getting to know my closet

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(18 posts) (9 voices)

Started 1 year ago by EraserGirl
Latest reply from bandicoot
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EraserGirl
Member

I had to clean the bottom of the closet - (HAD to not wanted to - damn kittens)
so I emptied everything onto the bed..everything. FWIW I don't have a dresser or bureau..everything I own hangs up. (cept lingerie and socks which have plastic bins)

Biannually I take out all the stuff I wear, check the size and then put it back into the edges of the closet and put the current season stuff in the center.
This time I took out everything...I would have had to anyway..I have a wedding on Sunday and needed to take out the special look like a grownup stuff to find something to wear.

This time I put it all on the bed and put it back one TYPE of clothing at a time. Instead of what I THINK I wear from week to week I figured out what I apparently like to buy and keep on hand. I tend to toss things that have holes, stains or don't fit and rebuy the same type of thing over and over. It seems like a lot but we have all the seasons here including extra ones like 'mud season' .....but this gives me well over a week between laundry trips.

1 trench coat
1 blue wool 3/4 length winter coat
1 mid length green barn coat
1 red polarleece vest
1 photographer's vest
1 nordic cardigan
1 cashmere sweater
1 demin jacket
1 khaki jacket
2 cotton dresses
3 blazers (summer and winter weights)
3 long sleeve dress shirts
3 pairs dress pants
4 pairs of jeans
4 pairs of shorts (2 jeans, 2 khaki)
5 short sleeve blouses/shirts
3 navy blue polo shirts
3 aloha shirts
2 sleeveless shirts
4 long sleeve river driver shirts
3 long sleeve checked or plaid 'big' shirts
2 pairs of scrub pants (black and white)
2 pairs sweat pants
2 yoga pants/sleepwear
6 t-shirts - (blue, black and a couple of red - no printed shirts)

Nearly everything pairs with everything else since i tend towards blues, blacks and everygreen with a few bright red items. If i have an interview or a contract job or an event like the wedding sunday, I will probably visit the thrift shop and buy a couple of new pieces to make me feel good and then when i put them in the closet i can always find something to ditch.

Posted 1 year ago #
lottielot
Member

It seems like a very minimalistic wardrobe for all those seasons! Do you really own no skirts at all?

Posted 1 year ago #
pkilmain
Member

I'd say that would be possible. I own 3 dresses (soon to be two, as one is too big), and 3 skirts (not including my square dance outfits (2) which I consider in a different category - I'd never wear them any other time.

Posted 1 year ago #
RJ
Member

Like EraserGirl, we have five seasons (including mud season). I'd say I have maybe 1/4th of what EraserGirl has. I own no dresses or skirts, no blazers, and no dress shirts. I should do an inventory.

Posted 1 year ago #
EraserGirl
Member

no skirts...and i'd have no dresses, except this summer was really hot and i bought two ankle length summer style.

I am lucky enough to have a laundry in the building but the basement entrance is outside and around the house, so i'd rather not go down many times with small loads. I do a dark and a light and a linen wash every 14 days.

I also like having more of a rotation. Usually i work from the house, but sometimes i will have 'real jobs or interviews' where i do need more formal clothes. So i like having some choices for all occasions.

Yeah it looks like a lot but i am pleased with myself..it all fits in 3/4 of my closet. and i have room to slide things back and forth and look for stuff.

Posted 1 year ago #
EraserGirl
Member

ha! my decluttering the closet paid off.
when i took out the A/C it slid in nicely next to the space heater and the hepa filter..both will be coming out in a month or so when i have to close the windows and turn on the heat.
no more clutter on the closet floor!

Posted 1 year ago #
themusiclivez
Member

I have too many clothes. I am envious of your list. If I made a list, it would probably be 4 times (at least) what yours is. I am in the process of cutting back. It's just taking a long time to "use up/wear out" the items I currently own!

Congrats on decluttering! You have given me hope for my own closet!

