You've decided what to keep and what to toss from your current wardrobe, and you're left with only those pieces that look great on you. Now it's time to purposefully fill in the gaps.

Stand back and look at your wardrobe as a whole. Do too many colors and patterns dominate? Then you'll need to anchor your wardrobe with neutrals. Do you see only neutrals? Add some color or patterns for variety.

If rebuilding your wardrobe sounds overwhelming and expensive, there is hope! This is where fashion experts become recycling advocates: Shop consignment. You get far better quality for your money.

Begin with versatile pieces that will last a long time. Amy Lindquist, a fashion and image consultant based in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, offers a list of wardrobe foundation pieces (see below). "Neutrals--black, charcoal, brown, and white/ivory-- are great because they always coordinate with each other," Lindquist notes. Add patterns and colors only after you've established this core wardrobe.

Wardrobe Foundation Pieces (business casual):

• Dress coat: choose one of your best neutral colors: camel, tan, brown or black
• Casual coat: same as above
• Black suit: pants and jacket, for mixing with other pieces
• White cotton blouse, fitted through the waist to wear tucked in or untucked
• Wrap dress in one of your most flattering colors, to wear for dress or casual
• Dark denim jeans (dark wash & well fitting)
• 5 Long-sleeved tops in neutral colors (v-necks)
• 5 Short-sleeve/tank tops in neutral colors for layering (v-neck or scoop neck)
• 2-3 Jackets/blazers in neutrals for use as casual or dress
• 2-3 Sweaters, in neutral colors (well-fitting jacket-type, not bulky)

You can build your casual wardrobe around the same principles. "Moms especially need a 'work' wardrobe to wear at home with their kids--things that look good, but not frumpy or sloppy," Lindquist says. "You can find comfortable yet flattering yogawear, for example, just about anywhere. There's no excuse to look or feel bad in your clothes!"

When it comes to quality versus quantity, Lindquist offers valuable insight. "European women have an advantage because they tend to own fewer, higher-quality items, and everything mixes and matches well," she notes. "They can confidently wear one pair of pants several times in any given week, knowing their trousers look great and coordinate with a variety of tops."

American women, on the other hand, tend to over-shop, especially when things go on sale. Their closets are full of wardrobe pieces that only go with one other piece, so they're left with too much stuff. The key is to get away from the more-is-better mentality, and recognize that you save money--and space--by choosing fewer, higher quality clothes that you can wear over and over again.

But won't you get tired of wearing the same clothes day after day? "You can always put some of those pieces away for a season and pull them back out," Amy suggests. If they're quality, timeless pieces, you'll love them again next season.

Have a hard time putting outfits together? "Think about how you decorate your home," Lindquist says. "Not everything has to be taken from the same store to look good together." Shades of color do not have to match exactly; in fact, fashion experts call this "depth" in an outfit. Your shoes and handbag don't have to be the same color, either. "Try to avoid a 'matchy-matchy' look," Lindquist warns, "but do try to keep three or fewer colors in an outfit. The eye can only process so much at once."

Fashion experts often keep a file or "look book" of magazine clips and catalog pages for inspiration. You can do the same with a file folder or ring binder. When you find an outfit that you like, look in your closet to see if you can create something similar using what you already have. It may be that a quick trip to the consignment store will help you pull together a look you will love.

If you still have trouble, a fashion consultant is a great investment. A good consultant is creative and is not limited to particular shops. She'll help you discover your best physical features and will teach you how to work within your budget. (And the entire process is an awful lot of fun!) In the long run, you'll save money because you're less likely to buy something that won't work when you get it home. You'll make future clothing purchases more quickly. And you'll have greater confidence when you walk by the mirror.

To contact Amy Lindquist directly, visit www.lindquistfashion.com, or find a consultant near you by visiting the Association of Image Consultants International, www.aici.org.

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