Wardrobe Declutter

Subject: Wardrobe Declutter Sun Feb 11, 2007 11:44 am

What have I started!

I decided that I really have to go through my huge amount of clothing and even if I can't bear to see that much go - it needs to be stored and tidied so that when I want 'that' top to go with 'that' jacket - then I can find it. Likewise all the accessories, bags and bits and bats that lift the everyday into 'me'.

Reader, I'm overwhemed ....

I'm on day two and feel like I'm working in a costume warehouse. I'm concentrating on laundering and storing this week - next week I'm going to fill a rail with seasonal outfits and feel fabulous. That should keep me going as I bag up yet another bag of stuff to go on ebay/go to the charity shop.

Phew!

I also gave my airing cupboard a makeover whilst I was in laundry overdrive and looking for a safe place to put my fabric stash and linens. I feel kind of exhausted but smug :)

Anyone got wardrobe declutter tactics to share?
(please - make me feel less guilty lol)

Subject: Re: Wardrobe Declutter Mon Feb 12, 2007 1:12 pm

You know I do three piles (or boxes) on the bed. I take things out one by one from the closet and they go in one of the three piles - give away, keep or mend. As those get full I box them up and take them to my car and make new bags or boxes. Then I take my keep pile and I put them back in the closet. I used to keep like items together - like shirts etc. I still do to some extent but I've found that my new system is working best for me. I sort them by color and they hang in like colors. So all shades of pink shirts are together, all shades of black, etc. For clothes that are florals or patterns with various colors, I put them in the color that is the strongest, or perhaps the background. It's been so easy to keep things tidy since I changed to the color system. I do the same thing with my pants skirts - although those are all black, brown and tan.

I have to declutter my closet about twice a year, especially where the purses and shoes are concerned. Unfortunately I share a closet with dh, and he's not very tidy. I don't touch his side very often except to put laundry away. I figure it's not my stuff and he's a big boy - plus I have plenty to do outside that, so I let it be. Then we also have to use our closet for storage, so there are always boxes of stuff under the clothes, in addition to our luggage sets. And of course there is always the odd ball of dust/hair that is floating across the floor when I forget to sweep on there. Ah the joys of living with 3 dogs and a hairy husband. LOL

Subject: Re: Wardrobe Declutter Mon Feb 12, 2007 1:21 pm

I have a huge walk-in closet, which I thought would be great...but it turns out it's just a spot to store a lot of junk! I wouldn't even know where to start in there, so for now it is staying the giant garbage can that it is.

I did once organize my husband's side of the closet by color. It looked wonderful, and he never even noticed! When I asked him what he thought of it he just gave me a blank stare. So I don't do that anymore, lol.

Subject: Re: Wardrobe Declutter Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:31 pm

Well, I put things in seasonal piles as well (I know some things will layer up, but others definitely need to go away until Summer) and then I put my non-day-to-day glam stuff in my wardrobe.

The rest of it goes in drawers - or I like to make up a few ensembles and put them hung up together, on my clothes rail (I have this behind a lacquer screen in an alcove in my bedroom out of sight) - along with accessories. This makes me sound very organised - believe me - I'm not - but this is the only way I get out of the house on time looking reasonably well put-together. It has also got me out of a clothing rut - I used to wear the same old combos in the same old colours. And it gives me no excuse to not hang things back up/put things in the laundry at the end of the day rather than just hanging things on the back of a chair until it topples over

Subject: Re: Wardrobe Declutter Wed Aug 08, 2007 12:31 pm

Karla,
When I worked in a clothing department, we were supposed to hang the clothes in the order of the rainbow. It was easy to remember - think of the name, "Roy G. Biv" (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet). It looked nice, especially when there were all the colors of the rainbow. Also, if there was a mono-color, we went from light to dark.

But, I never thought of doing it in my own closet. That makes good sense.

Subject: Re: Wardrobe Declutter Wed Aug 08, 2007 8:32 pm

"we were supposed to hang the clothes in the
order of the rainbow. It was easy to remember - think of the name, "Roy
G. Biv" (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet)"

In Britain we were taught in primary school to remember the colours of the rainbow by commenting on King Richard III's efforts to fight the usurping French-Welsh tyrant who became Henry VI - Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain.

