Colleen Seminara
Colleen Seminara was born and raised in the Queen City. Since 1989, she has been an active member of the Junior League of Buffalo, the local branch of one of the oldest and largest women’s volunteer organizations in the world. She is now the organization’s president.
A graduate of Canisius College, Seminara went on to receive a master’s degree from Buffalo State and a law degree from the University of Buffalo. Most recently she worked for Catholic Charities.
How would you describe your closet?
My closet is a small walk-in. This is an old house, the second oldest house in our neighborhood.
Is it organized or unorganized?
Organized. I color code my clothes, shoes and purses. I have scarves and gloves in baskets. My grandmother used to tell me that you should never have a purse that’s empty. It’s bad luck. So I always have a dime or quarter in every purse.
What kind of hangers do you use?
I like plastic hangers. I have some velvet hangers that I use for pants. But I don’t like them because I feel that the clothes always stick to them.
Best organizing tip?
Color code. Also, for my earrings I use cocktail ice cube trays. I read a book this summer, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, by Marie Kondo. She believes you should only keep the things that bring you joy. I didn’t believe it at first, but it was really great. If you don’t love something and you’re not going to wear it, get rid of it.
How important is fashion to you?
It’s not really that important. However, there is a fashion blog called “Who, What, Wear.” I am obsessed with it.
Where do you shop and how often?
I love Anthropology, that’s probably my favorite. I do shop at LeeLee in Williamsville. I’m a huge TJ Maxx and DSW shopper. I grew up in a single parent house. My mom was a teacher, so value was important. High-end things make me feel uncomfortable. And people who know me well, know I wouldn’t be able to pull it off. I do like those things, but it’s never a priority.
How many shoes do you have in your closet?
Maybe 40. My shoes are very organized and color-coded.
What item can’t you live without?
My packable long down coat from Lands’ End. Since January, I’ve been traveling everywhere from Chicago and Boston to Colorado. It was warm enough for freezing lacrosse games in Boston and sleek enough for shopping in downtown Chicago.
Favorite clothing item?
I have a black jumpsuit from Leelee and I have probably worn it no less than 25 times this year. I never in a million years thought that I’d wear a jumpsuit.
What item in your closet should you have gotten rid of a long time ago?
That’s easy — my first (and what I thought at the time) really expensive black dress I bought in Boston in 1987. I can’t quite zip it, but I know someday I’ll get back in it.
Any closet secrets?
If I open my garage right now, you’d see the rest of my life. I’ve got boots and shoes all over the place that never make it into the confines of the house. Everybody has to have a trashy spot.
Janet Snyder
Janet Snyder, co-host of WKSE-Kiss 98.5’s “Janet and Nick in the Morning” has been a trailblazer since graduating from Ithaca College, becoming one of the first women in the country to hold a morning host position at a top-40 radio station. A tireless and ageless media personality, Snyder is also host of “Western New York Living” on WGRZ-Channel 2, their weekend “A2E” entertainment segments, as well as hosting countless charity and media events.
How would you describe your closet?
My house was built in 1962 so I’m working within the constraints of a Georgian Colonial. If I bought a house today, my closet would look something along the lines of Sarah Jessica Parker’s.
How have you organized your closet to accommodate your career and lifestyle?
One is my day-to-day closet and another one is for events. They are both in my room. I do so many charity events, black tie dinners, cocktail parties and television. That’s a whole different closet.
Are they organized differently?
My day-to-day closet is grouped. I compartmentalize by jeans, shirts, silk shirts, sweaters. My workout clothes are categorized by sport. [Then] there is the denim section. The left side is the size I am today. I’ve been every size and I have the pictures to prove it. I still have the first pair I bought after babies. I’m so proud of my dress closet. The only thing I need in there is to hear heralding angels when I open the doors. There is a dress in there for every woman in my life. My friends and nieces come to my house when they need to borrow something. It’s like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
What is your best organizing tip?
OK, if I could just take my own advice — to not let it get away from you. As you do laundry, put it away. As you wear something, hang it back up. And have a drawer for single socks. They turn up.
How often do you purge?
If I’m not going to wear it anymore, I get rid of it. I either give it to people I know or donate it right here in WNY, so whoever is getting my clothes is very lucky.
What should you have gotten rid of a long time ago?
Being self-conscious. I’d like to take that out of my closet and be confident in what I choose to wear. I wish we could all just walk into each day with confidence. Also, I went through a big Juicy Couture velour jumpsuit phase. And Buffalo knows this phase. I felt good in it. I don’t know if everybody liked that phase.
What item can’t you live without?
A James Perse short sleeved white T-shirt. Every woman needs one.
Where do you shop?
Tony Walker. Hands down.
How often do you shop?
I go when I need to. In my other life I would be shopping every day putting together the perfect outfit.
Best item in your closet?
