What I have seen in my work is that most people, if they have any type of organization in their closet, typically hang clothes in two ways: either by type (all pants together, all shirts together, and so on) or by colour (all blue together, all black together, and so on). Neither of these is conducive to getting dressed easily in the morning, although the colour system is definitely better than the type system.
I want to remove the stress in getting dressed for you, and I am going to do that by teaching you a revolutionary shopping and closet organizing system called “clustering.”

Clustering
A “cluster” is small group of clothing, typically 6-12 pieces, but it can be larger, based primarily on a function. A function is the type of cluster, or what it will be used for. Is it for work? Is it for the weekend? Is it for date nights? Is it for golf? Is it for vacation travel? Is it for work travel? Most of us will require several types of clusters in our wardrobe, and, depending on our lifestyle, we may have several clusters with the same function. For example, for someone who works full time, you may have two to three work clusters.
Secondly, a cluster is based on a colour theme. A colour theme is not based on one colour, such as black, but includes two to three colours, usually derived from a patterned piece that contains 2-3 colours. I call this piece an “inspiration” piece, because it inspires the cluster. This inspiration piece is typically a patterned garment, such as a blouse or top, a scarf, or even a patterned sweater or jacket. Fabric designers are brilliant at mixing colours; they understand the colour wheel much better than you or I, and so we need to trust them. An inspiration piece should contain 2-3 colours, with one of them a neutral.
Lastly, a cluster contains the components − bottoms, tops and layering pieces − to create outfits. A cluster should give you lots of mix and match options.
To explain this concept, let me start with an example of one of my own clusters, one I use for vacation travel to warm climates. My inspiration piece is a patterned silk tunic that contains pink, coral and white.
Using this inspiration piece, my first goal is to find three to four bottoms in my colour theme. For my cluster, I have the following bottoms:
Bottoms
- Coral drawstring linen pants
- White linen walking shorts
- Dark wash denim jeans
- Plaid, pink and coral walking shorts
You will note that I chose bottoms that are all different in size, shape, colour, texture, and even formality. You can also see that I have variety in my bottoms group, from casual to dressy, so that I can mix and match for various occasions.
Next, I selected four to six tops for my cluster:
Tops
- Patterned tunic (the “inspiration piece”)
- Sleeveless, solid coral collared blouse
- White T-shirt
- Pink and white striped, ¾sleeve T-shirt
- Pink shell (a dressier sleeveless tank top)
Lastly, and very importantly, I want to select two to three layering pieces. A layering piece is what makes an outfit! Too many women dress very one-dimensionally: They put on a top and a bottom and out the door they go. A layering piece (and/or accessories) makes an outfit. When you see someone who looks very “put together,”it is usually because she or he has added a layering piece or smart accessories. Imagine a couch with no throw pillows on it: It is boring and sterile looking. The same goes for dressing. Your goal is to always put together an “outfit.”
For my layering pieces, I selected:
Layering Pieces
- White blazer
- White cardigan
- Coral, long-sleeved linen shirt I can use as a “shirt jack”(shirt jacket)
There are some simple rules when purchasing or putting items into a cluster:
- Each piece does not have to go with every piece in the cluster, but it should go with at least two to three other pieces in the cluster. For example, I probably wouldn’t wear the patterned tunic with the plaid walking shorts, but both of those items go with almost everything else in the cluster.
- Each piece should be different from each – no two pieces alike. I try to discourage clients from buying multiples of the same items. I once had a client who had four or five twinsets in her closet, but she really only wore one. The problem with buying multiples is that you wear the one that is in your favourite colour, and the rest go unworn. The one exception is if you want to purchase multiples in basics like white T-shirts or your favourite undies, but other than that, multiples are a no-no and usually a waste of hard-earned money.
I encourage you to find items for your cluster that are different in style, shape, color, line, texture, and even formality. This ensures that you will find it much more interesting to get dressed, and you won’t get so easily bored with your wardrobe. Remember, our goal is to NOT have you standing in front of an over-stuffed closet, proclaiming, “I have nothing to wear!”
The very last step for your cluster is adding accessories. Start with basic accessories, like shoes or boots, and a great bag. Then gradually add in jewelry and scarves. I will talk more specifically about accessories in an upcoming chapter.
Keep in mind that you can continue to expand your cluster, or start a new one, when you need to refresh your wardrobe or have the desire to add a trendy piece to your wardrobe. I continue to add to my pink, coral and white cluster as I find pieces that work. And, sometimes, I retire pieces from a cluster because they are just plain worn out or the trend/style has come and gone.
Clusters are an excellent way to build a wardrobe, whether you are sorting your existing wardrobe into clusters or starting from scratch. Here are some excellent reasons why you would want to build your wardrobe using clusters:
It gives you a plan. Shopping with clusters in mind gives you a framework for how to buy clothes instead of shopping blindly. A lot of women find shopping overwhelming, and this is usually because they don’t have a plan. Buying items to fit into an existing cluster or putting together a new cluster gives you a plan: You know what you are looking for, you know the colours and styles you are looking for, and you go out and find them!
It saves you money…lots of money! Often, we wander around the mall hoping something will catch our eye. We pick up an item at one store that we like, and then another item at another store, and we go home. We might even spend a considerable amount of money on several items, but we get them home and they hang in our closets with the tags still on them because we have nothing to wear with them. What a shame!
It eliminates orphans. I go into my clients’closets all the time and find lots of orphans. What is an orphan? It is an item of clothing that doesn’t fit into an outfit. It doesn’t go with anything else …except maybe jeans or black pants. We have already talked about dressing “one dimensionally,”and this happens most frequently when we buy orphans. And then we wonder why we have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear!
This is a reprint of a chapter in my book, “CLOSET RESCUE“, available from Amazon,
or in digital format on Kindle.
Janise Bachler, the Closet Diva, and author of Closet Rescue, available on Amazon, has been helping men and women how to dress and to refine their personal image, or brand, in a way that brings them personal and professional success since 2006. Janise can help you build a wardrobe that works for every facet of your life and that will enhance your success. For more info, visit www.theclosetdiva.ca