Posted 1 year ago #
lazycow
Member

Wow, that's only 60 items of clothing. I've been trying to get my wardrobe down to under 100, which I've successfully done this year. About 20 items are dresses or skirts though :-)
Do you not own pajamas or night shirts/robes/swimwear? I've included all those in my list too.

Posted 1 year ago #
lottielot
Member

Ooh, you intrigued me lazycow! I just went and counted my clothes and I have 90 items, but realised summer clothes have been packed away so including summer stuff I probably have bang on 100. However half that must be jumpers and jackets for colder weather, and about 20 items of workout gear. I don't work so no need for smart clothes though, I always thought I had a fairly minimalistic wardrobe...

Posted 1 year ago #
soleseoulsoul
Member

Multi-purpose clothing? I know I have well over 100 pieces of clothing! I'm so jealous of everyone here! I have comfy pjs, swimsuits, workout clothes, clothes for working around the house, clothes for playing gigs (as I am a musician) and separate concert clothing as well as "smart casual/business" clothing for my daytime work. Of course, I also have this array of clothing for separate seasons(though I just layer in my summer clothing during colder seasons).It doesn't really seem like there are multi-purpose pieces of clothing and I can't just own 1 or 2 outfits in each category...

Does anyone else seem to have this problem??? I have a really small closet and always cycle clothes but what's your solution???

Posted 1 year ago #
lottielot
Member

I suppose it depends whether you could find something suitable for both work and music? And why do you have them for separate seasons? For me, I wear the same clothes year round and then throw on leggings under a skirt when it gets colder, then a jumper on top when it gets colder still, then a coat when it gets to winter. Most places are heated so warm in winter I'd boil in anything other than layers. I have a couple of smart-casual (mainly cotton-linen mix) knee-length skirts which I can wear anywhere and can wear with bare legs and sandals in summer, with tights or leggings in colder weather, that sort of thing. I have one brand (Boden) which I love and I pretty much only buy their stuff, they have a catalogue which has lots of different permutations of the same clothing dressed up and down as examples, though I usually take the slobby route :) Sounds like you need to get creative if you have limited space?

Posted 1 year ago #
soleseoulsoul
Member

I change for different seasons because for some reason, I get soooooo hot in the summer and sooooooo cold in the winter. There's no happy medium for me. Kind of ridiculous, I know. I wear hoodies and sweatpants at home in the winter but you can't really wear stuff like that work! I love the stuff at Boden! So cute~ However, I just got the Salvation Army pick-up postcard in the mail so I decided that I'm spending today cleaning out my closet to the cause! Wish me luck.

Posted 1 year ago #
lottielot
Member

ooh, good luck! Have you thought about thermals? :)

Posted 1 year ago #
themusiclivez
Member

soleseoulsoul - I totally understand where you are coming from. I counted my shirts the other day and realized I have close to 80. 80! I, too, have clothes for work, weekends, casual, etc. I love lottielot's suggestion about layering. That is what helped me cut back a bit.

The more you cut back the more creative you can get with your outfits. I refuse to buy any more clothes (until these wear out) and have been able to find so many in my drawers that match pants that I thought had no hope for finding a match.

Do any of you feel guilty about getting rid of clothes that you don't really like anymore? I am trying to lose that guilty feeling so I can unload some items that don't really fit my "style" any longer.

Posted 1 year ago #
pkilmain
Member

If clothes no longer fit your style (or your body :) ) I say out with them! You won't wear them, they take up valuable closet/shelf/drawer space. Yes they're still good in most cases, so let them work for someone else! No guilt, you're not tossing them in the landfill, you're gifting them to someone who wants them. :)

Posted 1 year ago #
cjhaab
Member

I'm with soleseoulsole - seasonal items are not optional. I work in an office, so must have dressy pants and blouses, along with sweaters for winter and skirts for summer, open shoes and closed shoes for different seasons. For some reason 70 deg. inside temperature is much colder in winter than the same in summer.

