Interview: Carla's Closets

Whether you've been blessed with a big closet or are like most New Yorker's and your apartment resembles a closet more than anything, stylist Carla Nemiroff of Carla's Closets can help you get organized and make life, well, easier.

In this Q&A, Carla offers some helpful tips and tricks as we head into colder weather and a natural time to purge old clothes and coats to donate them to charity.




What is Carla's Closets all about?
Carla’s Closets is all about making your life easy. I believe that women especially need to make a conscious effort to treat themselves with lots of love, and Carla’s Closets is all about making this happen in a very practical way. The interior and exterior of us are one in the same; if you take care of one, the other feels better. I don’t promote being high maintenance and superficial. I encourage others to keep it simple and practical with moments of pampering and indulgence to create those simple pleasures, like putting on something that makes you feel just that fantastic.

What is the number one mistake people make when organizing their closets?
I think the number one mistake people make when organizing their closets is that they aren’t realistic. Most of us wear maybe 50% of our wardrobes if we’re lucky. There are things in each of our closets that for a number of reasons, we never want to put on. You’ve got to ask yourself why you’re not putting something on, and then decide how to change that, or get rid of it; they’re just clothes at the end of the day.

What advice would you give people as we head into sweater season in terms of organization?
As we enter sweater season it’s really important to take an inventory of what you’ve got in the closet already. Sweaters are the bulkier things in our closets and there’s only so much room for them. Take a count of how many sweaters you’ve got, and then break them down into categories by color and type. This could mean you’ve got 10 black sweaters and one non-black, so guess what? Don’t buy any black sweaters this season! (And maybe think about getting rid of a few you haven’t worn the last few seasons) Or this could mean that you’ve got 6 cruddy “raking the leaves” sweaters, and only 2 nice ones that could pass for a night out to dinner. Be real with what you’ve got and what you really need most. Many of us hold onto cruddy things for too long, and before you know it, that’s all you’ve got going on in your closet. No wonder you feel like a schlep!

When is it time to purge old clothes?
I try to encourage all my clients to purge each spring and fall from their closets. You have to get rid of at least a few things each year to make room for the new things that you are most definitely going to buy, don’t kid yourself. Anything that looks worn or just isn’t doing it for you anymore, lose it.

In terms of your style, what designers or celebrity looks inspire you?
I love classic designs with a twist that are going to fit my body and last me style-wise for a long time to come. A few of my favorites are Theory, Nanette Lepore, Diane Von Furstenburg and Mackage for outerwear.

What are some of your favorite stores?
Department stores will always be my number one when shopping with clients for the simple fact that I can hit so many different departments in the least amount of time. A few affordable chain stores I love are Club Monaco for classic looks and Armani Exchange for funkier pieces.

How can people get in touch to schedule a consultation?
If a client wants to get in touch have a consult they can just email me through my Web site or give me a call directly! www.carlasclosets.com