As founder and stylist of Wardrobe Whisperer, Jessica Cadmus helps clients fall in love with themselves through a curated closet that balances personality, trends and flattering fit. Here’s how to take a page out of her book this spring to refresh your wardrobe and feel fabulous.
Define Your Wardrobe Goals
“Everyone is starting in a different place,” Cadmus says. Whether you’ve been gradually overcome by a slow-rolling avalanche of Target finds, hard at work on the careful construction of a very personal collection or you’re anywhere in between, begin by assessing where you are and where you’re trying to get to.
As you’re getting ready to delve into the closet and evaluate the clothes you’ve accrued, let your aesthetic sense feel its way over existing trends and trendsetters to discover which looks speak to you. “I really encourage people to do a little Pinterest board,” Cadmus says, “even celebrities whose style you love. Pin a bunch of outfits, individual pieces—you can usually see a theme emerge.”
Clothes should not only speak to you stylistically, but perform in the venues of your life. “Reflect on your lifestyle, work environment, how much you travel and your social circles,” Cadmus says. “It all shapes the type of clothes that will serve your daily life.”
You’re setting yourself up to have great looks to reach for whether you’re going to dinner, a wedding, a work trip, a hike—so you never have to fall back on something unflattering.
Declutter with Purpose
Cadmus offers three questions to grill each of your items as they go through the weeding gauntlet: Do you love it? Is it flattering? Does it project what you want? “If you can’t say yes to all three,” she says, “it’s got to go.”
She recommends recruiting, if not a professional stylist, at least a trusted friend who will add some festivity to the process and can see the contents of your closet with perhaps a little more clarity than you can. Some pieces have emotional weight that makes them hard to let go of, whether it’s sunk cost in an expensive but impractical pair of boots or a beloved hand-me-down that you nonetheless never wear. Consider keeping some nostalgic items squirreled away out of the active wardrobe, or maybe take a photograph while you let the piece itself go. A clothing swap is another great way to feel good about moving on!
Along with indecision and raked ashes, the purging process can be the most fun and freeing part. “About halfway through, I pause and say, ‘Go in there and pick out ten things you’ve been hating secretly but leaving in there,’” Cadmus says. “It’s a lightning round, and it’s so freeing.”
Build Around Core Pieces
The core pieces in your wardrobe will depend on all you’ve discovered about your lifestyle needs, fashion preferences and what you feel flatters your shape. One way that Cadmus finds this concept getting confused is when folks fill their closet with duplicates. “I see men and women both buying the same item fifteen times,” she says. Instead of countless copies, identify the unique items you love and wear most often, and use them as a foundation to create versatile outfits. A great wardrobe is full of interdependent pieces that can be mixed and matched with little effort. “Why not wear your favorite jeans a couple times a week and switch out other parts of the outfit so it looks different each time?” Cadmus suggests. A shirt that only goes with one bottom is not pulling its weight!
Incorporate Trends Wisely
“Look around and be aware of current trends,” Cadmus advises, “but also know your self, lifestyle and body.” By prioritizing timeless, flattering pieces that align with your personal style and body type, you can avoid getting swept away in microtrends that are going to fizzle out shortly. Mixing trendier elements with evergreen items also helps keep your wardrobe fresh yet practical.
Like the hair on our heads, accessories like shoes, bags, outerwear and jewelry spend the most time representing us, so make them count. “Think about the cost per wear,” Cadmus says, when deciding what’s the right price for these pieces, and make sure these investments reflect your style and values.
Some things fall out of fashion only to inevitably come back in, like the leopard print dress Cadmus put away for a while during a lull in animal print popularity. And what is trending, microtrending or truly evergreen? It may be a little bit hard to tell without the insight of an expert, but do your best and be true to yourself!
Published as “Ask the Expert” in the April 2025 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
