Constructing a Coordinated Closet

I’ve made a few runs to Goodwill this year, less to buy than to donate. Thank goodness.  I’m not nearly done yet, but I have big plans! 

Clearing away the unnecessaries frees not only the space in your home but also the space between your ears.  I need to go through my closet again.  And the storage area in the basement.  And the…

It’s amazing how quickly we accumulate things we don’t really need in our closets.  When I go shopping, a few different thoughts go through my mind.  First there’s the, “Oh!  That’s really cute, but they only have it in size small.  How about I buy it and save it for when it fits?”  Then there’s the, “Well, I need a new pair of khaki’s, but I don’t want to take the time to try them on in the dressing room.  I’m sure these will work.”   (And then they don’t.)  Or the, “Well, it’s not that cute, the color is not me, but it does fit.  OK, I’ll take it.”

And so it goes.  How many things have I donated with the tags still intact?

My plan is to actually weigh the stuff I donate this year.  I’m hoping it will serve as a deterrent to buying things I don’t really want or need. 

I’ll take every piece of clothing off every hanger, whether I wear it all the time or not. For each item that no longer fits, never did fit, or never has made my Like List, it goes in the “donate” pile. (I hope I can do this.  Honestly, if I spent a good amount of money on something, I doubt I’ll be able to part with it, but we’ll see.)

For each item I plan to keep, it gets laid out on the bed. The laid out clothes will then be examined for repairs that are needed. 

I tend to organize my closet by likeness.  For instance, I put all the slacks together, all the skirts together, all the jackets together…you get the picture.  Some people prefer to separate their work clothes from their active wear from their fun clothes.  Others like to coordinate their clothes; for instance, they may hang their slacks with all the blouses, sweaters, or jackets that coordinate with it. 

What’s your approach? 

I’ll keep you posted on the weigh-ins (the donation weigh-ins, that is).