New Year’s Resolution: Revamp The Closet

Styles at Rae Baxter's Boutique

Wardrobe Tips & Advice From Local Boutiques

Buying new clothes can be extremely stressful without knowing what to look for. Luckily, local boutiques are prepared to aid shoppers as they navigate the tricky slopes of the fashion world.

The key to building a closet that transitions through all of life’s events is finding pieces that

Styles at Rae Baxter's Boutique
Styles at Rae Baxter’s Boutique

can be worn multiple times and multiple places.

Shelley Babcock, the owner of Merle Norman in Marshfield said, “Start with the basics to

redo your wardrobe. You want to have some basic pieces that can be easily mix and matched, stuff that you can dress up, dress down, layer, and add a scarf to. Start off simple and you can go from there.”

“One really good thing is to find a basic set of a pant and a knit top or a tank that match because that can go anywhere. If you have a matching under-piece and a matching slack you can put a blazer on with it; you can put a blouse on with it; you can put anything with it,” added Babcock.

Styles at Rae Baxter's Boutique
Styles at Rae Baxter’s Boutique

When shopping for new clothing, make sure to buy things that will last. Clothes made of low quality materials have a short closet life. Cheaply made clothing seems like a good deal on the surface but it costs the consumer more money in the long run. 

It’s also important to look at what a piece of clothing is made of. Things made with high percentages of cotton are likely to shrink in the first wash. Other garments require special care instructions to ensure they stay shiny, fluffy, or soft.

Lastly, it’s important not to buy something just because everyone else is wearing it. Shoppers should always buy things because they like it and it makes them feel good.

“We tell the customer if they look good in [our clothes] or if they don’t because if they don’t look good in something we can always sell it to somebody else. We’re here to make our customer happy,” said Carol Knauf, the owner of Rae Baxter’s Boutique. “I want [my customers] to walk out of here and have someone come up to them and say, ‘Wow, where did you purchase that?’.”