Perfect "10"

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of conducting an interview with Jill Martin for WHAT ARE THEY WEARING. Jill is an US Weekly Contributor and TODAY fashion expert. As an Emmy-nominated reporter, she is a famous subject expert for both fashion and sports. Jill’s latest endeavor was her November 16th launch of “Fashion For Dummies”. After being thoroughly impressed by our conversation (this girl knows her stuff!), I sat down with the book this past weekend and within minutes I couldn’t put it down. I’ve read many, many, MANY style and fashion related books and this one is by far the best. It’s informative, well organized, efficient and productive. All of my favorite things! Jill’s message is to find your personal style and simplify your wardrobe - her goal is for you to never say “I have nothing to wear!” again… and to never refuse an invitation, or a night out, because you simply don’t look and feel your best. It's very much in line with WATW's mottos of "great style for all" & "looking great to feel better".

Jill’s simple system has you go through your closet, only keeping things that are a perfect “10” – to quote Jill, “Every item you have should be evaluated on a scale of 1 to 10, and only 10s should remain in your closet.” She goes on to provide a list of guidelines to help you identify what qualifies as a “10”. The same rule applies when shopping - Jill guides you through a list of questions to ask yourself in order to identify if what you buy is something you need, and if so – whether it’s your “10”. She also has a fantastic list of the top ten things every woman’s wardrobe should include, from your go-to little black dress to your classic set of pearls. Jill breaks down dressing for your body type, along with the fundamentals of fabrics, cuts, and styles to help you become a more informed shopper – all the way down to what you wear underneath it all... Most importantly, she tells you how to do it without breaking the bank – with several suggestions such as helpful discount and value retailers and websites. I found it so well written and informative, I pretty much flagged every page (all 332 of them).

Although a good closet clean always seems like an onerous task to get started (like anything, starting is the hardest part) – there are few things as gratifying and cleansing when you're done. Not wanting to set aside the majority of a day, I started with my dresser and I already have a full bag for charity. I’ll be tackling the rest this weekend.

"If you stay ready, you never have to get ready."

- Nick Cannon - Mariah Carey's husband, host of America's Got Talent

“10”s for life.

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