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Friday, March 9, 2012

closet makeover

Hello lovies - sorry for no 30X30 outfit today, I have gotten behind on taking pictures of my outfits (bad weather, busy at work, stressing about where I am going to live...the usual). But there really is no excuse, and I promise to "re-enact" some this week, and post a few on Monday :)

 But I do have an activity for you to partake in this weekend... closet cleaning! It is almost Spring, and I am sure you are making a Spring wish list for items to add to your wardrobe, but first, I would advise you to clean out your closet, take inventory, and make an organized start for the next season.

 I live by the Carrie Bradshaw mentality, that my clothes are an investment and I should take care of them, so I am a rigorous closet cleaner/organizer/inventory taker... and I have 5 steps for getting you to closet nirvana as well:


1. edit your wardrobe
Pull everything out. Yes, ev-er-y thing. If you don't know what you have, you won't know what you need. And will instead purchase impulsively. Do you have a versatile jacket for the transition weather of Winter-Spring temps? Or will a pair of booties help fill out your collection of Spring dresses and flats? But a 5th pair of color jeggings would probably not be a "need" item

I store all of my clothes in my closet at once (with the exception of heavy winter coats), but some people find it useful to have a smaller "curated" collection of seasonal items stored on a easily accessible roller rack (lots of good images of this on Pinterest).
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2. make your space easy to use 
Next, start hanging/folding/storing your clothes back in a easy, attractive way. If you have lots of space, maybe you should consider including a small stool in your closet to aid in decision making time/shoe putting on. You don't have to have a lot of space, and a little creativity may be required, but you can do it!
No, not everyone can have a Jenna Lyons' style dressing room of epic proportions, but make it easy for your particular lifestyle 
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3. arrange it like a boutique 
If your space is beautiful, and your clothes arranged like a "boutique", then getting dressed every day will be like shopping in your own personal store. Seeing what you have arranged by color/type/season will make remixing your items fun and easy. I achieve this step by using uniform hangers, and sorting my clothes by type. I start by separating shirt/pants/skirts/dresses in their own areas and then sorted even more by style (i.e. all button-downs together, followed by my silk shells, and dressy tops). That way you can pull an item from the "shirt" section, and the "pant" section, add shoes and accessories, 
and you're good to go!
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4. stick to a system 
This is very important! Maintenance of the system you establish is key. This means not throwing your clothes onto a chair at the end of the day (I am sooo guilty of this!), but rather taking the 5 minutes to take care of your clothes/jewelry/shoes and place them back into their designated area. 
(If you are starting your system from scratch the Container Store has reasonably priced solutions)
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5. update it seasonally
Keep it going! Each season take inventory, decide what you need for your working closet (investments), and then determine what trendy pieces you want to add (cheaper items)

My must-haves for keeping my closet in tip-top shape:
- uniform neutral hangers (favorites)

- shelf organizers (these are beyond valuable for maximizing space!)
      Tip: use clear containers, important to actually see what is in your closet)

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Ok, I hope that helps!
Be honest, is your closet already like a boutique, or do you have an abyss of a closet that could have who-knows what in the dark corners?
Happy Spring cleaning this weekend
xx
Jessica

7 comments:

  1. I love the "boutique" idea!  Every time I "re-org" my closet I get frustrated with the lack of space.  I am seriously considering transforming my guest bedroom into a dressing room.  I don't have that many guests, anyway...

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  2. Oh my! An entire dressing room would be a dream. I am pretty fortunate to have a rental with large closets, but if I ever have to share a closet with a boy friend/hubby, I might be in trouble!!

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  3. Seriously, I recently found some belts that I had stashed away... going to be putting them back into rotation for Spring, it is like having new belts they have been buried for so long! ha
    xx

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  4. I re-organize about twice a season...I'm currently in the middle of round 2 for the  year (so 1st for spring?). It definitely helps to keep me mindful about what I have...and lets me rediscover things that get tucked away by mistake.

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  5. Once you start, you'll be surprised how dedicated you will be to finish! Good luck xx

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  6. I soooo need to do this, but its such a big task! I'm worried about starting and stopping before it's done. But I think I just need to suck it up and do it!

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  7. Oh how I wish my 1br city style apt had room for a full room closet!! Ahhh those photos are swoon worthy!

    XO,Erin
    http://erinscurrentlycoveting.blogspot.com 

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Thank you for your comments, they make my day!!
xx