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Clothes Closets Chaos
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Clothes Closets Chaos
by Ronda Asta - rondaquilts@bellsouth.net
Description: Tips for downscaling and organizing your clothes closets and dressers.
"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the
noble art of
leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the
elimination of
nonessentials. " - Lin Yu Tang
Interesting quote for those wanting to get organized. We often
get so
flustered because we think of all the things we "should" be doing
or
"should" own. Who says we "should"? Who says we need a different
outfit so we don't repeat ourselves (our outfits) during a
two-week
period or during the month?
This month we'll look at downscaling and organizing our
clothes
closets and dressers. With a doublewide phone booth to hang my
clothes I don't have much room to work with. A dream is to have
two
walk-in closets built on the bedroom. First let's take every
piece of
clothing out of the closet and lay it on the bed. (Hopefully
you're one
who can find their bed.)
One by one look at each piece. Make a pile of those items you
no
longer wear because they are out of style, don't fit correctly or
you
never really liked. (They looked great on the hanger at the
store,
right?) For those items that are too small you love, box them up
and
indicate the size and date of storage on the box. This is just
for those
items that are one or two sizes too small - if you're working on
getting
back into them. In six months, if you haven't made any progress
on
the weight loss it's time to recycle. I know, I know it hurts. I
have a
couple of outfits I just can't part with but I also can't wear
today. You
can give this pile to charity, give it away to someone who would
use it
or have a yard sale (watch for a future article) to get back some
of
your money. It's a liberating feeling to see the closet less
cluttered.
Let's continue with our piles. Make one for out of season
items, one
for those items you love to wear but haven't because they need
repair
or alterations. I'm sure you'll run across an item or two you
even forgot
you owned. I did, the first time I did this. Rehang each item in
the
closet that you love to wear and plan to keep. Box up and label
the
out of season items and store them under the bed. Hang your items
by category (skirts, blouses, pants, jackets, suits, etc.) Since
you're
hanging items by category you should be able to add a lower
hanging
rod if you don't already have one. This will add hanging space
and give
your clothes room to breathe when you have space to spread them
out.
One way to get the most for your money when it comes to
clothes is
to mix and match. If you have one or two core colors to work with
and
buy items to work with those your fashion dollars will stretch
further.
As you work through the closet exercise, jot down what item or
item(s) you could add to your wardrobe that could bring a number
of
pieces together in workable outfits. Shop with a purpose in mind
next
time instead of picking up something just because you love it
when it
won't go with anything else you own. This cuts down on both the
costs of your wardrobe and the clutter in your closet and
drawers.
Now let's work through the drawers. Empty all the drawers on
the bed
and toss those threadbare intimates and add that item to your
shopping list if you decide you really need some. Begin to make
the
same type of piles use used in the closet cleaning. Some items
may
not even be worth passing on to charity so just toss them out.
Categorize what is left over and place them back in the drawers
neatly. It's a great feeling not to have to cram the drawers
shut. When
we give our clothes room to breathe it also means we don't have
to
iron everyday because things get so wrinkled crammed in closets
and drawers.
Let's take a look at the children's closets. Homebuilders usually
put
the hanging rod up to an adults eye level. Putting a lower rod
where
they can reach it allows them the opportunity to keep their own
closet
neat and tidy. Kids outgrow items so quickly that we should be
going
through their closets every 6-9 months.
Clothing exchanges are very popular in my area and it's a great
place
to pick up good used clothing for children and yourself and make
a
little money on what is no longer needed in your house. Thrift
stores
and consignment shops are also great outlets for recycling your
used
items and finding great nearly new pieces to round out your
wardrobe.
Reprinted with permission.
Check out the "
Manage Your Wardrobe System" ebook from
I Need More Time.
