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Even though it’s 2017, Cher Horowitz’s 1995 closet is still what OCD dreams are made of: organized by color, season, and type of clothing, it was Pinterest worthy before Pinterest even existed. After many failed attempts to get my closet even a fraction as organized as Cher’s (including many Marie Kondo sprees), I knew something had to change. I needed a new system, less clothing, and a better understanding of how to use my items. Plus, I was sick of digging through endless drawers every morning and not finding the piece I was looking for. Enter Fitz, a new in-home service where two stylists come to your home for a three-hour appointment and organize your closet, help you edit your wardrobe, and make personalized style recommendations.
First, there are a few things you should know to help you make the most out of your appointment: Do laundry so your stylists have a full inventory of your wardrobe, and make sure to send pictures of your closet(s) before your appointment so they can come prepared with any extra organizational items you might need. My stylists, Ali and Ellie, suggested I switch to thin velvet hangers to save space, so they brought a few boxes with them to our appointment. You’re also asked to answers some pre-appointment questions about your style and shopping habits that will help your stylists make recommendations.
The day of the appointment, my stylists arrived bright and early with a few portable clothing racks. After assessing my current closet situation (I have three), they proceeded to remove all my clothes and hang them on the rack—and when I say all, I’m talking every single item in my closet, down to the shirts I thought I’d lost. They arranged the clothes on the racks by item type and color and took a quick inventory before discussing the best way to put everything back. Since my current system clearly wasn’t working, they decided to completely revamp how I store clothes. I had 12 plastic drawers in my closet where the majority of my clothes were folded away, and therefore rarely seen and even more rarely worn. Ali and Ellie decided to cut the amount of drawers in half and instead hang most of my items. My t-shirts would still be in the drawers, but they showed me a new way to fold them that saved space (here’s a YouTube video that demonstrates their method). They also decided to turn one of my smaller closets into a spring/summer closet so I wouldn’t have to switch out my wardrobe seasonally. My coat closet stayed the same, but they moved some of my shoes from there to the larger one and moved around some of my accessories like scarves and bags. In short, they developed a whole new system.
Before they started to place the items back in the closet, they helped me go through a few pieces. They called out any damaged articles and gave me the info for a mail-in tailor where I could send my items for repair. They also helped me determine what could be eliminated or, as Marie Kondo would say, what no longer served me. Don’t worry though, this wasn’t like that horrible scene in Uptown Girls where Brittany Murphy’s character is cringing as her friend Ingrid makes her sell all her clothes at a yard sale. No, this was much more pleasant, and I even found myself proactively picking pieces I was ready to part with. Another convenient perk of Fitz is that they pack up all the clothes you want to donate or sell, and they ship them directly to the donation center or consignment store. The last thing we did was go through any items I was having trouble styling—like a pair of Zara pants from November with the tags still on them, that I loved but didn’t know how to wear. The ladies showed me a few items I might want to pair them with. Also, since they’d just seen my entire wardrobe, they were able to give me personalized suggestions on pieces I might want to add, like a pair of light wash boyfriend jeans or leather leggings.
They swiftly and expertly put all my clothes back, and our time perfectly ran out at the three-hour mark. A few days later, I got an email from Ali and Ellie with links to some pieces I might like–including a pair of light wash Rag and Bone boyfriend jeans that were on sale, and some cropped sweaters since they noticed I like a shorter cut.
Of course, the biggest question was whether or not I’d be able to maintain the new system post-appointment. I’ll admit I was hesitant, but it’s been a few months and I can say without a doubt that the system they created works. I’m not at Cher levels of organization (there must be an app for that by now, right?), but getting dressed is infinitely less frustrating.
Fitz appointments are currently available in New York City, with expansion coming soon to the surrounding areas.