Then outside of work, in summer I wear tank tops, shorts and sandals. I would melt in jeans. But in the winter, I can't just layer those items. Layer shorts with leggings? So I also have jeans, long sleeved knits, and more layers of fleece jackets. Work shoes can't be worn on weekends - patent pumps with jeans and fleece??

I run, so that requires two seasons of running clothes, more shoes and socks, and the collection of race t-shirts that are seldom worn. THOSE are the tops I need to weed out, I guess.

I have come up with a way that picking out clothes in advance works for me. Many people have suggested choosing your outfits for the whole week in advance, down to the undies and jewelry. That seemed burdensome, as it required rearranging the whole closet or making a separate pile of things. But it works for me to pick out 5 tops that I want to wear. I hang them in the front of the row of work clothes in my closet. I already know which slacks or skirts, shoes and jewelry they go with, and can easily get those out from the other rack or drawers if the top decision is premade.

Posted 1 year ago #
lazycow
Member

Hope you all don't mind if I list my clothes too? I'm a SAHM, who sometimes works casually in her kids' school office (so, I don't need formal work clothes, just need to look neat and put together). I live in Melbourne, where the winters are usually coolish, and the summers can be HOT (up to 40C).

All of this fits into a small built in wardrobe, and 1 drawer of a chest of drawers (bulky coats are packed into a box in summer).

Sleepwear:
3 sets PJs - flannel, cotton
3 nighties
polar fleece robe
cotton robe

Swimwear:
'good' bathers and matching sarong
long sleeved rashie and boy leg shorts
Speedo bathers

Pants:
3 prs jeans (1 every day, one for going out, capri length)
3 prs black (cords, moleskins, stretch skinny)
1 pr navy cotton capris
1 pr cargo pants
1 black velour trackpants
1 pr black linen shorts

Jackets/Coats:
1 navy velvet blazer
1 Denim zip fitted jacket
1 Black light raincoat
1 grey hoodie windcheater
1 Grey hooded long lightweight cardi
1 heavy wool long grey coat
1 fake fur trimmed camel wool coat

Dresses:
4 evening dresses (1 fitted long sleeved, 2 summer, 1 trans-seasonal)
2 wrap dresses (day)
1 fitted shift
3 summer floor length dresses

Skirts:
5 a-line skirts
1 silk pencil skirt
3 floor length tiered summer skirts

6 Cardigans
15 long sleeved tops
7 short sleeved tops
7 sleeveless tops

Shoes:
3 prs boots
2 pairs formal (silver sandals, grey velvet heels)
1 pr black Mary janes
1 pr Converse sneakers
1 pr Ugg boots
1 pr thongs
2 prs summer wedge sandals
1 pr summer slip ons

3 belts (different widths)
7 bags (2 evening)
2 scarves
1 wool wrap

Don't own a shirt (requires ironing, which I do not do).

Having said all that, my 'uniform' in autumn/winter is pants or skirt with flat knee high boots, rollneck top with a jacket or coat. In summer it's floor length skirts and a top and an umbrella (I'm white as a ghost and would burn to a crisp otherwise!)

@Lottielot, I'd love to dress in Boden, love their style, but postage is a killer to Australia (doesn't stop my sister though!)

Posted 1 year ago #
bandicoot
Member

i don't own any skirts or dresses. i've been a die hard trouser-wearer for the last 30 years.
i have some ornately frilled swishy long bloomers though, which are fun to wear.

i have a lot less than 100 garments; but i live in a climate that is basically either wet or dry, but always hot.
i've got linen/cotton/silk tops and trousers that have all been made for me by my tailor in bali to four or five very basic patterns (no cuffs, no collars, no zips, no buttons) i have been wearing for years and years and everything pretty much goes with everything else.
then i've got a bunch of ratty yoga pants and t-shirts for work (soapmaking is very hard on clothes, you end up with huge oil marks and white patches and holes where lye has eaten through and stains from essential oils and oxides and clays).
i had a huge shoe cull and i've got my eye on another pair....am i really going to get a new sole put on them after five years of saying i will?

Posted 1 year ago #

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