Closets can be a nightmare, so stuffed and jumbled that one good outfit is almost impossible to assemble in the morning. In honor of Simplicity Day on July 12, meet these wardrobe tamers. Each has his or her own tricks that keep closets and looks pulled together.
City of Richmond director of budget and city planning Jay Brown. (Photo by Jay Paul)
Jay Brown
“Dressing up is my routine now,” Jay Brown, the city’s director of budget and city planning, says about his suited-up style. But make no mistake, his style is “liberal and fun” and he gravitates toward mixing “hot colors” such as pink, orange, yellow, and lavender for his on-the-clock looks. The organizing by color and pattern speeds along this father’s morning routine. Brown always starts with the sport coat and finishes with a pocket square.
His Faves:
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“I get about 30 measurements taken for my sport coats at Nathan’s,” Brown says. “There’s nothing worse than clothes that don’t fit correctly!”
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“I wore these lizard skin shoes with a tux on my wedding day,” Brown says. “because I wanted to have a little fun.”
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“You definitely don’t want your pocket square to match your tie!” Noted, sir.
Sara Gossett
Sara Gossett (photo by Brooke Marsh).
“Everything in my whole life is vintage,” Sara Gossett says with a laugh. “It just feeds the soul.” She likes older clothes for their “originality, timelessness and character” and gravitates toward the swinging ’60s and disco ‘70s worn with cowboy boots to stay true to her Texan roots. That said, as a working artist, she has to dress for practicality and incorporates “older pieces in a modern way so I don’t look like a template.”
Her Faves:
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This necklace from her grandmother is sentimental and exemplifies the unparalleled craftsmanship of vintage pieces.
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“The woman who owned this top before me bought it off a stranger she saw dancing in New Orleans decades ago,” Sara explains. “I love the cool stories behind vintage pieces.”
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This handmade belt is from a London-based designer for whom Gossett did some work. "It can instantly transform any outfit."
Rikki Hightower
Rikki Hightower is a makeup artist, image consultant, mom and wife to New Orleans Saints running back Tim Hightower. (Photo by Monica Escamilla)
A makeup artist, image consultant, mom and wife to New Orleans Saints running back Tim Hightower, Rikki Hightower has learned to pass on fleeting trends. She focuses on “quality, easy pieces I really love” — which just happen to be from Chanel, Valentino and Yves Saint Laurent. The Richmond native cites Diana Ross and Cher as style icons, and Roan, Need Supply Co., Saks Fifth Avenue and Wardrobe Richmond as go-to spots for closet refreshers. Hightower’s curated closet runs the style spectrum from London edgy in winter to California boho in summer, when she feels “like I need to be at a festival.”
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Tim's push present to Rikki during their Miami babymoom "dresses up whatever I'm wearing."
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Hightower loves these leather Chanel espadrilles because “you look just as good as if you had heels on running out to the grocery store!”
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When the Hightowers plan to hit up a restaurant for dinner and drinks, Rikki always pulls out her “game-changing” techy Kate Spade clutch. “It charges your phone all night!”
Elliott Kinney
Elliot Kinney, co-founder of High Point Barbershop. (Photo by Jay Paul)
Kinney, co-founder of High Point Barbershop, approaches his style and his closet systematically, purging unworn items every season, buying one item in multiple colors and dedicating an outfit to each day of the week. His dream closet is “a walk-in with rotating hangers,” but for now he rotates his warm and cold weather clothes through a wardrobe. Comfort is key for the busy, small business owner. “The best dressed guy in the room is the one not fidgeting with his tie or jacket,” he says.
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The accessory-lover knows exactly which clothing item he’d save in a fire — his “Indiana Jones hat” — because he literally saved it from a fire last year.
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Kinney’s style mantra, “a little bit eccentric but appreciate simplicity,” is evident in his well-loved, chambray Converse high-tops.
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When it comes to rocking rings, Kinney says balance is key. You “gotta go hard or stay subtle. It’s easy to wear four rings but difficult to wear just two.”
AnnMarie Grohs
Boho Cycle Studio founder AnnMarie Grohs. (Photo by Jay Paul)
After opening Boho Cycle Studio in 2014, AnnMarie Grohs found herself in a style rut. “I was living in spandex!” After a major closet overhaul with a personal stylist a year ago, Grohs’ new style mantra is simple: “Even if you don’t feel put together, you should look put together”. For her, this means a seamless wardrobe of classic pieces like white T-shirts, black blazers and jeans that can be mixed and matched.
Her Faves:
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Above all else, Grohs says she just “wants to look like AnnMarie all the time.” Her classic leather watch lends a sophisticated vibe to all her looks.
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“I bought this clutch while I was waiting for my boyfriend to meet me for drinks at Quirk Hotel. It’s one of our favorite spots to go for a dressed-up night out.”
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“I am obsessed with Drift/Riot! I wear this AM [charm] necklace every day,” Grohs says.
