I am turning 25 in a few months, which to me is the official “age of adulthood”. I have had a plethora of changes in my life in the past 3 years, as have most people my age, new house, new job, new friends, new long-term boyfriend, and most recently, starting my own business. Going from college student to career woman has been one of the biggest adjustments, and for me, a physical change is always the first step to an emotional one. I think it’s about time we look and feel like the powerful professional women that we are.

A new season is upon us, and what better time to do an overhaul of your wardrobe? It’s time to get rid of out-of-date, out-of-style, too-small clothing and shoes, and replace them with current, grown-up, chic alternatives.

I know it’s hard to part with certain items, but face it… your favorite jeans from high school will probably never fit again, and that terrycloth tube top and banana clip will never be back in style. It’s better to have a small relevant wardrobe than to harbor a bunch of out-of-date items that don’t fit.

If you have any of the following items in your closet, remove them immediately:

1. Worn, broken, or dirty-beyond-repair shoes.

Face it, those once-white canvas tennis shoes are never going to get clean. You’ve had all intentions of bleaching them since 2005, but haven’t; which means you haven’t worn them in 5 years….so toss them! Those “super-cute” stilettos with the broken heel are never going to be the same. You’ve krazy-glued them 150 times and you never make it out of the house before they brake again. Give up and throw them away! Also, anything with a rubber heel or a square toe is out-of-date and needs to be retired.

Up-Date your look: Sneakers are for running and tourists. Swap your clunky nikes for ballet flats or comfortable sandals when in need of weekend walking shoes.

2. Sweats

All lose baggy sweatpants have got to go. Grownups don’t wear elastic around their ankles.

Up-Date your look: Swap your sweats for sleek yoga pants or leggings. Clothing that is closer to your body presents a more put-together look. Wear yoga pants with a fitted zip-up sweatshirt, and leggings with a tunic or wrap dress. You don’t have to be ashamed to stop at the store after the gym in these put-together looks.

3. Clothes that don’t fit.

If you have to lay down to zip it, the buttons gap, or it alters the shape of your body, it’s too small. Throw these items away immediately! Muffin top is not a good look on anyone.

Up-Date your look: Go up a size. Noone will know, you will look 100 times better, and most importantly feel SO much more comfortable.

4. Mom Jeans

Mom Jeans are tapered at the ankles, saggy at the butt, and the waist comes to (or above) your belly button. If you have jeans with one or more of these qualities, they MUST be discarded.

Up- Date your look: Opt for a medium to lower rise jean with a straight leg. This a great modern, but grown-up look that balances your body, and makes your legs look long and lean. Also, depending on the dress code, you can get away with wearing them to work, as they have the same shape as your dressier pants.

5. Anything you haven’t worn within one year.

Chances are, if you didn’t wear it last year, you’re not going to wear it this year. Stop carrying around dead weight, and toss the old stuff

Up-Date your look: Treat yourself to at least one super-cute trendy item as a reward for all your hard work!

A few additional tips for a grown-up wardrobe:

- White under white is a no-no. A white bra will ALWAYS show through a white top and white underwear will ALWAYS show through white pants. You may have liked this look in middle school, when bras were a novelty, but now that the novelty has worn off, lets go for a classier look. Invest in at least one flesh colored bra & panty set for these instances (white pants and knit dresses are 2 examples of times when a thong is necessary).

- If you can’t walk in high heels, wear low ones. There is nothing sexy about a wobbly-ankled-disaster-waiting-to-happen. Some women just aren’t cut out for stilettos. There are plenty of great kitten heels and flats out there to satisfy your shoe fetish.

- The only person who should know what your underwear look like, is you (and maybe your significant other). If your underwear are peeking out of the back of your pants, one of 2 things are wrong: 1. Your pants are too small (see above for solution) 2. You are not wearing the right underwear. Ever heard of low rise bikini’s?

- Don’t over accessorize, less is more. The idea of accessories is to compliment an outfit. If you have a main statement piece of jewelry, that’s all you need. When wearing more simple items, you can have a few. Live by this rule, and you’ll never look like a little girl playing dress up: No more that 3 accessories at a time.

- If you’re over 12, please skip clothing with cartoon characters or “clever” sayings on them. You can like tweety bird without wearing him on your shirt, and I don’t need to read your mood off of your chest. That’s not what they mean when they say “wear your heart on your sleeve”

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Thanks, 

Bethany