The New Year is a great time to re-calibrate, wipe the slate clean and for many set new goals and garner some
momentum and excitement about what this fresh start can bring. It is also a
great time to think about your priorities in life and adjust your belongings to reflect
that. I must admit that this post is also inspired by a recent move to a
smaller house. Not just a smaller house but a much smaller closet, eeeek!
That means that I have to seriously reduce the amount of clothing I own while
simultaneously try to increase the storage space we have.
I guess I could store stuff in boxes or vacuum packed bags and
put them in the basement, but I actually would prefer to reduce my wardrobe and
take more of a minimalist approach to my clothing choices.
I know purging can be very difficult and
heart wrenching for some who struggle to let go of stuff, especially if there
is some sentimental connection to it. We've done a similar post recently about
de-cluttering and if you struggle with letting go of stuff use this mantra "have nothing in your house you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."
So where to start? For reassessing your
closet requirements I've come up with a simple 3 step rhyme to guide the
process – prioritize, categorize and minimize.
Prioritize
What are your priorities for your closet?
You can think about this in a number of ways. For example, I now try to prioritize quality
over quantity, especially now as I approach my mid-30's, cheap and nasty stuff doesn't work so well. Quality doesn't have to mean expensive either, I try to
avoid polyester and buy wool or cotton, and natural fabrics wherever I can. So
for me now that means having just a few items that are a great fit, quality
fabric and fashionably classic so they don’t just last one season, like that
fluro striped floral peplum top you may now regret.
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| For example a priority buy for winter is a quality wool coat. I'm always shocked when I see a very expensive branded coat that is only say 20% wool, when you can buy much higher quality for much less. This Burberry example is probably more pricey than necessary, but as long as it is 100% wool (or in this case mixed with Cashmere) the brand should not be that important. Image courtesy of Burberry. |
Categorize
I work 5 days a week and I go to the gym
5-6 days a week so my wardrobe is rightfully dominated by work and gym clothes.
Then there are special occasion outfits, weekend relaxing clothes, casual
shopping/movie going wear, etc. These items should take up considerably less space in my closet, but that's not always the case. What I try to do is find clothes that can cross over from work to casual, and from winter to summer. Versatile clothes are very valuable and worth the space they take up in your closet. For example a summer dress can be re-purposed for winter with opaque stockings, boots and a cardigan. Or formalize a casual outfit from the weekend with a blazer and heels for during the working week.
Here is
another great blog post that goes into much more detail about wardrobe
categorization and analyzing whether or not your wardrobe fits your lifestyle. It is from one of my favorite bloggers IntoMind and it can help you to become more aware of your clothing needs and figure out whether or not your clothing reflects those needs. For example I personally prefer buying more casual wear but I
have to hold myself back because I hardly get the opportunity to wear them at
all. So the most important thing to do is categorize your clothing and ensure
you have the right allocations per type.
Try to keep this in mind next time you go shopping and only buy new things to fill gaps.
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| A couple of examples of outfits that can cross over from casual weekend wear to work wear. Image courtesy of Lifefashionfly.com. |
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| Get more out of your wardrobe and re-purpose a summer dress for winter |
Minimize
Now for the the hardest part, so you
understand your priorities and have categorized your wardrobe appropriately, so
the next step is to minimize your wardrobe and get rid of everything that you
don’t wear. There are some guidelines around minimizing or purging, for example if you haven’t worn it in the last
6 months you should get rid of it. I would say if you haven’t worn it in the
last 12 months then definitely get rid of it because if you go a full 4 seasons
and it hasn't seen the light of day, then it should hit the road! Give unwanted
clothes to charity, or your friends. Again for more insight into a minimalist approach to your wardrobe styling check this post from IntoMind.
Finally here are a few ideas on how to
increase storage space in your home. When you have limited space, you need to get clever and tricky about how you can keep everything away nice and tidy.
Another mantra for storage is (without being too obsessive about it) "a place
for everything and everything in its place."
Use unused spaces
The inside doors of
closets are perfect for hanging hooks for belts, necklaces and scarves, or anything else you can think of!
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| Use hooks and even towel racks to store accessories behind your closet doors. Image courtesy of shelterness.com |
Under beds and on top of wardrobes you can get extra storage space with pretty boxes or drawers. A decorative trunk can also store your winter woollies or linen.
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| Check out all the great storage ideas from our fifth house and their great post on Clothing Storage Ideas for Small Closet Owners. They also have small closet issues and with four full seasons give great ideas on how to maximize storage space. |
Create multipurpose spaces
Seats with
drawers included, an ottoman to store linen, secret storage and floating shelves, just some more great ways to get more out of your furniture and spaces.
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| Brilliant idea to create bench seat storage with two book cases on their sides and foam cushions with baskets in the shelves. Image and full tutorial courtesy of IHeartOrganizing. |
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| For extra storage hiding places an ottoman can be perfect for extra blankets, toys, and games. Image courtesy of Garnet Hill. |