A clothes steamer. I’ve burned my stomach steaming myself with one last touch up before I head out the door.
What’s the oldest thing in your closet?
My vintage leather jacket. It’s 20 years old. I got it at a thrift store in NYC.
Do you have any classic things in your closet?
A classic black Theory Blazer. It’s never done me wrong.
How many pairs of shoes do you have?
I can’t answer that. A zillion. They’re everywhere in the house. They don’t all fit in my room. Each Kissmas Bash I have a different pair. I’m a Louboutin freak. And then, on top of that, I’m obsessed with Sam & Libby’s, the Sam Edelman line of shoes for Target. The most comfortable pair of heels I’ve ever owned are a pair of Sam & Libby’s. They had to be pried off me.
How do you store all those shoes?
The Louboutins stay in the boxes or the red bags. The dressy ones, the Louboutins, the Jimmy Choos, Chanel — those are protected.
How important is fashion to you?
I enjoy fashion, it’s one of my personal passions. It’s a reflection of each of us. But it doesn’t have to be expensive. And that’s what I think people misinterpret in terms of fashion today. You can be fashion forward and shop at the Goodwill Store.
What are some of your favorite things to buy?
I love a sequined dress. Anything sparkly, I’m about. And I can’t pass up an accessory.
Have you always liked dressing up and looking good?
Always. That’s why I got into entertainment.
Patti Lawley
In September 2015, Patti Lawley, a stay-at-home mother of five, decided to put her love of fashion to work. Along with partner Mindy Shine, they opened Annarlette, a lifestyle boutique in Amherst that carries exclusive labels and basics for women. A native of Buffalo, Lawley worked in advertising for many years prior to marrying Bill Lawley Jr., managing partner of Lawley Insurance.
What kind of closet do you have?
A walk-in closet that right now I am sharing with my husband. We are building a new addition on our house because we don’t have enough room. So I’m transitioning to a new big closet.
How do you organize?
I change the closet by season. I have two seasonal closets with a cedar closet up in the attic.
Are they organized or unorganized?
I’m not a stickler for that kind of thing. It depends on if I’m in a rush. If I am, then it tends to get unorganized. But I do like to keep things together by skirts, blouses, dresses, sweaters.
Do you use special hangers?
When I redid my closet I wanted all wooden hangers, because I wanted it to look perfect. This is a great tip: do not get the wooden hangers. They just take up too much room. I switched to the very thin felt ones. They are all the same color, and you can get so many more to hang in that space.
What is your best organizing tip?
I think it’s important to have all your blouses together. If you’re really organized — by color is great. I’ll put all my whites together, all my darks. So that way if I’m looking for an outfit, it’s right there.
How important is fashion to you?
I think my daughter Miranda summed it up years ago when she was around 7. I had put some lipstick on her before soccer and she wiped it off saying, “I’m not like you, I don’t have a passion for fashion.” It’s always been with me, even at a young age. But I wasn’t following the trends.
Do you share your clothes with your daughters?
We do share. But they steal them, more or less. It’s not agreed upon.
Do you have a favorite item?
I tend to like jackets and coats. I have a lot of coats. Not one particular favorite. Each season I may have a favorite.
Is there something you can’t live without?
I tend to mix things up a lot. I’ll take a timeless piece and add something contemporary to make it pop and make it new and different. I don’t feel like there is one piece I couldn’t live without because I would find something to take its place.
Can you put a number on the amount of shoes you have?
No. Because I have a lot of shoes. Again, that’s the problem with having the two closets because you’re not looking at them every single day.
How are you enjoying being a businesswoman and working at Annarlette?
Collaborating with Mindy has been great. We go to market together. We are different sizes, and have different outlooks. It’s been great to bring our two ideas together.
Where do you shop?
That’s probably why we opened the store. Unfortunately, I never really shopped in Buffalo. I shop when I’m away on vacation or online. I like to explore different fashion ideas and I wasn’t finding that here. Nor was my partner. That’s why we collaborated. Now, we tend to shop primarily at our store.
Nicole Swift
Six years ago Nicole Swift moved to Western New York from Maryland with her husband Steve, CFO of Blue Cross Blue Shield. With two children already in college and one starting high school, the stay-at-home mother was able to devote much of her time to organizations including The Buffalo Zoo Catillion Committee, Susan G. Komen, Albright Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Say Yes Buffalo. For the past two years, the Kansas City native has helped friend Sharon Randaccio develop and 0pen Red Siren, a women’s clothing boutique at HarborCenter.
What kind of closet do you have?
It’s small, long and narrow.
If you could change anything about your closet, what would it be?
I would change the size and make it a walk-in with built-ins. Something like Oprah’s closet. A room with chairs and built-ins, and lots of hanger space.
How have you managed with limited space?
We have a third floor and we’ve actually had to change one of the rooms up there into a closet. It used to be my art studio.
