dress from a wedding, a sweater you bought because you loved the color, and a pair of pants you're convinced you'll eventually figure out how to style.

Individually, none of those things is necessarily a problem.

But together?

Sometimes they tell a story that doesn't quite match the woman standing in front of the closet today.

We All Have Patterns

After years of working in women's closets, I've noticed that we tend to develop patterns around the way we shop and get dressed.

Some women buy for specific occasions and end up with lots of wonderful pieces but very little for everyday life. Some find something comfortable and buy it again and again because they know it works. Others have wardrobes filled with clothes they genuinely loved at one point, but those clothes belong to a lifestyle—or a version of themselves—that has changed.

And then there are the things we buy because we love them in theory.

You know the ones.

They looked wonderful in the store. You had every intention of becoming the woman who wore them. But six months later, they're still waiting patiently in the closet for their moment.

None of these patterns means you're doing anything wrong.

In fact, recognizing your patterns can be incredibly helpful because once you understand why your closet looks the way it does, it becomes much easier to figure out what it actually needs.

What Would Your Closet Say About You?

This is something I wish more women would think about before deciding they need to go shopping.

If I walked into your closet without meeting you first, would I have a pretty good idea of who you are today?

Would I understand how you spend your time?

Would I see the colors, shapes and pieces that make you feel most like yourself?

Or would your closet introduce me to several different versions of you?

There's no right answer here. And I'm certainly not suggesting your closet needs to perfectly represent every part of your personality.

But I do think the question is worth asking.

Because your wardrobe should support the life you're actually living—not make you feel like you have to become someone else in order to wear it.

So...What's Your Closet Personality?

I thought it would be fun to take this idea one step further.

I've created a Closet Personality Quiz based on some of the patterns I see when working with women and their wardrobes.

It's quick, it's fun, and it may help you understand why you can have plenty of clothes and still feel like something isn't quite working.

Maybe you're shopping for individual moments rather than your everyday life. Maybe you've become really comfortable with a certain type of clothing and aren't sure how to branch out. Or maybe your closet simply hasn't caught up with the woman you've become.

Whatever your result, I'll give you a little insight into what may be happening in your wardrobe—and where you can start.

TAKE THE CLOSET PERSONALITY QUIZ → HERE

And don't worry. There are no bad closet personalities.

Just closets with stories.

I can't wait to hear yours.

xo,

Annie