Imagine reaching into your closet and
always pulling out a favorite piece. We often let emotional attachment get in the way of donating clothing that doesn't fit or just
doesn't work in your life anymore. Time to let go, this list will help. When you're done you'll have a streamlined "European" style closet where every piece is selected/kept with care and getting dressed is simple. Less is more!
I may make custom art for the closet area too, I love art
everywhere!
Left side: Boyfriend clothes (he stays the night often), my t-shirts, excess packaging materials at bottom.
Right Side: Blouses, Bottoms, Dresses, shoes, unseasonable clothes in boxes at the top.
Step 1) PURGE. Be Brutal: Be a brutal editor. Get ALL pieces that don't fit or make you uncomfortable in ANY WAY (pulls, pinches, sags, shows your crack!) out of the closet and into a box.
Step 2) Set Aside Seasonal Clothes: Put all out-of-season clothes in boxes until you can wear them again. I keep mine in boxes at the top my closet and in my carry-on luggage cases.
Step 3) Re-Arrange: Group your shirts, shorts, pants, etc. together at this point so it's easy to reach in and find your quarry every day. I hang ALL my clothes, I love skipping folding and ironing!
Step 4) Revisit the Purge: Go through your "purge box" with emotion removed (tips
here). Put the repair pieces in a box by your sewing machine (or in your car to take to mom!) so they're fixed
fast. Set aside a couple "too small" pieces to wear when you lose weight, but purge brutally there. You deserve to treat yourself to new pieces once you hit your goal weight.
Step 5) Continue the Process: Now you can hunt for any vital pieces you may be missing, but keep to a one-thing-in, one-thing-out rule. When a piece breaks or I feel uncomfortable in something temporarily I toss in a box at the top of my closet. I revisit the box at the end of the month and donate/fix pieces as needed.
Starting fresh with a streamlined, uncluttered closet is such an inspiring starting point for a new year or new challenges in life. I don't feel "meh!" about anything I own, everything in my closet is a favorite and was chosen/kept with care. Keep only what makes you feel and look your very best so you're confident every day. Next I'm excited to address personal style from a pensive/psychological/artistic perspective like the pedantic curator I am.
Bwahahaha....
How do you keep your closet clutter-free? Any additional decluttering tips (or style tips) to share?
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I'm constantly pruning my closet. Two things that have helped lately - 1. limiting my color palette to blues, greens and neutrals. 2. Accepting the human desire for novelty. No matter how much you've got, you want new stuff, too. So, as you said, see your closet as a revolving door - new stuff in, old stuff out.
ReplyDeleteI almost included the color palette tip but I'm decided to keep that in the "developing style" post. I look best in black/white/blues/greens/hot pink and saturated cool tones, no pastels so I keep to those colors. Those are colors I happen to love anyway so it really worked. I break the rules and pops of colors but even when you look at the photo you see I stick to those color rules.
Deletewhat's helped me most recently is not having very much money so |'m not tempted to buy anything other than essentials. I agree with Ban too about choosing a palette and sticking with it. I wear a lot of black with reds/ burgundy/dark pink
ReplyDeleteI deleted it for space but should add the tips about thrifting for clothes if there happen to be any uninitiated to thrifting creating. I've found designer clothing for literally pocket change at the Goodwill pound store and yard sales and in perfect quality. I love that you can be super cheap with clothes and still be stylish.
DeleteMy closet is the biggest train wreck ever. And that's all I have to say......
ReplyDeleteMine used to be when I was working full time, holy crap the horror! My old apartment had a tiny closet and I had tons I wasn't wearing that I thrifted for cheap. Was so embarrassing to be dating at the time and having a giant mess pile of clothes in the bedroom...
DeleteI don't even use most of my closet for clothes. I use it for random storage. And it gets out of hand. Real out of hand.
DeleteThat's happened to mine before too! I spent a year purging to get my home minimalist like it is now ;p haha
DeleteThe expedit unit from IKEA and the boxes are helping me concentrate all work storage in one area. More on that and the matching spreadsheets soon. But the closet has on-and-off become work disaster zone.
DeleteWow. Nice closet. I can really learn a thing or two from you.
ReplyDeleteOne of the ways I try to stay neat is taking a shelf in my closet and filling it up with unworn clothing. If after a year, I have not warn the selected few items, I find it easier to get rid of.
I love the one-year rule for -everything-, too. Most of the time when you set stuff aside you really won't touch it for a year. After that it's much easier to let it go.
DeleteThanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteHope they're helpful!
DeleteLove your organized closet, thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteNo prob, excited to share more organization tips into the future!
DeleteMy expectation of this dress was not high. However, when I received it in the mail and tried it on, it completely blew me away! It was so beautiful and figure flattering.
ReplyDeleteImagine reaching into your closet and always pulling out a favorite piece. We often struggle with parting from clothing due to emotional attachment, but it's time to let go. By streamlining your wardrobe, you'll create a "European" style closet where every item is carefully selected, making getting dressed a simple, enjoyable task.
ReplyDelete