This closet thing is taking me awhile. I reached a point on Sunday, where I was digging the old stuff out of the discard bags because I didn’t have anything else to wear. On Monday, I decided it was time to shop a bit.
I had scoured the stores over the weekend, scoping out the merchandise choices and deciding which stores were worth a return visit. With the goal of looking polished and relavant, without being overly trendy, I made a mental list of what I was looking for. One thing for sure I knew I wanted to add to my closet was a jumpsuit or two. They are a must-have item this year, and with a depleted closet, they offer a ready-made look in one simple piece. I picked up a full length black one, that could be dressed up or down, and 2 shorter ones; one in a fun print that is more casual,but still pulled together, and another black and white version that is youthful, but sophisticated. ( read: not too short, not too bare and work appropriate.) I also picked up a couple of tops that would work with what I had, and replace a few of the holey ones in purge pile.
Packing up the winter clothes
Next, I set out to tackle the accessories. I weeded out all the broken and truly junkie jewelry that had found its way to me via grandmother’s junk drawers, and goodie bags, and organized the rest so I could find it.I hung the necklaces that tangle easily on a hangar, and put the rest into a bin. I shelved the bags and hats, and rolled all of my light weight scarves so that they fit into one bin without becoming a wrinkled mess. I packed up the winter footwear, and cleaned the floor and shoe racks before replacing the summer edit. I took a quick trip to the shoe repair to rehab a great pair of shoes and a Hermes belt that I love, but was getting a little shabby.
It’s much improved already!
Now it was time to play dress up. I tried on what was left, and made outfits, including accessories and shoes, to be sure I had everything I needed to make these pieces work. B got a couple more hand-me-downs of things that still looked good; but not on me. I recommend either taking a selfie, or laying the outfits out on the bed in their entirety, and taking a photo to document every successful look. I opted to do some quick sketches with notes, since I am camera shy.
Quick doodles of outfits I liked
This exercise not only ensures that you have things that work together, but also that you have the right accessories, down to the sweater or jacket to toss on when the air conditioning turns a nice place into a meat locker. My try-on session yielded me quite a few looks from a tightly edited amount of items, and helped me identify a need or two. Now when I go into the closet, I can see everything I own clearly, and have a stack of go-to outfits to get me started.
Today’s project: Eliminating the “stuff.” What is the “stuff” you ask? I haven’t a clue, but it is taking up a lot of real estate in there! I’m fully armed with 13 gallon trash bags, and I’m going in!
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Tags: accessories, cleaning out the closet, closet cleanse, clothes, clutter, make outfits and document them, organizing, outfits, purge, shopping, wardrobe
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