It didn't help that the Thanksgiving holiday was in this month, which meant my focus was elsewhere. However, I did do it for many of the days and now have enough to fill another large black trash bag to donate and a smaller one to let my sister go through. Just in the last two days, I have decluttered 35 things from my closet. Barely makes a dent but I am glad to get these things donated and free up some space.
I am not one to keep an array of sizes in my closet. Almost everything is the same size with just a few outliers. This means that choosing items that no longer fit is not an effective way to purge. I have found the question that helps me the most: Would I buy this today if I saw it in the store? That seems simple, and yet it is very effective.
I find that I am more apt to say yes to solid colors and no to prints. I find it easier to get rid of the few pink shades of clothing rather then my favorite blues and turquoises. Can I really own too many black slacks? Okay, perhaps I should pick a number, such as eight, and stick with it.
Several years ago, I heard/read some advice to organize by color. This seemed very intuitive to me as I often choose what I'm wearing by color or mood. This has allowed me to be a bit more organized in knowing when my wardrobe is becoming monochromatic and needs something different. Often that tropical orange skirt, that I bought because of this need to spice things up, winds up being one of the first things purged a year or two down the road. I don't mind as I usually get enough wear out of it to make the purchase worth it.
Organizing by color also makes putting clean laundry away a much easier task. It also makes it possible for me to rearrange a bit for the seasons. I do not pack away winter/summer clothes seasonally. Rather, as the seasons start to change, I put things away to the edges of the color sections rather than the easily accessible middle and to group long sleeve and short sleeve items. Where I live, the weather can be unpredictable and one may need a long sleeved tee or cardigan in the late spring and early summer. Also, in winter, sleeveless blouses are great for wearing with suits on those balmier winter days.
I have worked between 1-2 hours each day for the last three days. Last night was a bit random as my daughter needed something professional for an mock-interview and wanted to try on several blouses. She found one but caused my 'system' to get off track. My plan was to work around the closet clockwise but now I find myself dealing with clothes instead of shoes. Tonight she asked about shoes! We wear the same size but her foot is very narrow so many regular width shoes just will not stay on her feet. So, to the other side of the closet we went. Guess it doesn't really matter as long as it gets done.
As in all things regarding individual lifestyles, you have to find what works for you. I have taken some before pictures but here is one to start. The closet is awkward. It is narrow with two doors in the middle, one to the BR and one to the Bath. One side is for hanging and the other has shelves. Right not I hang things everywhere: off hooks on both doors and a shoe rack in the mddle. Right now it just looks like a huge mess with access to the tub in the joining bathroom blocked by piles of clothes that I've taken out to sort through. Thank goodness I have two other bathrooms to bathe in as this is a big undertaking and could take a while.
No comments:
Post a Comment