Pollen season got you sneezing? Then there’s no better time to stay indoors and conduct your own closet bootcamp, a makeover for your wardrobe! If this is your first time to spring clean the closet in many a season, the task can be daunting, which causes many to continuously put it off. Make cleaning out the clutter a priority and give yourself a realistic timeframe in which to complete the job. Consider hiring a professional wardrobe consultant, as often it takes an objective outsider to give you that needed push to let go of certain items. When I am assisting a client in purging a wardrobe, we inventory each garment - deciding what to donate or consign (don't add to a landfill by just trashing garments, even those in poor condition), and separating items that need repair or could be revived with alterations. For those unworn but still hard to let go of garments, we analyze the reasons behind the resistance, sometimes resulting in a mini therapy session but ultimately freeing for the client. Common excuses include: "That might come back in style." To which I say, yes, but you will want the 2012 interpretation (with the excpetion of items with special vintage appeal). Or, "I'm dieting and hope to fit into that again." I'm all for goals, but often these items serve as reminders of what you might view as a failure, thus undermining confidence. How long has it been since you could fit into the item in question? If more than 3 years, perhaps it is time to embrace your current shape.Should you chose not to hire a professional, perhaps you could enlist a friend to assist and keep you motivated, promising to return the favor in his or her closet. Once properly purged, here are some tips to give your closet a new and improved image:
- Use all the same hangers to give your closet a uniform appearance. The right hanger will also help clothing keep its shape. I like slimline felt or velvet covered hangers or the plastic store hangers; both keep even sleeveless garments from slipping off the hanger. Like Mommy Dearest, I detest wire hangers because they leave divots in shoulders and, in this humid climate, can rust. Tubular hangers take up too much space and the tops don’t swivel.- Hang clothing in the same direction: facing the left if you are right handed, facing the right if you are left handed.- Group clothing by type: tops, jackets, skirts pants, dresses, etc., all in their own category.- Within each category, sort by color. While there is no correct template, I use the order white, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, grey, black. For mutli-colored items, use your best judgement as to the primary hue.- Within each color, sort by sleeve length: sleeveless, short sleeve, 3/4 sleeve, long sleeve.- Especially if you have a small closet, let no space remain unused. Empty floor space can be used for multi-level shoe racks, and walls can be used to install shelves for folded knits or hooks for handbadgs, hats, scarves, etc. In my closet I installed two long tie racks, one I use for nightgowns, and another I use for camisoles. - Neatly fold delicate knits on shelves, perhaps in clear bins to separate t-shirts, finer knits, sweater sets, etc. And make sure item is clean before you put it up - what moths seek is bits of food and perspiration left on clothing.- Make sure your closet is adequately lit. Good lighting allows you to interpret colors and identify fabrics.The method behind what non Type-A folks may see as madness, is that the ability to see a true picture of what is actually in your wardrobe will make dressing easier and help you avoid impulse and duplicate purchases. Additionally, an organized closet allows for an expanded wardrobe. Often people find themselves so overwhemled by voluminous closet contents, it's as if they can't see the forest for the trees, the old "I have a closet full of clotes and nothing to wear." And so they resort to wearing the same 4-5 outfits repeatedly. By separating these "safe" combinations, and clearly displaying in front of you the contents of your closet, you are encouraged to be more creative in your mixing and matching. After your closet makeover, don't let it revert to an ugly ducking! Purge at the beginning of each season, with a good rule of thumb being to part with items you have not worn in the past two years. In between seasons, I recommend keeping a bin (mine is located in my laundry room) in which you throw in give away items as you come across them. Know the location of a favorite charity's donation bin, and periodically make a deposit. (I use the Hannah Home bin at Whole Foods.) One of my favorite quotes by fashion guru Tim Gunn is, "What is a closet, really, but a catalogue of the different personas we have auditioned and discarded? Hanging there in our closets are reminders, both good and bad, of who we are, who we’ve been, and who we’ve hoped to be." While true, I suggest only keeping evidence of your current persona in your closet! Style isn't rocket science, after all, and with all of the other responsibilities in your life, you owe it to your self to simplify the process of getting dressed.
