It goes without saying that every year we make resolutions for the New Year. And I’m proposing yet another resolution for our readers here at insidemilwaukee.com! How about taking a critical look at all of the fashions you already have in your closet? Twice a year I attend Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, where designers show us the new trends for the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter seasons to come. But how many of the items in your wardrobe actually fit into your fashion plans for the New Year and beyond? If they look more like an edition of VH1’s “I love the ’90s,” or seem like orphans waiting to be adopted, it is time to refresh those pieces of apparel you love and take stock of what you can live fashionably without in the future.
You will need to completely empty your closet(s) and dresser drawers of any and all of your clothing and fashion items. Before they go back, you must mentally note whether an item is:
1. Something you constantly wear
2. Something you are “waiting to find the right thing to wear it with”
3. Something you rarely or never wear
If the items you rarely or never wear are still in great shape, start a box or bag that will go to the Goodwill Store, Salvation Army, church resale or any organization that you would like to benefit from your former wardrobe. I know that editing and organizing is a tough thing to do, but if you bring a friend in on the purging process, they’ll make it easier to let items go. A bottle of wine doesn’t hurt either. The lubrication will ease the pain of giving you honest feedback on what is not flattering or what they’ve seen you wear far too often. Thus, the decisions will be made quicker and with more purpose.
Start with your hanging garments first. Do the same with the folded garments in your dressers. This includes sweatshirts/pants, bulky sweaters, thin sweaters, T-shirts and miscellaneous folded garments. Other drawer items would include lingerie, socks/tights/leggings, gloves and mittens, scarves and other assorted “soft” items.
Think of this as shopping in your own closet, making outfits out of what you will return to drawers and hangers. Put aside those items that need “inspiration” and look for ways to incorporate them into your fashion routine. If not, out they go. This can really open your eyes to what you need to replace as well! Make sure at this moment to “store” seasonal items in a garment bag or some other area or tote to keep your focus on the items you actually use and wear now. If you find that a piece of clothing is in need of repair, dry cleaning or looking a bit faded or worn, you should opt to update, donate or discard.
Now that you can actually see what you own, put it all back into the closet and dresser in an organized manner. Long hanging items like gowns/dresses, overalls, jumpsuits, bathrobes, long trench coats or overcoats need to have their own area. I bought a metal rolling rack that I keep out in the open in my oversize bedroom, where I hang seasonal items as well as scarves and such that I use daily. It is easy to see what I have and easy to keep it all in order. Medium hanging items might be short dresses, pantsuits and men’s suits pants that are hung without folding, long jackets, and medium-length coats. Ditto for short hang items like shirts/blouses, T-shirts, sweaters/vests, jackets, sport coats and folded slacks. Knowing how and where to hang these items will eliminate wasted closet space.
If you have hooks in your closet, robes, belts, ties, purses/handbags and some jewelry should live on those.
On shelves, place pairs of shoes in shoe boxes, larger purses and handbags, pairs of boots, and maybe your luggage if you don’t have anywhere else to store it. Personally, I keep my travel gear in a hall closet to keep more room for my numerous, though clever, monthly purchases from local stores in my bedroom closet.
Now for the fun part of all this organization we’ve been doing, the shopping! As you put the things from your wardrobe that you are keeping back in their proper places, the items that you lack become more and more apparent. You may find yourself thinking, “I really need some new accessories,” or “I could use a few more sweaters.” These are what you should look for after you donate your gently used items to the charity of your choice. I always make a habit of checking out our own Colleen Heather Rogan’s Shopaholic blog to see where I can get more bang for my fashion buck each week as well as support local merchants. Armed with my list and a new feeling about the wardrobe I already own, it’s always a cinch to score some great new additions simply by checking out my favorite stores for what I need. If I don’t find it this time, I know there will be more new and interesting things to choose from the next time I shop. Or best of all, on a return visit something that I can’t currently afford may be marked down! There are many times that I leave stores empty handed because one of my favorite mantras is “don’t just buy to buy.” If I don’t really need it and can’t picture an immediate way to utilize it in my wardrobe, I move on. Another New Year, and of course another chance to upgrade my style by adding a few more key pieces! Remember, less is more so give freely to help local charities, and help yourself to a new attitude about fashion.
My favorite nearby donation destinations are Goodwill on Capitol (in the interest of full disclosure, I write a style column for amazinggoodwill.com) and Value Village on North Avenue.
*
Please tune in next Monday, Jan. 17 when I appear on “The Morning Blend” on TMJ4 to dish the best and worst of the Golden Globes Red Carpet along with Faye, Molly and Tiffany!
