Fashion

[KathyM23]

@Susan Louise   I agree that the most effective way to purge clothing is to try everything on.  I do exclude clothes I am currently wearing often to save time and effort as I have way too many clothes.  I cannot just browse through my clothes as I have found I keep items that look like something I like and will wear.  I mini purge frequently as a charity I donate to collects every couple months.  As I find items I no longer want I keep in a pile until pickup day.  They are coming this week so I just made another quick glance through my jacket closet and found three more jackets that I thought I really liked and had passed over in my purge.  I actually got them out the other day and tried them on.  They are items I defiitely would have not purged had not tried them on. 

Twice annually I do a major purge as I store out of season clothes.  In mid-September I will store spring/summer clothes and get out fall/winter and I really purge then when I can see clothes from all seasons.  I do have a wardrobe of clothes that are pretty much all season that stay in closets/drawers/armoires all year. 

I am committed to truly downsizing this year.  Retired - do not need all these clothes.  As I have heard having too much "stuff" can be stressful.  Not that I could ever be a minimalist, but my closets can definitely use an overhaul.

[chrystaltree]

I don't take it that seriously anymore.  I don't go into Fall mode until early to mid October.  I really do dress for the weather, not the calender and there will be plenty of 70's and 80's in September.  Much of my wardrobe is three season wear anway.  I have those storage cubes or hassocks that work well for me.  When I do the big switcheroo, I'll take out my sweaters and sweatshirts and Fall/winter tops and pack my maxi dresses, ankle pants, lights/brights/whites.  My shoes are already organized, it's just a matter of cleaning my sandals and putting them in their boxes and putting those boxes up on the top shelves.  The boxes are labeled.  I bring the boxes with my cold weather footwear down to the lower shelves.  I have a large handbag collection but I only have 3 bags that are strictly summer bags.  Those three bags, I will put in clear plastic bags and put them on a top shelf.  Coats and jackets live year round in the coat closet and I dry clean or wash them before I retire them for the season, so they are good to go when old weather hits.  It's all quick, easy, hassle free.  I do sort through and disgard or donate things at the end of the season.  Which is so helpful when I do the switch.  Most of my wardrobe is washable and like you,  I hang much of it to dry.  I wash things on gentle or I hand wash them and hang them to dry and I find that my clothing lasts longer and retains it shape.  I did a big closet cleanout about a year ago and now I only have clothing that fits and that I actually can and want to wear.  And I have space!  It's funny but throwing out all that old stuff resulted in my buying LESS clothes.  Everything is organized beautifully now and I easily see what I have.  I love the way my closet looks so much that  leave the closet door open most of the time.  I don't need any footwear of any type this year.  I need a pair of dark black jeans; I want a slim straight and I want black hardware/buttons/rivets.  I want a black cashmere or cashmere blend sweater with a jewel neckline.  That's all I need.  Of course, that's not to say that I won't buy things this winter but I'll put thought into what I do buy.    

[kate2357]

Seattle is a moderate climate and this year we didn't have a hot summer at all. (not complaining). But I just returned from our beach vacation and came home and put away all the linen items (store them in drawers) in a spare room. I also put all but two pair of crop pants aways and will donate a couple of pairs to family members. The weather will stay moderate until October, but unless it's sunny out, I just feel kind of silly walking around in crop pants and sandals in late September. I know anything goes these days, it's more about what I find comfortable.

I do big purges of closet twice a year and am trying really hard not to buy things for the life I used to have (lots of client entertaining/social events) as I don't really need much in the way of "formal business attire" anymore. So my two black suits, my gray suit and my winter white suit will get me thru all of any fall/winter functions I have to go to.

Last year was all about boots for me and I'm still looking for the perfect boot in a dark cordovan tan color ... something not just for sitting ... but I want cute. Always a hard combo.

[wilma]

All my clothes are in my bedroom. I have downsized my wardrobe over the last several years so everything fits in one small closet and 2 dressers. I no longer switch out for seasons. All I need to do is move my summer shoe boxes to the back of the closet floor & bring my winter ones forward. I will also hang summery dresses & tops on the back of the rod furthest from the closet door opening. 

I am a neat freak so my clothes are already organized so it’s easy to see what I have. For example, my long sleeve tees are in one drawer in 2 stacks - one white stack & the other stack color tees. My cardigans are in one drawer, my pullover sweaters in another, my turtlenecks in another, etc. 

My closet is arranged by color and type of item so I can find what I want quickly.

I already bought what I needed for colder weather: more black tights & long sleeve white tees for layering under v-neck sweaters. I really don’t need anything else, but I am sure I will buy a few new things.

[chrystaltree]

@kate2357 

Last year was all about boots for me too.  I finally accepted that heels were no longer a part of my life and I looked at the condition of all my boots and ankle boots and cleaned house.  So, last year I bought three pair of ankle boots a pair of mid calf leather boots and a pair of tall leather boots.  Now I am all set for footwear for a few years because I wear thick socks when I'm working in my home office.  Although, I would like the perfect pair of red ankle boots; suede or smooth leather. I'm not really looking for them but if I happen to see them, I'll indulge myself.

[texassunflower]

@Susan Louise  I have also lost 50 pounds in 11 months. I gained 40 pounds caring for a sick parent over the course of 4 1/2 years. I have kept my cardigans that have a matching tank. I find the tank to be too short. I will donate the tanks but keep the cardigans. I have replaced clothes three times. The clothes I kept when I worked full time teaching are very few. Schools are very casual now and I always dressed up. Some of the pants I can now wear, but the waist is too high and pant legs seem voluminous. 

[texassunflower]

@Grouchomarx  I agree that you will probably have to replace sweaters. I have lost 50 pounds in total. I bought sweaters in November after some weight loss and they will need to be replaced this year. Wore them only one season. I needed to lose the extra weight, but it gets expensive replacing clothes each season.

[kate2357]

@chrystaltree 

Oh, you mentioned red boots....now I want red boots! I actually can't believe I don't have any red footware....they would go great with my black or gray jeans/slacks.

[seedpie]

You are all so organized.  If I see something I like I buy it.  For every piece I buy something has to go away.  One thing is, I only know what to give away at the end of the season, and the donation places prefer not to get items at the end of their season. They especially don’t want coats in spring- no place to store until fall.  I guess I could clean out after summer and put items in containers to donate next spring.  One thing that helps is to ask myself if I would really miss something if I donated it.  It is surprising how often I say I wouldn’t miss it.  After I donate something I totally can’t remember what it was a short time later.

[ECBG]

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@texassunflower wrote:

@Grouchomarx  I agree that you will probably have to replace sweaters. I have lost 50 pounds in total. I bought sweaters in November after some weight loss and they will need to be replaced this year. Wore them only one season. I needed to lose the extra weight, but it gets expensive replacing clothes each season.

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@texassunflower Take them to an alterations shop.  If you need to go down a size or two, they can serge right down the sides and bring them in.

Congratulations on your weight loss!  That's quite commendable!