On Monday, my friend Stephanie, a personal stylist and style blogger, came over to help me out with my closet. The plan was for her to help me look through my clothes and pull together a few outfits and teach me some tricks of the trade. I love fashion and beautiful clothing but don’t always know how to wear it on my body or how to put it all together.

We ended up going through everything I own and getting rid of over half of it! I was not expecting that so it kind of threw me, but the whole process was amazing. She had me look at each and every sweater, dress, pair of jeans, and shirt and decide if I really loved it or not, Marie Kondo style.

We also got rid of anything that was stained or had holes or was generally falling apart. I had been holding on to some things for way too long that really weren’t wearable anymore. It was time to let go. And I don’t even miss them! I actually find that it’s so much easier to get dressed with less clothing.

I will be donating some of my old clothes, bags, and shoes to a local organization that moves homeless people into homes and selling the rest on Poshmark where I’ll be donating all of the proceeds to No Kid Hungry. All of the Poshmark items will be listed in the next month and I’ll announce it here and on Instagram.

The next step is to fill some of the holes in my wardrobe. For example, I own one blouse now. ONE. BLOUSE. And every pair of pants in my closet is jeans except for one pair of black pants (seen here). So we’re working on that and other things. Her mission, which I love, is to fill closets with only classic basics and pieces that you adore and can’t get enough of. No more buying just to buy. She is going to help me build a closet with intention. And I can’t wait.

After we cleaned out the closet, we were admiring our handiwork and I asked Steph what she would pull for me as an outfit based on what I already own. I was supposed to go into the city yesterday for meetings and previews so she started with a look for that. I didn’t get to wear it because I had to cancel the trip (long story) but I wanted to share it anyway.

This plaid blazer is one of my favorite pieces for fall so I was happy when it was the first thing she was drawn to. She immediately paired it with my Everlane Tread sneakers which I never would have thought to do. The blush pink in the blazer matches the blush in the shoes perfectly. I love those shoes so much but never know how to wear them.

I told her I wanted to be comfortable but chic so she put the white turtleneck under the blazer with my favorite high-waisted jeans (these jeans are half the price but have the same 10″ rise and button-front.) and a cross-body bag to easily walk around NYC without having to use my hands.

I love this look for so many reasons but mostly because it’s so so comfortable and when I’m comfortable I’m more confident. if I’m tugging down a shirt or constantly pulling up pants, it is distracting and annoying and makes me self-conscious. This outfit feels like me… but cooler!

Here’s what Stephanie has to say out this outfit:

I LOVED these sneakers the moment I saw them. The statement sneak is definitely having a moment right now but I’ve always considered them to be a wardrobe essential. Julia was heading into the city so I styled them back to her favorite pair of high-waisted denim, tucked a turtleneck, and finished the look with this plaid blazer. It has a touch of blush throughout which paired nicely with the Everlane sneakers. If you wanted to turn this looks into evening swap the sweater for a nude lace cami and throw on a pair of pumps!

Plaid Blazer (gifted) / Turtleneck Sweater / Veronica Beard Jeans / Everlane Sneakers (gifted) / Cuyana Bag

Plaid Blazer (gifted) / Turtleneck Sweater / Veronica Beard Jeans / Everlane Sneakers (gifted) / Cuyana Bag

Photos by Julia Dags.