By Libby Gray

It's that time of year – even though I'm not going back to school, I still somehow feel the need to clean out my closet to make room for some new outfits for fall.

So, last week, during the dog days of summer, when my 13-year-old niece, Elizabeth, called and asked if she and her friend Rachael could come over, I had an idea. I had just hit a wall with my closet-cleaning project, and they were bored. Little did I know that they are both big fans of the TV series "What Not to Wear." I quickly became their fashion victim when I offered them two large plastic bins. I told them they could sort my closet into two categories: To Keep and To Give Away. Elizabeth and Rachael quickly took on the personas of the stars of the show and banned me from my room while they tried to get my wardrobe updated.

A relaxing hour later (I had a glass of wine and caught up on some reading while they critiqued my fashion choices), they brought the two bins downstairs and performed a hilarious fashion show featuring outfits created with the items that I was no longer "allowed" to wear. I did reserve veto power, but I ultimately agreed with most of their choices. By the time Elizabeth and Rachael left, we had loaded eight bagfuls of clothes into the trunk of my car for Goodwill. I had a clean closet and they each found a couple of scarves or small shirts to keep for themselves.

Want to try something similar with your nieces? Here are some tips for hosting your own "What Not to Wear"-style party:

1. Prepare for the closet-cleaning party. Select a bunch of clothes beforehand that you are not sure about keeping, particularly the items you haven't worn in six months to a year.

2. Make it fun. Ask your niece to bring a friend or two, and offer refreshments and the opportunity to take an item or two back home (if you agree to the items they select!).

3. Be open-minded. I was surprised by some of the clothes that I was willing to part with once I heard my niece's and her friend's perspectives on why they thought these items were out-of-style.

4. Make this an opportunity to share the importance of giving. Have your FashioNiecetas help you bag up clothes to donate to a local shelter or charity so they begin to understand that one person's fashion disaster could be another person's treasure.

Photo: Courtesy of Libby Gray
Published: August 27, 2012