#1 Celebrity Stylist: Do This Every Morning to Feel More Confident, Focused, & Put Together

KEYPOINTS

• 01

  Before you open the closet, pause and ask: 'How do I want to feel today?'

  Celebrity stylist Erin Walsh (Women's Wear Daily Stylist of the Year, author of The Art of Intentional Dressing, and Mel's Golden Globes stylist) builds her method on this one question. Mel admits she used to throw open the closet, think 'What am I going to wear?', paw through things that didn't fit, and end up discouraged. Just pausing to choose a feeling, before choosing clothes, changes what you reach for.

• 02

  Clothes are tools; style is the icing

  Walsh calls herself something like a 'fashion therapist.' The clothes are the choices, and color, texture, silhouette, proportion and how each piece makes you feel tell the story. Trends and 'being a fashion person' aren't the point. The aim is to use what you wear to embody your best self, the 'supernova' version, the same way you'd use a morning routine or a mindset.

• 03

  Pick about three feeling words, and let them change with the day

  Walsh finds three words useful. Her usual pattern is effortless, easy and elegant, but on some New York days she needs to feel like 'a boss' and reaches for bold energy. Bold doesn't have to mean bright color: it can be a strong silhouette, a big-shouldered jacket, suiting or structured pieces. Asking the question repeatedly reveals your own patterns.

• 04

  You likely already own the pieces; the question helps you see them

  After learning the method, Mel saw clothes she never reached for that delivered exactly the feeling she wanted. No shopping required. Walsh's baseline exercise is to identify at least three pieces in your closet you feel great in. For her, one is an excellent pair of jeans.

• 05

  The method works on exhausted days too

  Walsh stresses that she isn't 'fixed': she has three kids under 10, rarely gets a decent night's sleep and has a body that's 'not perfect.' On a 6:30 a.m. Tuesday with your energy on the floor, the question still works because it gives the day an intention.

• 06

  Start with the foundation: what goes on first

  Mel, 57, confesses she has only worn matching bras and underwear for about a year, and asks why she clung to stained, stretched-out pairs instead of spending $10 on herself. Walsh says underwear is literally foundational, a small action that sets the baseline for everything else, at any age.

• 07

  Look better without losing weight: tailoring, proportion, structure

  Asked how to look your best when you're not at your best, Walsh's first answer is tailoring, because most people wear clothes that don't fit their proportions. Even a bold-shoulder piece should honor the lines of your body. Structure means supporting your body's shape, not hiding cellulite, and you don't need a Hollywood tailor to do it.

• 08

  Stop hiding in clothes that don't fit, and let them go kindly

  Mel had held on to a pair of pants for six years that her 'menopause body' no longer fit. Walsh's verdict: time to say goodbye, and that's exciting because you're becoming someone new. To ease the guilt about money spent, sell them, swap them at a closet party with friends, or donate them to a charity like Dress for Success.

• 09

  You need 'greatest hits', not a huge wardrobe

  Look at the math of your week and month: how many work outfits do you actually need, and what's the story of your life right now? Build around the pieces you love most.