It only happened recently... in 1485....!

;-)

laura

Subject: Re: Wardrobe Declutter Thu Aug 09, 2007 4:05 am

Hello All-

I LOVE the rainbow color-order, I do that, too! I have a half bar, and hang tops on top, bottoms on bottom, then have a long dress/coat, etc. section. Each section goes in color order.

For shoes, I found a SUPER narrow bookshelf that's 6 feet high, 5 feet wide. I do the shoes in rainbow order from top to bottom.

I've never done this (too lazy) but thought it was a good idea: turn the hanger backwards -hook of hanger facing OUT not IN- on every item of your clothing. When you wear an item, turn it back around. If you haven't worn something in 6 months, a year, what have you, you probably aren't going to. So chunk it, donate it, whatever.

Subject: Re: Wardrobe Declutter Thu Aug 09, 2007 4:05 am

OOH!

What do you guys do about panties and bras? I have quite a messy few drawers 'cause I just toss them in. Looks yucky.

Any suggestions?
Laura

Subject: Re: Wardrobe Declutter Thu Aug 09, 2007 3:31 pm

I just put panties and bras in a drawer too. And don't have enough clothes or colors to hang them by the rainbow.

On a tv show the other day it said that most people only use about 20% of all the stuff they have. Wow. And yet here I am having to much trouble de-cluttering.

Subject: Re: Wardrobe Declutter Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:05 pm

OohLaLaura, I've got a dressing table with shallow draweers going a long way back and my bras I just fold in half at the midline, turn the underneath cup inside-out so it nestles (!) within the top on, tuck the strap in underneath and put it in nearly flat - the one behind goes slightly under the one in front and thay look luvverly all lined up along!

Knickers get laid flat then the crotch folded up, the sides folded in and the whole thing rolled into a 'cylinder with the (usually pretty) front waist at the top and popped into their drawer just in two long lines like this
==
==
==
==

It takes seconds to do once you have the trick of it; not nearly so daftly prissy as it sounds!

laura

Subject: Knickers drawer Fri Aug 10, 2007 1:41 pm

Subject: Re: Wardrobe Declutter Fri Aug 10, 2007 3:06 pm

Laura Elsewhere---

Daftly prissy, NO!
Foofy and lovely, YES!

I'm going to give that the old college try.
Pretty lingerie drawer, here I come!

OohLaLaura

Subject: Re: Wardrobe Declutter Fri Jun 06, 2008 11:54 am

I get a kick out going through my closet and getting rid of items and organizing it. It's cathartic to me. My mother instilled in me this is theory:
" If you get something new, then you have to get rid of something old/not so new"

This seems to help. If I look in my closet and something jumps out that makes me groan with annoyance(or guilt for that matter), I get rid of it. I have no time for that.
Everything is separated by what it is. Dresses with dresses, dressy blouses, work shirts, sweaters with sweaters, etc. Then I put the same items by color.
Kind of persnickey but it helps cut down on the gotta find something scramble.
Hope this helps.
-Josie

Subject: Re: Wardrobe Declutter Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:19 pm

Josie, you must have or live around people with Scots ancestry! "Persnickety" is such a useful word, isn't it - but I didn't think Americans had it!

Once you have everything "just so", then you have it perjink ;-) (emphasis on -jink, rather than on per-)

I have mine more or less sorted by what it is, like you, but then it's more sorted by style, so more formal, or prettily feminine, or casual tomboyish...

Oh I really need ot sort out the laundry! Waaaah! Sob, weep, wail [cont. p.94]

I have Too Many Clothes and I really don't have time for a major de-clutter (although I probably woudl if I stopped procrastinating...). Most of my undies and t-shirts are in the wash (again...because they hadn't got out of the washing-machine for several days, yikes!)... I need to get myself into gear! Come on, girl... hup! C'mon, hup you come... oh God, I've turned into a sheepdog... ;-)

laura

Subject: Re: Wardrobe Declutter Fri Jun 06, 2008 2:00 pm

Yes, my grandmother is of Scot descent.
This post really inspired me. I now have three bags to go off to the charity shop. My theory is if there's less stuff, then less stuff to pack and move in July.
-Josie