Is it organized or unorganized?
It’s fairly organized. I’ve seen some closets that are organized with every single white shirt together and separated by the kind of garment. Mine is not that organized.
Is there a certain type of hanger you use?
No. I have the thin velvet hangers, but don’t use them for everything. It depends on the garment.
What’s your best organizing tip?
I think that’s so individual. My sister enjoys having hers color coordinated. I like having all the spaghetti straps together, then all the tank tops, short sleeves, ¾ length sleeves and long sleeves together. By type. Then I’ll have my really dressy things in another section.
How often do you purge?
Not enough. I used to try and do it every year. Now, it’s probably more like every three years. I’m cleaning out the third floor area now and there are 40 dresses in the “to go” pile. I will say that I do clean out my shoes pretty regularly. Probably because of space. I gave away 80 pairs of shoes in one cleaning. It’s almost embarrassing to say that. With the move here, we got rid of a lot. My husband now says for every item I bring in, I have to get rid of 10. I did try it, but it didn’t even work once.
Do you have a favorite item?
I love dresses. We go out and do a lot of things with all our charities so I tend to wear them a lot. I wear more short than long. But to a gala I’ll usually wear a long dress.
How many shoes do you have?
Oh. I could count and let you know. I do have a love affair with my shoes.
Do you have a system of tracking what you’ve worn to what event?
No. It’s in the vault (points to her head). Every now and then I’ll look back at a picture and wonder what I’ve worn or where a dress may be.
Is there anything in your closet you can’t live without?
A black shirt. You can wear them with everything and anything. Jeans, satin pants, skirts.
What’s the thing you should have gotten rid of a long time ago?
I have a couple of skirts. One I wore in a picture with my older two [children]. We are all coordinated in black watch plaid. The skirt has not fit me in 20 years, but I won’t get rid of it, just because of that picture.
What is the thing you buy over and over again?
I would say black leggings. Or white jeans. Over and over again. I should have said that first.
How important is fashion to you?
There are certainly things more important than fashion, but it makes me feel good. When I’m a little more dressed up, I feel better.
Where do you shop?
Red Siren, for sure. It depends on the season, if I need a ball gown or not. But mainly I will shop at Nordstrom. I can [also] find almost anything at Lord & Taylor. If not, I go online. But the Lord & Taylor here is one of the best I’ve seen.
Cierra Johnson
As a reporter for WKBW-Channel 7 Buffalo, Cierra Johnson needs to be prepared for anything, and that also goes for her wardrobe. Since moving to Buffalo in 2014, the Columbus, Ohio native has made good use of her obsession with coats and jackets.
What kind of closet do you have?
I have two closets. One’s in the bedroom and the other is in my living room. They’re both really small. My apartment is really old. I don’t think they anticipated people having more than two pairs of pants and shirts.
How do you organize your closets?
The one in my room is primarily for work clothes. So when I wake up I can just pick something out. The other one is my fun, sequined, going out stuff. I like to have things organized by color. So if I know today, for example, is Heart Awareness Day, I can pull out a red shirt. I’m more color than style, I think.
Do you have any tricks to maximize your space?
I have a couple of dressers and other random storage items. I have storage bins under my bed. I have a rolling rack in my living room. It’s just me, so the whole house could be a closet if I wanted it to.
Do you use any special hangers?
When I was younger I liked all my things to match. So all my hangers are exactly the same: black, plastic hangers from Target.
Is there something you should have gotten rid of a long time ago?
I have a lot of high school sweats, sweatshirts and track shirts. I’m a really nostalgic person. There are some other random things. You know when you’re younger and working and save up for something? I’m not going to get rid of it because I had to buy it myself.
Do you have a favorite item?
I’m really into outerwear. I have different trenches, a lot of blue jean jackets, houndstooth for the winter. I guess I came to the right city.
What is the thing you can’t live without?
In the winter it’s outerwear. In the summer it’s cute little sheath dresses.
How often do you purge?
Probably not often enough. Because I think I’m either going to need it or it’s going to come back. Sometimes I swap with the other girls at work. We’ll do that if something isn’t working for any of us.
Where do you shop?
I’m a really big bargain shopper. There’s no point in buying anything full price, it just doesn’t make sense. I do a lot of Marshalls and TJ Maxx shopping. I like consignment shops. There’s a place in Walden Galleria, Park Avenue. They get random waves of overstock items, some are damaged. I found a $400 Vera Wang dress for $40.
How many shoes do you have?
I have a good number of shoes. But I don’t put a lot of stock in shoes. Only because when you’re running around Buffalo, things are going to get salty.
How do you dress for work?
It’s always just me and Camera 8. Which affects how you dress, because you don’t know where you’re going. I usually have a bag with different shirts, different layering, cute hats, gloves, shoes, makeup. I keep an overnight bag in my trunk. My trunk is a closet.
