From My Email In-Box: Making Your Wardrobe Work for You - Part 1 of 3
Do you struggle with trying to find something appropriate to wear every day? Is your closet over-stuffed, yet it seems like you constantly feel like you have nothing to wear? Do you find that you reject one article of clothing after another in the precious and few moments you have to get dressed in the morning? If you answered Yes! to any - or all - of these questions, then your clothing needs to be re-organized.
Be prepared, before you start the process outlined below, that the mess will get worse before it gets better. Plan on it taking a couple of hours on three separate days.
OK, here goes:
Preparation and Tools
- Make sure you have room to create some piles - a neatly made bed is an ideal space
- Bring in a couple of new, large garbage bags and a large shopping bag
- Place a pencil and pad somewhere handy
- Put on some music that is pleasant for you. Go for soothing rather than stimulating.
- Make sure you have a full length mirror and good lighting
- Put on well-fitting underwear.
- If you're a man, make sure it's suited to what you'd generally wear under a suit
- If you're a woman, make sure it fits well and is a color close to your skin color
Sorting Process - Shirts/Blouses
- Start by taking out each shirt or blouse, one at a time, and trying it on.
- Take a good look at yourself in the mirror. Check:
- Does it fit?
- Is it in good repair? E.g., no stains, tears, missing buttons, etc.
- Do you like the way it looks on you?
- Do you like the way you feel with it on?
- Is it still in style?
Very Important: If you answer No to any of the questions above, put it into a bag to either give away to charity or to throw away if it's not in good repair.
Don't Get Hung Up: Do this rather quickly and don't look for excuses to keep anything you answer "No" to, as it's unlikely you'll wear it, and it just takes up unnecessary space. Note that it doesn't matter if a) you spent a lot of money on the item, or b) it's hardly worn at all, or c) it used to be your favorite. If it doesn't work for you now, it's not likely it ever will. Send it to a better place - to someone who will like it and wear it - or put it in the trash if it's not in good shape.
Hang Up the Keepers: Put the shirts/blouses you are keeping on good hangers, and put them in the closet all together on one side of the closet. If you like, you can group like colors together as you put them in, but don't take too long with this.
Sorting Process - Skirts/Pants and Suits
- Put your best white or off-white shirt or blouse on, and take out each skirt/pair of pants/suit, one at a time, and try them on. Again, check the list given above for blouses/shirts. Work through the clothing quickly, and sort into the giveaway bags or put the item on a hanger and hang each in a section next to the shirts/blouses. If you're a woman, you'll most likely have two or three sections; one for skirts, one for pants, and one for suits.
Important Note About Suits: For women, there are two ways to handle suits. You can hang them on a suit hanger, with the skirt or pants below the jacket. Or, you can separate them and put all the jackets together in your closet and the skirts with skirts, pants with pants. This will help you to see more options for your clothing than just putting on the "same old suit" that may feel boring to you.
Sorting Process - Jackets
- Put on your best white or off-white shirt/blouse and your best skirt/pair of pants. Try each jacket on and follow the checklist. Yep, you've got it: put all the "keeper" jackets together in the closet.
Sorting Process - Shoes
Men will have a relatively easy process here. With the exception of sports shoes, you can just wear a standard pair of socks to try them on.
Women will most likely have dress shoes, boots, casual shoes such as loafers, and sports shoes. A sheer knee high will work to try on dress shoes and boots, but you might want a slightly heavier sock for casual shoes, and a cotton sock for sports shoes.
Put them on, walk around, make sure they still fit and are comfortable. If they need repairs, put them in a shopping bag to take to the repair shop. If your sports shoes are really worn, you probably want to plan to replace them.
Sort the shoes you're giving away into the bags, designate a repair bag, and then put the keepers back in the closet. If your previous method of storing shoes was a jumble on the floor of the closet, make a note to buy shelving or other shoe storage to fit into your closet. Neatly line up the shoes on the closet floor for now.
Bags, Scarves, Ties, Belts
Bags, Scarves and Ties - In good repair? A style you still want to use? Colors that work with your clothing?
Belts - Does it fit? In good repair? A style you still want to use? Colors that work with your clothing?
Bags can be stored in a plastic bin on the shelf in your closet. Scarves, ties and belts are usually best if hung up.
Now Stop for the Day
You've now got only the "keepers" in your closet. Take the giveaway bags to the trash, or to the charity drop off now. It's important to have your space cleaned up, and to get those unwanted items out of the house right away.
Tomorrow, we'll tackle the dresser.
From My Email In-Box: Making Your Wardrobe Work for You - Part 1 of 3
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